The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-01
MERIT MEASURES POSITION
Students May Seek Sons Of the Nobility or the
Rich Earth in Their University Career,
But in the End Worth Places
All of Them.

&
All of Them.
Special Correspondence Chicago Record,
Oxford, July Notwithstanding the
high church tendency and the conserve
tive political influence of Oxford uni
yersity there is a great deal of genuine
democracy among the students, and it =
becoming more and more pronounced'
While very Englishman is born with !
love for lord. and the highest resped'
is always paid to the nobility without re-
gard to the political opinion of the popu
lace there is less toadylSm among TN
young men in the schools than among
their fathers in commerce and industry
and social affairs The son of duke II
en- earl who comes TO Oxford wearing thF
traditional halo of rank will be soughs
out by tuft-hunters, who would never
think of looking up the son of conf
moner but after the two boys have beeF
in the university for a term or two eact
will have disclosed his moral and mental
value and will have taken hls proper POI
sition in the long procession that is pass
ing year after year through this institul
ton.
The same rule governs the rich and ting
poor A boy who has plenty of money II
spend will always have more followers
and larger circle of acquaintance than
one who has none but he may not STAND
anywhere near so high in the estimai
tion of his fellow-students. and Oxford
is not unlike all other educational institul
ton in this respect. A gentleman CONT
moner," the son of some rich brewer on
banker or manufacturer often comes ia
Oxford with horses, carriages, dogs and
servants and finds a handsome suite of
rooms, where he gives elaborate break1
faStS and FOSTERING wine parties. lie
creates a sensation and has long trail
of followers wherever he goes. The som
of a country curate. whose father by
scrimping enough out of his narrow sail
airy to provide him an outfit, and has had
sufficient influence to secure him schol7
arShip. will creep quietly mp the back
stairway to his rooms under the roof at
the beginning of his freshman year, but
when the honors are awarded at the end
of the course. either in scholarship, ath-
letics or social popularity, he may win a
seat in the front circle of the elect, while
the gentleman commoner'' may be COM
PEELED to hang on the lowest edge of the
rear gallery.
Certain of the colleges at Oxford are
more patronized by the fast SET than
Others. Some attract rich mems sons
while others are most congenial to the
moor. but in the class-rooms and before
the examining board. and even to great
err degree in the cricket field and among
the boats. the best man wins whether he
wears a title or has a big bank account
or is a charity student Atmetics have
done a great deal toward promoting social
equality and democracy at Oxford The
stroke oar of the varsity crew is big
ger man than the senior wranger of
Christ's College. whether he be the son
of a country parson or the offspring of a
duke The personal equation goes for ey-
erything. and men are estimated at their
true worth as accurately at Oxford to-
day as at any other place in the universe.
Christ Church College used to be pa
tronized by the nobility and arstocracy.
New College came next, and then Mag
dalen. but now men of titles are scattered
throughout all the colleges. Cambridge is
not so influential, but is the resort of a
larger proportion of the aristocracy and
nobility than Oxford, and public opinion
among the students is more conservative
and less democratic.
There is a decided Indifference to dress
at Oxford which has also had great
influence upon the democratic tendencies
of the institution. 1t is now the fashion
for students to wear their oldest clothes.
Dudes are out of style, and, although the
gowns which the undergraduates wear,
like charity, may cover multitude OF
sins, they do not conceal the shabby gar
ments that the boys are affecting. A
rusty pair of tweed knickerbockers, a
Jersey, a Norfolk jacket, pair of heavy
tan walking shoes and golf stockings are
the garments that average students wear
on ordinary occasions, although some of
the more particular bring out frock
coats and dark trousers for Sunday.
a tendency to liberalism which has
sprung up of late years among the stu
dents and in some of the faculties has
been equally effective in leveling social
distinctions. Formerly none but members
of the church of England were admitted
to the University, and, as consequence,
non-comformist colleges were established
at Oxford Now no questions are asked
as to the religious views of candidates for
matriculation. and, although the nom
conformist colleges are not included with
in the organization of the university,
their students are admitted on equal
terms to the lectures and examinations,
and there are Catholics as well as
Methodists among the students. John
Wesley graduated from the same college
as John Henry Newman, cardinal of the
Roman church in England, and Charles
Bradlaugh, the infdel reformer and icon
oclast, obtained his education in the SAME
lecture-rooms as the Prince of Wales.
Sir Christopher Wren, Francis Bacon,
the Rev. John Keble, author of The
Christian Year." Charles James Fox,
Lord Macaulay Robert Dudley, Earl Of
Leicester, Sir Walter Raleigh, Bishop
Heber Humphrey, duke of Gloucester,
Adam Smith, Pope Southey, Dryden and
Coleridge, Bishop Butler, Bishop Wilber-
force, John Hampden, who led the
movement against Charles l., Lang
lande author of 'Piers Plowman," Mat
thew Arnold, Addison, Cardinal Wolsey,
Sir Thomas More, Sir Robert Peel, Lord
Shaftesbury, the great philanthrop:st,
the two Cannings. Lord Elgin, Black
stone. Bollingbroke, John Locke, Ben
tn: ord Mapg-