The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-05
q GREAT EDUCATOR.

| a
| Because the board Of directors of the
| Brown University asked President An
drews TO refrain from talking and writ
| ing free silver, 16 10 l." President An
drews resigned. The reason for the di-
rectors' request to Andrews was subse-
quentIy ascertained to be letter from
The multi millionaire Rockefeller, whose
boy had but lately graduated from
Brown, which letter went on 10 say
that be, Rockefeller, had intended TO
have given the university a million dol
lars, but that he would not do any
such thing, at least so long as man
so unsound as to advocate the free coin
age of silver was kept at the head of
the university as its president. People
on both sides of the Atlantic became
interested. Was money to be publicly
acknowledged greater power in Amer
lea than character and brains: was the
square issue. Rockefeller believed gold
to be the most important and worthy
Of consideration, and so he virtually
told the directory of the university.
The directors have at last held meet
ing. and according TO the dispatches Of
Thursday, they refused TO accept Pres
ident Andrews resignation. AS it had
been no crime, but was conceded to be
wisdom to coin silver free UP to 1873.
the directory did not dare to 60 on rec
ord holding it 10 be a crime in 1897.
Rockefeller's million dollars will be lost
to the institution, but its self respect
will be retained.
Whether President Andrews is right
or wrong as to the silver question, it is
undenied that he is one of the greatest
educators in the country. In the cur
rent number of the Cosmopolitan he
contributes paper on college education
which will be widely read. Probably
the most interesting feature of the pa
per alluded to is that which deals with
the question Of tie classics. Long eX-
perience and observation in college," he
says, "have persuaded me of certain
grave intellectual and moral vices con-
nected with classical training" He be-
lieves that to the defects of the classical
training are 10 be laid the poor results
of college education as ii is so often
seen. President Andrews says that
young men end their studies with
fiabby minds, unable to analyze keenly
or TO generalize truthfully or far. This
comes out clearly when they undertake
to write. The bad quality of the writ
ten work done by fresh college gradu-
ates is notorious 1t is the |
higher traits of rhetoric which suffer |
most. The report, newspaper article. |
essay, treatise, or whatever the writing |
Is, lacks unity, continuity and progress. |
The trouble is that the whole |
mental training has been defective"
The study of mythology means TO Pres |
dent Andrews wasted labor. The argu-
ment that the study of classical authors
IS an invaluable help in acquiring the |
art of facile and correct writing is COM
Datted. President Andrews thinks that
he study of the classics is an obstacle
n the way of acquiring a free. idiorl-
itic and forcible English style. He
loldS that certain parts of classical lit
erature are wholly unfit TO be read. be- |,
,ause it is necessary to violently misin-
erpret them to make them decent In
TACT, he believes in classics as a part of
education only on the part of pupils
who. having gone through college, have
entered upon university work proper.
Three innovations he would make in
college education: Unprecedented en-
1hasis upon thOrOughneSS, logic and
system in all the studies pursued; I'M
,recedented emphasis upon moral char
,cter and conduct. and the study OF bi-
,logy in the largest sense in place of
latin and Greek. OF the third topic
lie says: Biology is an immense sub
,ntire range Of social science: that is.
POLITICAL economy, political history and
he science of society and of govern
nent No studies are more disciplinary
han these and none can be more use
I'LL" 1t is interesting 10 note in con-
lection with this suggestion the tend
.ncy of some of the most prominent
colleges in the country to pay
special attention 10 this branch of sci
nee. In this respect President An
irews seems TO agree with the suggeS-
ION made by recent critic Of woman's
'ducauon, who said that for the women
Il the present day to insist upon having
xactly the same education as that pro
-ided in colleges for men is is a mistake
,ecause it Is likely 20 result in failure
o adopt possible improvement.
a SILVER EXPLANATION