The herald., 1897-11-14
A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Daniel c. Gilman. writing in the No
vember Century, outlines the plan tc
establish a national university in Wash
ington a committee of prominent citi.
zens has been appointed to act as q
body of promoters, and bill has been
drafted for the consideration of con-
gress. Now comes a halt, three things
having been demonstrated up to the
present time.
There is. first, a strong desire among
lovers and promoters of learning
throughout the country that the IL
braries, collections, instruments and ap-
paratus belonging to the government
should be opened to students for study
and experiment. There would be Il
practically unanimous assent to such a
proposition.
Secondly. the universities existing in
Washington and near to it, including
those of New England. would regard
with disfavor. and probably with dis
trust, an effort to establish by congress
sional action the University of the
United States. Washington has already
the old Columbian university, the
Georgetown university. the Catholic
university. the Methodist university
and the Howard university. the latter
being devoted to the interests of the
colored race. while an hours ride away
is Johns Hopkins. Then what will Yale
and Harvard and Princeton Columbia,
Pennsylvania, Cornell, Ann Arbor Chi
cago. Minneapolis and other seats of
learning. further away but still inter
ested, say if the United States becomes
their competitor?
Last. but surely not least, Mr.. Gilman
points, TO the great distrust outside and
inside academic circles of the principle
that congress should provide for and di-
rect university education. The fears
may be foolish: it is easy to laugh at
them. There will be the ever-present
expectation of political interference
first in the governing body, then in the
faculty, and finally in the subjects and
methods of Instruction.
The first impulse is to join in laughing
at the fears of political Interference in a |
national university. And yet the ey-
perience undergone by President An
drews with the governing body of Brown
checks laughter and excites
fear. 1t seems, however, that national
university could be kept as free from
as the supreme court.
Whether that standard would be salts
factory is for the people to decide. If
politics should enter such an educational
institution, its usefulness would be
lost. Nor would interference like that
OF the Brown university trustees be tol-
Grated for an instant by the people.
This phase of the project should be yerv
considered before any stems
are taken for the actual establishment Of
4 national university.
Mr.. Gilman suggests as a compromise
he organization under the auspices Of
he Smithsonian institution of a plan by
which the literary and scientific insttu-
ions of Washington may be associated
md correlated so far as relates to tn.
instruction and assistance of qualified
students. There would be no attempt
o provide a general or liberal course of
'ducation, but only opportunities and
for the prosecution of
'ertain specific studies. Any person of
ther sex, from any place of whatever
ge, without any question as to his pre-
ious academic degree, should be ad-
lissible, provided fitness in the subject
f the candidates prediction is demon-
trated