Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13
Washington's Destiny as Americas
Educational Center
STEADY GROWTH TOWARD THAT END
The First Presidents Hope to
Create Great University.
REALIZ ING THE DEAL

eminent. This frnparts a peculiar tone to
the city, subtle and restful, like the peace
of the lotus land. whence men wander no
more In Washington, remote from the
turmoil of labor and traffic, men throw off
the spirit of their ruder conflicts, and come
to the sense of their social and ideal neces-
sites. Those who love the city-and who
that abidss therein dees not lcye it?-in-
stircuvely resist every effort to disturb
this immaterial but satisfying charm. That
it Is satisfying what stronger proof than
tfat foreign ambassadors, who once re-
garded assignment here as Punishment,
now court the mission? 1865.
1t is manifest destiny. however that
Washington shall not remain simply the
seat of government 1t was in the thought
of the first President, who believed in the
future of his namesake city when as yet it
existed as only purpose, that it should be
the seat of national university: the idea
has ever since been fostered, and is urged
p=rsistently upon Congress, year after
year, by a Jealous committee. Meanwhile
our territorial expansion and the growing
perplex1ty of our civil and industrial prob
lens have forced the government to under
take class of Investigations that consti-
tute high order of university research
work The methods employed by govern
ment experts are in reality shaping those
OF many universities upon the same lines
all means and agencies for collecting and
preserving the results of actual experience
everywhere co-ordinating the same and
giving the results in practical form to each
LEGALITY and TO each individual in such a
way as to enlighten every one who has
new experiments to make or even routine
duties to perform" This enIightening in
huence is not confined TO our own borders
European investigators, leaders in the mod
ern school of political and social science
WI ich would found its conclusions upon
OASIS OF fact are continually seeking sug-
gesuon and Information from our govern
ment bureaus-che bureau of labor. of edu-
cation, Of ethnology, etc With good rea-
son MI A ). Hewitt recently declared that
the dream of 81 national university Is al
ready realized at Washington
It is, indeed, true that these researches
OF government have a limited range: they
do not enter at all into the realm of let
tiers. art or philosophy. which alone ap-
peal to the higher activities OF the soul
But here, again, Washington offers unusual
resources The best school of letters is n
library, the Cutfowering Of the nations pas
or art: both are combined in the new
library, the CUtfioTing of the nations pas
sion for the ideal. Moreover 1t is in the
presence Of the facts Of human life as re-
Eealed in research. and in the presence of
mans ideal self as revealed in literature
and art, that philosophy. or the deepest in
slght into causes and effects. becomes pos
siFi9- But how to make these Influences
effective in the work of education? This
IS question that arises whenever the
project OF a national university is discuss
60, ana that is equally pertinent under the
idea that the university already exists Il
was answered In very practical manner
during recent convention of the National
Educational Association, and along two
thetic.
At the instance of the National Geo
grapnlc Society an exhibit was made il
Iustrating the relations of government
q ~ l.. IL
Geographic Office. the geological survey. the
weather bureau. the labor bureau, the Of
nee or education, etc. all contributed
Ihere We're relief maps. weather maps,
geologic maps, charts of all kinds. maps
showing by cOlored dots and lines the dis
trttutioD of schools, of various industries
o crude products. from the War and NAVY
Departments the latest war mans and
from various scientific bureaus Instruments
or precision by which man completes his
mastery over nature. Experts were every
where in attendance to explain in brief or
IN eXtenSO. as might be desired Much of
the exhibit was above popular comprehen-
sion; but no one failed to grasp the idea
mat the government OF seventy millions of
people has a deep interest in mans phys
zeal environment For the teacher the
exhibit reinforced that saying of the COM
mittee of fifteen: Geography ''is not a sim
pie science by itself, like botany or seoI-
ogy or astronomy, but collection of
sciences levied upon to describe the earth
as the dwelling place of man, and to ex-
plain something Of its more prominent
features
At the new library a speciaI neatipo
was arranged for the art department to
near Mr. Bernard Green discuss the art
motives in it's decorations AS sI1perIn
tendent OF the building he had seen every
plan and detail unfold. He knows the
meaning of each, and its relation To the
whole. Impossible to repeat the ease. the
precision, the suggeStiyeness of his run
hhg comment IT was not all praise; there
vz-aII
every one who listened turned aWay with
a new sense Of what is meant by stand
ards In art, of adaptations to space. to the
play Of light and shade and a nev- convic
ton Of what is suprenely and eyerIa sfingIy
beautiful in that noble structure The
magnificent spectacle of the building light
than this informal talk
But what class of students would proht
ny opportunities like these continued for
term and directed to definite purposes?
FIrst. specialists, such as study in the gov
eminent laboratories at Paris and in the
museums and libraries of Europe 1t is
perhaps, not an extravagant notion that
national and state scholarships might be
created 10 enable students of great prorn-
lse to take just such exercises Second
teachers We hear much of the teaching
OF patriotism: but certainly no more eff
fectlye means could be devised than To
prin2 the common school teachers once in
their lifetime to the national capital The
late convention showed what and how the
II-iAuShce WOOlQ Work. Teachers CANA To
Washington as they had gone to Denver To
Buffalo and Saratoga; but the moment
they were IN II and saw the stars and
stripes floating from a thousand points
and the Washington monument lifting its
cleaning shaft 10 the azure sky and the
beautiful Capitol dome rising above the
leafy trees. a new sensation seized them
u Is ours, il Is ogrsP' they seemed to
sey; and everything was forgotten except
pg that Washington In itself is something
r5r Americans to see and to study and to
understand. The Capitol was thronged and
all the public buildings; questions were
poured out and note books filed: and as
one in high place observed. the boys and
girls in a thousand school houses will hear
something the next time they study about
the three branches of government that
Will give every one OF them vivid idea of
their capital city. 1t is profound insight
into the springs Of human feeling that
has led the French republic, time and
again, to bring groups OF rural teachers
to Paris. Our own states make annual ap-
prcprlations for teachers Institutes: the
best institute for teaching patriotism civil
government and many forms of correla-
ton would be a trip to Washington.
But the educative influence of govern
ment is not confined to its own circle. 1t
exercises. also a marked effect upon local
institutions This y shown, for instance
in respect TO library work. Besides the
work at the Congressional Library numer-
Gus bureaus have deyelOped unusnal skin