The Advocate and news., 1898-02-23

BeJner, ana enables them TO stay to-
gether until the end sought Is accom-
plished. Courses must be brought within
the intellectual reach Of students. The
whole public educational system should
be 80 correlated and unified that the stu
dent may pass as freely from any institu-
tion to the one next higher as students
now pass from one grade to the next in
grammar school or college. The chasms
between schools and colleges supposed
TO stand In a relation of sequence to each
other are mute but eloquent witnesses
to the effectiveness OF our educational
system.
Courses, again, must be brought within
the pecuniary reach Of students. Free
institutions demand free education. A
democracy should tolerate no tollgates
on the educational highway. While
charges for breakages and damages done
by the student may be wise, the whole
system of tuition charges and fees,
whether in the higher or the lower edu-
cational institutions, should go, and the
institutions should be maintained by
taxes laid on those best able to pay and
on those protected by the State in the
enjoyment Of some special privilege or
monopoly.
Nor should we stop here; for our edu-
cational system, certainly that portion
OF 1t that requires the student to travel
far and remain long on expense, would
still present to the average youth gates
barred with gold. No educational sys-
tenn, let me again emphasize, that can
be utilized only through the magic touch
OF money, can be called truly practical
The modern State must open as wide it's
gates to the earnest but penniless youth
seeking knowledge and skill as did the
medieval church Private benefcence
has already, in cases, rendered notable
service; scholarships in limited number
have long been furnished in certain uni
versities at home and abroad to make
education possible for those who though
destitute Of means, have shown high
ability. But the State, IL 1t assumes to
educate, cannot afford to leave to private
citizens the task of repairing the rents
In it's own system. The State should
furnish these scholarships in moderate
and sufficient number to the
worthy but needy Though free schools
were an old story in America when as
yet unheard Of in England, English edu-
cational refOrmers are demanding a
scholarship ladder" that shall extend
from the gutter to the university" and
America must not now permit England
to pass her in the educational race.
Small but progressive Switzerland has,
through her regular public educational
long furnished such facili.
ties, and with excellent results.
Many opportunities for working ones
way are now afforded students In some
Institutions; one institution in this State
is spending thousands of dollars annu-
ally for this purpose. Some State Legls-
Iatures have gone so far as to make
special appropriations Of funds to be ex-
pended by colleges or universities In en-
Dloying student labor, and the tendency
N this direction might we'll be empha-
sized.
Short purses can be further met by
short courses, as in the universities OF
Minnesota and Wisconsin and at Cor
lell; courses of perhaps three months In
nidwinter for one or two years, packed
)rimfull of the precise things a student
Will apply on leaving college and run
W nigh pLSoSuA0, anu Will CDupueSJIuB
from start to finish.
But school privileges nearer home are
'ften practically out Of reach. London
eachers have found that the listlessness
md apathy Of some Of their pupils was
Yctually due to lack of food. It remained
hen, either to confess the public school
n such cases a failure, or to take the
leXt step and demand for such children
free meal Such a step would seem to
,e exactly in line with the successive
'rovision Of free school buildings, free
free apparatus, and free
ooks; and we may add it has actually
cen taken long since in Switzerland, and
lay soon be expected in London.
AS is we'll known, the country school
4 certain sections and at certain seasons
J rendered virtually inaccessible by dis