The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
HOT DISCUSSION AT YALE.
PRESENT METHODS IN ENGLISH
OALLED IN QUESTION.

PREsBET METHODS IN ENGLISH
CALLED IN QUESTION.
Eu-aev. Charsser,nin,u viEsreus Criticism end
Pref. Reerr's sharp R~etert-Three RreFes'
sers .vghe -ptviae tie DpSsrtnent er Essiish
-The Anssea ssaeiebisE sf Pref Pheips.
NEW HAVEN, March 5.-For two years
Yale has been In an unsettled state In regard TO
the matter Of instruction In English. In the
opinion OF some tho trouble arises because there
is no head to the department. The senior pro-
fessor is Horny A. Beers who has handled the
leading courses In literature proper for fifteen
years. A few years ago the faculty gave Albert
s. Cook q professionally. This made him. II
not coordinate with Prot Beers, at least tho
head Of q branch of the work in English with
the responsibility divided there arose dissatis-
faction and the work dragged.
Other complications came later. Edward T.
MCLAUGHLIN. q young instructor, came to be re-
Rsrded as likely TO outstrip both his elders. Ho
had b~eenspromoted:to an assistant professorship
when he died suddenly three years ago. Then
another star appeared In the armament Of the
Yale faculty. William Lyon Phelps, . gradu.
alto Of 81, began his duties 80 instructor shortly
before the death Of Prof. MCLAUGHLIN. He made
. hit. In 1898 ho started something new in the
line Of Yale literary researches. q course In
modern novels. Attendance at tho literary
courses had been unsatisfactory, but It took o
sudden boom. Prof. Phelps found that he had
$50 students in his course. Tho faculty rubbed
their eyes- The classes in Language. suffered
by the rush to the course in modern novels.
This was not ali. The other professors began to
complain that the young mon who had elected
the novel course were irving It all their timo
and neSlecting such interesting subjects rs
Greek tragedy, the higher mathematics, and
translations Of medievsl manuscripts. Nor did
the trouble stop here. The wives of como pro-
fcssors were present ut the lectures given by
Prof. Phelps and they took exceptions NOS only
to some of his ~statements. but also to the pro-
priety OF soma OF the novels studied. At the
end Of the year the faculty voted not to allow
the course IN modern novels 70 DO given again.
Prof. Phelps was. however. promoted to an as
sistant professorship and IN now fairly abreast
OF his elders, In the opinion Of his friends, as o
candidate for the head Of the Yale English de
partment.
Oddly enough, the donation 10 Yale Of three
professorships In English only added to the diff
nculty. The Emily Sanford chair was founded
by Judge Billings and two others were given by
tho late William Lampson Of Rochester. The
corporation has not in three years succeeded In
nlling even one Of them.
Another indication of the state Of affairs in
the English department was given tonight
when II was announced that Herbert A. Smith
had handed his resignation to the faculty. to
take effect at tho close OF the school year. It 10
known that his successor will be Frank H.
Chase. valedictorian Of tho class Of "a. The
cause for Mr.. Smiths Withdrawal 10 not given.
All that is stated 10 that friction existed and he
resigned.
Daniel 81. Chamberlain Of South Carolina, now
of Worcester, Mess voiced the sentiments. of
~ NrtnO nj thu VolN III u,nt yrhnn he ~ ,lA 1;a
stack on Prsaident pSisht and Prof.. I Beers n at
the annual dinner Of the Worcester alumni two
The whole department" said Gov. Chamber.
lain, counts but one man. one only. who IL O
gOSs, teacher ssas ! of mi ERSsl ea1i And SIsat this man NJ ib hai T. been osa
nov watched with 5@e4lousy lest he should
Gov. chsmberisin's speech aroused Prof.
Beers himself. who sent back hot ahot that
S Ses@s 70 n Pref. '' sesss s SGE' CHAMBERLAIN tenn
Il see that Nh; Daniel r. Chamberlain is now
Morrying tae alumni Of central end western
New York for several years, The Massaehu.
sets alumni arc not as much accustomed to
might be in danger Of taking il seriousiy..'
,,a Af,ss z Rn asssSs % S 81 sh P,d gr1 Rsss DoHl1Oa. Of
waiting to DO filled. The Lampson endowment
has not yet been paid in. That the Emily San. |
faculty. It has been offered in turn to three
Re tiemen. any ono VI whom would have been
s 81 sadDssp " nj &c e them. iSs COLLEGE NJ: c sna ses S9en who DE-,
h nsivs been 1.t as,gs On Ri, PBs;op ssb n Now va, s1 s.eaS Nth III
nominated bis own brother. the Rev. Leander |
Chamberlain, and Col. Homer B; sprague; I
real candidate was some ono even moro nearly |
related to himself, But this l can hardly believe. |
not hearty sop so PRINTABLE as sSI some other p%osislon as
which ex.Gov Chamberlain has occupied"
.,o The e. last .sm ssn y : ae1' r%eS5Ss snss- z the inv ia,ye; MsFPs
Governor of south Carolina. Is tho sharpest |
thing that has been Md during Die battle be
made. another contribution 70 the literature Of
the discussion; He defended Mr.. Chamberlain
Does tho fact that eI-Gov. Chamberlain has
LONG, urged a reinforcement of the department
Of English show that he Is mistaken regard
have sued to join the choir Of in~discriminat.
spirit. the real star." 't'p't ' i~
is by b Prot Prof. A Pheips S e 1s Mad the % yo ons e man de.
scrihed By Gov. Chamberlain % the "one man
A. Yale who is a good teacher Of English"
blew AZ Mr.: lchanberiafn. He says:
and recent alumni. When he walks along the
s soisssr oS Is d HSSs''e To these ss'f he pa " s no att ana
ton. II . very large dog attacks him he i'm
mediatsly gives him what Mr.. Depew calls "a
berlain may b described as q very warm dog
though there are other dogs just as warm He
has made . definite. q specific attack upon
Yale's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., and, although criti- |
cism from frienas Is always welcome, I believe |
that Gov. Chamberlain is totally and profound
~ mistaken
There has been q steady and constant growth
In the study Of English at Yale during the past |
fifteen years. 1t appears to me that Gov. |
Chamberlain ~selected precisely the wrong time
to mako his attack. We arc not doing any. |
thing revolutionary or startling. but we are max
ing constant progresa. 1t is not true that Har-
ward to-day excels Yale In the variety or the
quality of courses offered In English literature.
I challenge any man TO compar the catalogues
Of the two universities and see II my statement
Is not true. The fact Is that Yale holds q quito |
different theory In the teaching Of English from
tic teachers at Harvard nine TENNIS Of the en- |
ergy and time Of the English faculty is given to
have two strong and rroWins tescSsrs Of rhset'
eric, but wa do. not believe in d~evoting. moro