New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-14

trial education and education IN applied sc'e"'s
which has since been our mainstay III t"o U
ganization Of a tardyi pubic schooi anu co"e@'
system in the United States In when 'hco'po
ration Of the technical methods Of France and
Germany. with. In some respects anu III ''''
places. real improvement upon forsgn methods,
has been the distinguishing feature our s!s'e"'
has however, lacked perslstency. consistc"c!
and complete extension. Ii Is In the bah"s VI
the several States and In some has proved
liable TO inefilcency through ignorance on 'ne
part OF the non-techncal and unprofesS'o""'
men who have been intrusted with the co'''o'
NJ technical schools and schools Of engineering,
or through culpable incorporation or iu""s
intended to be employed in the establishment OF
industrial education" or through lack Oh III
terest in the great questions which have come
To be more serious and more vital than. II pos
sible. even those of peace and war. Below and
behind all this ineffciency lies. OF course. much
Indifference respecting the future OF our coun-
trv or a blind and childish and misleading cor
Adence-precisely such has also been dis
played. to her sorrow. by Great Britan7thet
no foreign nation can disturb the markets or
the peace OF mind OF the people OF the United
States England to-day suffers, and now our
State Legislatures-mainly however. those or
the Western States--are becoming interested IN
the work and promoting 1t magnlfcently, as
matter both OF common prudence and sensible
politics and as a matter Of State pride. The
State universities Of the country, between the
Ohio at least and the Pacific, are leading In
this regeneration Of the modern State. They
are coming to be Peoples Universities"
Such are needed. They are those which DR..
schurman has described
A peoples university II 1t is true to the spirit OF
the age. must hold a subjects equally reputable;
It afford to omit those Industrial arts which lie
at the foundation, Of our modern NE But. with
which admits OF scientific treatment. The masses
ard the classes must both be rsnre:ented; or or,
rather such university can recognize no such as
tinction for the objects OF every occupGto must
be esteemed equally sisnihcont The ANALYSIS "
soils ~ important IA tho analysis OF literature.
The steam engine 10 nc sacred as Greek. Philosophy
Is not moro venerable than roadmnkng house
Is rational the geometry that II embodies.
We must no longer dream that the little section OK
knowledge that we cultivate Is the holy OF holes;
Every atom OF the universe Is equally worthy OF
regard
Al are but parts Of one stppend99gS wHole'
Whose body nature IT, and God the soul
In Gods universe there is rothing common
or uncloan. and whatever Is known about 1t must
have. place in the curriculum of peoples uni
Az the same able writer and eloquent speaker has
asse'ted; the curriculum must be as varied as are are
arrived and III. since the foundation OF Saerno,
universities have been dedicated 10 the lnNtStSd-
ton OF nature with n view to providing remedy
for human discusses they now assuredy need
Sna OF r TO .f nvanpe to our
helpless race those natural powers and operations
by which the works Of man are affected ana the
life Of man sustained"
New-York. like all the States in the older sec
ton OF the country except. perhaps. Massachu-
sets has been very tardy in this work: but the
great Middle West and the State of California
are doing magnificent work, usually setting
aside specific tax. as a constant and per-
manent support for their State universities. and
giving them each year more and more OF that
aid and sympathy which are essential both to
their steady advancement and highest efficiency.
Our own State. the Empire State" Is now hes
itatingy taking up this work. and we may
hope In time 10 see technical education and the
Industrial arts placed upon a safe and produc-
tive basis. Should we fail. Germany will yet af-
feet our industries precisely as she has those OF
Great Britain; for must hencefortb look to
expectation in disposal Of our manufactured
surplus II we would keep all honest men stead
lily employed at living wages and thus avoid
that congestion which gives rise to epidemics of
unrest demagoguery and dangerous strife.
1t should be noted however. that Germany
has Of late years been experiencing the out
come OF another great political movement and
industrial policy Great Britain for decades sus-
tanned a protective system. and. aided By the
inventive and constructive genius OF her people.
her Watts, her Stephensons. her Arkwrights
and her numberess other great engineers and
mechanics, built up her enormous manufactures
and foreign commerce. After she had become
mistress Of the world OF industry and could
safely do so, she adopted that free-trade policy.
In 1S48, which unquestionably best for
nation dependent upon manufactures for a liv
ing incapable of supplying her own agricultural
products in sufficient quantity to meet the
needs Of her people. and in all ways ready to
go out into the whole world vending her wares
The policy proved successful But at about
the same time Germany began the study Of the
same problem in its TO her different aspect.
Germany came to the same policy finally that
hal been at the beginning adopted By Great
Britain. and she systematically encouraged and
stimulated her own domestic manufactures To-
day she Is at the doors OF Great Britain with her
wares, and Ia underseng the mistress Of the
seas In every part of the world. sending abroad
her products and her people well-for her
trades union systems include provision for send
ing out unemployed and ambitious citizens of
Germany to foreign countries for mutual adj
vantage For Germany protection proved wise,
while for Great Britain, at the same time free
trade was equally wise.
The people and the legislators and the sta tes-
men OF the United States may we'll profit by
this lesson With complete and perfect edu-
cation" as Milton called IT when urging it on
his country more than two centuries ago, pro-
viding all that "the Peoples University and its
attached industrial and common school system
should give, and with wise and moderate and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Observation-Disclosures
protective legislation sustaining and encourage
ing those Industries which give people steady
work and good returns for their labor. and
which may encourage and diversity the whole
Industrial system OF the country, there should
be no good reason for fear that our country will
ever suffer incompetition-in a wholesome and