The times., 1897-12-16
Boxs aud spending Money


good deal Of public attention OF late
has been devoted to the important qnes-
ton OF Tho scale ~ expels, upon which
it is tolers bic in America that the sons
OF wealthy people shouHl be allowed to
live in tie universities and colleges =
the land. The facts ia the case are IN
denia bic; but the deductions from them
are various. IL the 5id DAYS, when there
weIe few large and no great fortunes N
The county and when the commercial in
sunct Of futhers, who had made their
Completeness themselves, dictated CN-
treme prudence in fostering extray8 saaCe
in their SINS, before tie boys should
learn through hard experience to know
the value Of money, was strong and n
active principle in the community, lie
youth Of the land met On q remarkably
equsl plane, even in such institutions as
Harvard and Yale, where. in former times,
a. now, tie offspring Of successful people
competed in the paths Of education with
those less fortunate.
o. late years there has been radical
change. At present there are many boys
In our leading universities who enjoy
ALLOW. auoes greater than tleir less farored
classmates, on the average OF chances,
ever can hope TO attain to as incomes,
in tie. struggle of life. The question
seriously is asked: Does such Coalition
tend tc make university education i'll
first-class institutions the privilege Of the
rich alone, and viii 1T result in presenting
an unfavorabIe contrast between the
social situation of the sons Of wealthy
parents and others, so depressing to
the latter that they practically viii ne shut
out?
President Eliot, Of Harvard, has answered
the question in the negative, ana we think
with good sense and judgment. he be-
Heves that The necessary expenses Of Un-
dergraduates at Harvard have not in
creased intolerHbIy since the advent of
Involved any loss of self respect to the
less wealthy students, on account Of the
social expenditures which some of their
fellows are able to indulge in. And this
ought TO he true. The school is micro
cosm. It represents in miniature that
great world of effort and strife into
which the Had must enter after graduation.
IN that world the gifts OF the gods are
distributed with an inequality too noto-
rious 10 demand discussion. Boys might
as well come to an appreciation of the
fact, first as last. Ii they learn, through
observation OF their compani ons, that
one is born with a golden spoon in his
mouth, while others must fight for the
bread they eat; but that true manhood.
added 10 opportunity, will win in the
contest, SO much the better for them
All the stronger viii be their determine
ton to So use their citizenship that the
laws Of the country shall not be manipu-
]; tee to give an arIstocratic class the
chance to destroy opportunity, and thus
create ration composed OF few plu
toclats aud many slaves.
Under the circumstances, as they are pre-.
sented today. on the whole, it may lie
regarded as very wise that the boys
Of the financial middle class should come in
contact with the scions OF trusts and
monopolies and, observing early in their
careers the let results. OF uneaned e1r-
tune, &c forth among the people, with
their minds wen filled with the lesson