Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-26
%RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT.
All Sorts of Opinions on Differ
emit Subjects.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
TIE DECLINE OF DENoMINA-
TIONAL COLLEGES,

w y " y " w w v SS|N@VSSNSSSI
TIE DECLINE OF DENOMINA-
TIONAL COLLEGES.
| NV. "A. Curtis in the New York Inde-
pendent.l
| 1t is Of the west that speak. The
I state university is of western birth, and
| it is in the west that the state univer-
| sity flourishes and the UNCONVENTIONAL
college languishes In the east the de-
nominational colleges are too we'll en-
dowed, too we'll beloved, too hallowed
by age and romance to be ever serious
lily endangered by parvenu rivals sup
ported by the state. But In the west I
must say that do not believe there are
more than dozen UNCONVENTIONAL col-
leges that are even sure of being alive,
a dozen years hence. This may seem
Ian extravagant statement. We have
lrecently had many figures given us
4 showing the rapidly with which the
state universities are striding away
from the UNCONVENTIONAL colleges. The
lcondition of things thus revealed has
been startling to those whose knowl-
ledge of our colleges Is of them as they
were decade ago. But these figures
Ionly illustrate the superior progress of
the state colleges. They fail to show
the actual retrogression of goodly
share of the UNCONVENTIONAL colleges.
iThese figures are of the number of stu
dents and the comparison of the num-
Der of students, often padded, makes
far better showing for the denomina-
tional colleges, bad as it is. than If we
were able to compare the scientific
Equipments and Libraries and their con-
|dition and value.
The principal cause of the decadence
of the denominational colleges of the
west is their large number. The re-
sources of denomination are almost
always frittered away in trying to sup
port four or Ave colleges in a territory
where one college would suffice and
could be supported creditably. The
commonwealth confines itself to sup
!. porting one central university. The
I various denominations support any
where from two to six colleges within
: the borders of single state. Three
fourths, nine-tenths, of the denomina
0 tional colleges must be abolished that
8 the remainder may live. In at least
three western states a union of the
8 Methodist colleges would make an in
!, stitution that would equal the state
e university in wealth and numbers
+ Northwestern University already ranks
: with the state universities in these par
: ticulars. Kindred denominations like
e the Congregationalists and Presbyteri-
e ans could unite in the support of q
: common college. One college coulc
n easily serve the members of q church II
i. two states. The days of stage coaches
! have passed. Fully half of the denomi,
: national colleges are real estate col
!. lleges. They were brought into being b,
d spectators who paid for cheap build
IS ings and made profit out of lots II
d some college park" or university ad
a dition,' and turned the colleges over t
a any denomination that would TAX,
i them No high motives presided at thei
II BIRTH There is no glamour of romance
1t no hailowing of self-sacrifice, abou
- their history. Sordid love of gain. mig
y gardliness. lies. We're the atmosphere o
II their early life. They have had dry no
1t from the start. These affairs should b.
turned into academies. The need O
preparatory schools in the west is Illus
trated by the fact that Chicago, Abel
is bert and Kenyon (and Kenyon claim
the students of an affiliated academy Il
III making up the grand total OF Kenyon
" College for the World Almanac'D, ar
tho only western UNCONVENTIONAL col
q. lleges without preparatory departments
>. All of the present colleges could go OF
as academies, but there should be bu
9 one institution for each denomination Il
- state. and in general. most of tn
:. denominations are not strong enough t
% warrant more than one college for tw
or three states
- A college of 300 students. facult
= of twenty a library of 10000 vol
" llmes, and the scientific equipment tina
q college of that size usually has, wi
v give all that the average undergradu
'k ate can use. The superior advantage
w that the big, apoplectic state universe
ties give are at least counterbalance
ne by many disadvantages inherent upo
n their size. Let us save the denomina
a. tional colleges from the decline that ha
80 overtaken them, from the ruin that
Imminent. Pull up the suckers that tn
III main shoots may grow. The college
n. marked for absorption by betters one
IN will undoubtedly struggle hard to re
lg sist 1t. In the success or failure of the
30 resistance will be foreshadowed tn
NJ failure or success Of the denomination,
n college system OF the west