The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-29
DEMOCRACY IN COLLEGES.


DEMOCRACY IN COLLEGES.
Are the great colleges of the
country drifting away from the real,
old-ume democracy, and toward the |
snobbshncss and arrogance of wealth? |
An alumnus of Yale says it is |
true of that college, and prob |
ably true also of a great many 9th
ers. Formerly it was the boast of Yale |
that no young man need turn from its
doors because of poverty had he the
brains to pass its examinations. The
tuition seemed almost nominal a COM
Portable room on the campus could be
had for as little as twenty-five cents a
week, while board was 50 a week, and
the poor student could save that by wait
ing upon the table without lowering him
self one whit in the estimation of his
fellow students. Now however, accord
ing to the letter of this alumnus in the
New York World Yale has become a rich
mans college, and its students are char
acterized by the snobbishness of wealth
or social position based chiefly upon
doubled in twenty years, while the amount
of total average expenses has been in
creased nearly 50 per cent There are no
longer any rooms to be had for 81 a
month. The poorest and cheapest are s.,
some little better cost IS. and the good
ones are held at $40 per month. In former
years the selection of rooms was made
by lot. The poor student working his way
through might get the best room and the
rich mans son might get the poorest
room. Now all of that is changed. The
opportunity for wealth to make distinc-
ton of itself is created and wealth Of
course takes advantage of it. And what
is true of rooms is true also of mess halls
and societies. The cost of all has been
raised until they are out of the reach
of the poor student And not only that,
but the smart set" the college men with
money, are in control of the various
athletic teams. The dapper sons of mil
lionaires win their distinction, not by
brains, muscle or skill, but by the power
Of money and the magic of the names of
their fathers. Further still, the classic
names about the campus are giving way
to the names of rich individuals who have
made donations to the college.
1t may be that the alumnus quoted
above is a little severe in his arraignment
Of Yale, but he quotes official figures and
gives names and facts in substantiation
Of what he asserts. The question of pub
lie interest is, are the other colleges Of
the country similarly affected? that is,
| assuming that Yale is really drifting away
from democracy. Do the college corpora
tons cater to wealth in order that they
may be the benefciares OF requests by
rich men? 1t hardly needs to be said that
the true function of the college is to diff
| fuse knowledge upon a basis of equality
to all, brains and morality and not
money, being the test to be applied to
| young men. The constant effort should
be to diminish the cost of the college
course, so as to increase the number of
! students and extent the sphere of the in
! stituton's usefulness. Rich and poor
should be treated alike. There should be
| equalty-true democracy-in the halls of
learning If there is drifting away from
! this democracy, we are inclined to think
that by far the most of it is in the col
leges of the North. No such drift has
been noted in the South. In this state
| indeed, the constant effort of the man
agement of the University of Georgia has
been and is to still further cheaper the
cost of the course and popularize the in
stitution. The present cost is low, but
it will probably be made lower when
plan that is now being worked out has
been put into operation.
Yale, by the way, has recently elected
new president He Is a Yale man
and has the best interests Of the college
sincerely at heart. 1t is possible that he
will be able to check the alleged drift
away from democracy and bring Yale
| back to the old moorings.