The record-union., 1899-07-15

VI EiIOl ana w nlte anu AHSSli dHU
Tappan, and others like these. The
whole face of higher education in
America has changed in the last twen-
ty years, and the change has been in
every way towards greater usefulness
and greater practicality.
The American college of the past
was a feeble copy of the colleges Of
England. The American university of
to-day draws it's inspiration from the
deeper. stronger currents of German
scholarship.
To know nature, life, art, one must
go outside the tripos of thys sleraG
pedestals of learning-Latin, G' TX and
mathematics-recog by the con-
ventional college. To the University Of
Germany he may go. or the University
of America, and in these institutions of
reality every man in search of wisdom
or power will find his efforts strength
ened, his success fastened The ideal
of the American University of to-day is
expressed in the words. Constructive
Individuality. 1t would build up scho1-
arship and character, but always on the
basis of the powers which nature gave
the individual. 1t is no abstract or
ideal with which it deals. but real men,
just as they are. the Individual az
created-no two alike, each with his
own divine gift of personality, which
separates the man that is from all the
men that are or We're or ever will be-
The college Of the past dealt chiefly
with records and tradition. 1t sought
no new truth and coveted no action.
The college life was a period Of restful
growth, to be cherished for its fragrant
memories. 1t was not time of force
full struggle. for heightened power and
deeper wisdom.
"The University of to-day is alert to
all the problems of social and political
development. The poorhouse. the Jail,
the caucus, the Legislature, the army,
the discordant demands Of freedom and
order-all these call for closest atten-
ton of the university student. There
are just as many classical scholars to-
day as there ever were. but they no
longer bar the way to men of other
powers and other tastes. The classics
no longer close the door to other forms
Of culture. He who writes Latin verses
still finds his place in the university,
provided only that his verses are good
enough to be worth writing. But he
no longer occupies the sole place of
honor or even the front seat in the lee
ture hall. The man who knows steam
engines has an equal place in the uni
versity and unequal share in the hon
ors of scholarship. With the advent
of realities, spurious honors disappear
ut is not for the university to decide
on the relative values of knowledge
oh, l,,e
trolled by his own standards 1t is
for the university to see that all stan
dards are honest, that all work is gen.
uine. To do this it must cast oee
many of its own shams of the past. It's
titles and privileges, its prizes and
honors. it's distinctions and degrees, it's
caps and gowns and chaplets of laurel
berries-all the playthings and milli-
merry of it's youth, it must cast away
with its full maturity. These prizes
of learning are but baby toys to the
man of power. To send forth men of
nower the university exists.
To the university we must look for
the promotion of true democracy. It's
function as part of public education
is to break up the masses that they
may be masses no more, but living men
and women. to draw forth from the
multitude the man. The mass is the
real foe of democracy, for the slave in
all ages has woven his own lash
Where men are driven or sold like
sheep, there the tyrant rules. It mat
ters not whether the tyrant be a King
in velvet and satin or ward boss in
slouch hat and striped waistcoat, when
individual intelligence does not rule.
men are governed by brute force.
1.-The function of democracy is not
good government. It's effect is to
look, to deeper interest in public af-
fairs. 1t is not to make good govern
ment, but to make good citizens that
public affairs are confided to the COM
mon man. The feeling of caste is
fatal to democracy. The fundamental
tenet of civil freedom is equality be-
fore the law. In other relations it
matters not what inequality Develops
the more. unlikeness among men the
better, because the more varied the
power and talents. But unlikeness is
not inequality. AS God is no respector
of persons so the law must not be. The
State can show no favoritism. 1t
knows no black nor white, no wise nor
simple, no bond or free. If it placed
one class above another it is a democ-
racy no longer, and it is not a democ-
racy when any class of man tamely ac-
cept any inferior place as theirs by
right of birth.
The old education seemed to accen-
tuate the inequalities among men. This
was because it took the traditions from
aristocratic England. though its real
effect was to promote democracy The
great service of the State University
the cap-sheaf of the public school sys-
tenn, is that 1t carries the university
into democracy without impairing the
essential qualities of either. 1T fur
nishes plain way to every student, the
highest as well as the lowest. from
the commonest schooling to the train
ing that gives the highest power. So
long as the grass does not grow in the
path from the farm house to the uni
versity, to borrow Ian MacLarens s
phrase so long is the republic safe So
long as the people can become enlight-
ened and wise, rich and poor alike, so
long shall government Of the people, by
the people, and for the people endure
upon the earth. The need of democ-
racy makes a special demand upon the
scholar. Eternal vigilance is the price
of liberty and to the scholar on the
watch-tower the people look for this
vigilance. 1t is the scholars duty
everywhere in season and out of sea-
son to uphold the sacredness of truth.
The university must place as fixed bea-
cons in the swaying tides of democ-
racy those men and women who can
never be moved by feeble currents, who