Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-03
NATIONAL SCHOOLS.
Tho Building OF Endowed Universitiss
Must He Checked.


drews of Brown University, says:
There Is no doubt that. like Prof.
Bemis, who was dismissed from the
University of Chicago. President An
drews was dismissed because he
warned his countrymen against the
great monopolies. 1t seems certain
that conflict is approaching that will
shake the Union as 1t was shaken by
the great slavery question. 1t looks
as though the splendid millionaire en-
dowments Of American universities had
the unworthy motive of the promotion
of the interests of the monopolies. We
anticipate great wave OF opinion
against the pretension Of the mo-
nopolist class as dangerous to free
dom. This movement will lead to the
substitution of public for private con-
troll and ownership of the big trusts
and monopolies and the substitution OF
state for private colleges and universi-
ties
The foregoing is in line with most
rapid change in public opinion.
Last January DR.. David Starr Jor-
dan, although president of Stanford
university, an endowed institution,
came out squarely against endowed
universities. In an article in the FO-
rum entitled THE Urgent Need of a
National University" he said THE
great revival of learning in the United
States, which has shown itself in the
growth of universities. in the rise OF
the spirit of investigation, and In the
realization Of the value Of truth, can
be traced in large degree to Germanic
influences. These influences have
not come to us through German immi-
grafton, or the presence Of German
scholars among us, but through the
experience of American scholars in
Germany. If it be true, as Mr. James
Bryce says. that of all institutions in
America the universities have the
best promise for the future we have
Germany to thank for this. 1t Is,
however, no abstract Germany that we
may thank. but a concrete fact. 1t is
the existence in Germany of UNIVERSE
ties, strong, effective, AND FREE, and
most notable among these is the
youngest of their number, the univer-
sity of Berlin.
1T is said that in America we have
already some four hundred colleges
and universities. Most of the work
done in the best of them is that Of the
German gymnasium or preparatory
school. The worst of them would in
Germany be closed by the police.
But in a certain number of the strong
est and FREEST the genuine univer-
sity spirit is found in the highest de-
gree. For more Of these good ones
there is crying demand
But as working principle AS WELL
ASK WEALTHY MANUFACTURERS
OR WEALTHY CHURCHES to endow
and support our Supreme Court of law
as to endow and support our supreme
university. They can not do It; they
will not do it; and, AS FREE MEN,
WE WOULD NOT HAVE THEM DO
1T IF THEY WOULD.
Whatever institutions the people
and control. That this can be
done wisely is no matter of
theory. With all their mistakes and
crudities, the state universities of this
country constitute the most hopeful
future in our whole educational sys-
tenn. In the long run few institutions
are less subject to partisan influence
than state university. There
is no instrument of POLITICAL, So
CIAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE RE-
FORM to be compared with the intlu-
ence of national university.
The foregoing, coming from one Of
the most profound scholars of the
United States, is entitled to the most
serious consideration of each individu-
al who is anxious to protect the repub-
lie from the Entertainments Of concen-
trated wealth and the attendant evils.
Still another remedy for the lack o.
freedom of teaching in our universities
is pointed out by Mr.. George H. Shib-
ley in the Money Question" pub
lished last year. He states the fact
that in many of our universities the
trustees employ in the monetary de-
partments only such teachers as put
forth the ideas which suit these truss
tees, whereas Gin the universities of
our mother country and in the rest of
Europe, TEACHING HAS BEEN AND
is OPEN TO COMPETITION, and,
therefore, the individuals who have
held them have done so by fearlessly
following truth, wherever 1t led. In
the United States, however. there is
a new order of things. INSTEAD OF
IN OUR UNIVERSE
TIES, THERE is A MONOPOLY. The
professors and all the other teachers
are appointed by the trustees, and
ONLY THOSE APPOINTED ARE
TO TEACH THE STU
DENTS. This is a deplorable state
Of affairs. But as it exists it should
and must be known to the people,"
The remedy he suggests is: LET the
state enact law conditioning the
franchises of endowed universities up
on their adopting the European system
Of competition in teaching, i. e., the
teachers selected by the trustees to
meet the direct competition of other
cob lbs