The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-09-17

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 mes
there is a crying demand"
But as a working principle AS WE'LL
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
need, the people must create
n 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
lQlulc III Oul "lOlo cuuCdLlOudl SyS-
tenn. In the long run few institutions
are less subject to partisan influence
thar a state university. g There
is no instrument of POLITICAL, So
CIAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE RE-
FORM to be compared with the inf1u-
ence of a. 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 fndividu-
al who is anxious to protect the repub-
lie from the encroachments of concen-
trated wealth and the attendant evils.
Still another remedy for the lack or
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, md,
therefore, the individuals who have
held them have done so by fearlessly
following truth wherever it led. In
the United States, however. there is
a new order of things. INSTEAD OF
COMPETITION 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
PERMITTED 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 a 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
competent scholars, e. g., those who
have attained the degree of doctor Of
philosophy. Through permitting these
scholars to register for classes and re-
ceive the usual fee per scholar. and
the scholar credited with the work thus
taken, freedom in teaching the truth
the facts of history and the truths OF
nature-will be at once attained. Eli
Their secure freedom of competition in
teaching in the endowed universities
or permit nothing but state and ma.
tional universities to exist"