Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-01-02

is painful lack of accuracy and pre-
cision in the use of English. and that
a large expenditure of time and force
in the university has TO be devoted
to kind Of elementary work which we
cannot help feeling shorld be done in
the preparatory schools, II teachers
would insist, under all circumstances.
that in transiating from foreign Ian
guage into English the English shall
be correct, grammatical, and idiomatic.
much would be done to cure this evil.
1t can hardly be said that the prepare
tory schools are doing their work thor
oughly and satisfactorily so long as
notable defects are observable in this
most important of all branches OF
study. a similar observation might be
made in regard to the necessity OF
greater thoroughness in the teaching
Of Latin and Of German There would
doubtless be cause for similar obser-
walton in regard to preparation In
Greek, If Greek were generally studied
Throughout the high schools of the
state. l cannot help expressing the
! opinion that IL 1t Is impossible to do
| thoroughly the work of all the studies
now crowded into the high school
course. some of them should be omit
ted II is unquestionably better that
habits OF thoroughness and accuracy
should be acquired in few things than
that larger amount of superficial
knowledge should be acquired In many
things. On this point believe all the
authorities of the university are a unit.
| cannot close this paper without an
expression of gratitude and of hope.
4 Every lover of this noble state must
| be grateful that the educational forces
are so co-ordinated that, to use Hux-
| ley's smile, continuous ladder ex-
tends from the Kindergarten to the
! University, and that the facilities for
ascending 1t, even to the very top. are
made easy and delightful u Is mat
ter for pride as well as for gratitude
that no vigorous and entorpgising
young man of ability is so poor that
he cannot work his way through col
lege, and, best of all, receive from the
teachers and students alike, the respect
which his scholarship and character
deserve. In the uncompromising dem
ocracy of university life, the history
Of the past year has repeated the his
tory of every other year in showing
ers by the students and the appoint-
ment of fellows by the faculty, the
man whose money has been earned by
his father or his grandfather Is not
more honored than Is the student
whose money has been earned by his
own hand, The fact is so repeatedly
and naturally shown that II never at
tracts attention or excites remark at
the university. If change In this re-
speet ever takes place, d large part of
the glory Of the institution will have
passed away
Thatk God. there Is no indication that
such catastrophe is impending. There
never was a time when students Of
/ limited means could work their way
through the university more easily
than now. There certainly has not been
4 time since 1860 when so few dollars
would answer the purpose. II would
be impossible for circumstances to exist
where a self-respecting student, sup
porting himself, would be more indie
pendent and IN greater favor than he
is at the pi esent time Any one that
thinks over the roll of those chosen by
tie students themselves To engage IN
the great intellectual tournaments Of
the university Joint Debates
will Gee that IL liz not wealth but pow
erty that seems to be on the intellect
/ ual throne The lesson is, Lock out
for the man who has neither time nor
desire for dress suit" All he asks
| for Is TO have an open road and
free and encouraging opportunity. He
wants, and he deserves, libraries and
museums and laboratories of the very
| best. He marches with his forehead
TO the sky and with a light step, as
though exhilarated by the perpetual
consciousness of something attempted
and something done" There Is not a
corner of the university campus In
which one does not seem to hear his
triumphant McGregor song; CLEAR the
way for ] am coming"
This Is en- important side of the uni
yersity, but 1t is not all / have seen
in one of the greatest cathedrals OF the
world a princess in purple velvet and
a peasant in sheep-skin breeches kneel-
ing at the same altar. The temple Of
learning. like the temple OF God, must
be four square, and must throw wide
open its doors to all classes alike.
While 1t must give every opportunity
and encouragement to the poor, II must
not give to the poor any exclusive
rights. The rich man is as good as the
poor. If he behaves as well: and the
poor may not say to the rich: Move
out for this ID mine" The very name
University implies universally Of
condition as well as universally OF
knowledge. When this term for the
highest institutions Of learning was
! first adopted there were in the same
scholastic communities those who
were the SINS Of princes and those
who. like .4artin Luther, sang from
\ kn,,no ~ I,o,,ea IN t,afv, 4hnf- kraa1 Cf,