New-York tribune., 1900-12-15

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR: bg - y lg5les r5 Z
Tniversity and Adelbert college. octave. pp
81. The Century Company
The most significant Of Mr. Carnegies essays
a. Of course that which gives its title to his
volume The Gospel Of Wealth" The gospel
which Mr. Carnegie breaches is well known and
has been much discussed. II is. in effect. that
the millionaire ought 20 regard his wealth as a
sune 70 be administered for the public good, and
also-the point upon which ne especially insists
as a fund to be administered by himself and not
ny his executors. To leave great wealth 10 ones
heirs. he says, is, at least a rule. 20 inJure
them and 10 betray ones trust; while 20 post
none the execution Of ones phianthropie seheines
until one is dead is 10 lose all credit Tor genuine
liberRlity. and 10 miss the opportunity ana the
duty OF seeing that ones intentions are effective
" carried out. AS he views It, the question is'
thus wholly that Of the moral responsibility IN
VOWED in the disposal OF wealth
One Is not disposed 10 add TO the praise or the
criticism which has been bestowed upon this
.xposition Of the whole duty Of the millionaire
Mr.. Carnegie's principles seem hardly to admit
~ objection from the ethical point Of view.
Whenever they have been applied. as they have
been by himself and by many others-a noble
band OF philanthropists-they have produced al
most unalloyed good. As Cardinal Manning
raid: IF men so acted they would change the
face of the world" To commend them is a good
deal like commencing the Golden Rule On the
practical side. too his views are for the most
part obviously sound A millionaire who really
feels that his surplus" money is held by him in
trust for the public and wants 10 do the most
good with il himself must act as MI Carnegie
advises II one were 10 criticise this Gospel Of
wealth" al ALL il would he on the ground that it
eannot be very widely effective. No one will
accept il and act upon IL unless his philanthropic
instincts are highly developed. and such people
as experience proves. form a very small minor
sly OF those who possess surplus wealth The
title az the essay the Advantages Of Pow
erty"-the second one in the voiume-has pro-
roked some rather in natured jeers But they
are unjust Mr.. Carnegie. though now literally
rich beyond the dreams of avarioe." knows well
what honorable poverty is. and what he says of
II il said with all sincerity One has only 10
read the very charming bit OF autobiography
which forms the opening chapter 20 see this.
However, he does not laud poverty for its own
sake, nut only as a stimulus 10 effort and the
development OF character. This doctrine. though
trite enough cannot. OF course. be too often in
sisted upon. His dictum. that he would "as
soon leave TO his son a the almighty dol
lar" must he interpreted in this sense.
AS regards the particular way in which sur
plus wealth can best be expended for the public
good Mr.. Carnegie lays down this very sound
principle: The individual administrator OF sur
plus wealth has his charge the industrious
and ambitious not those who need everything
done for them. but those who, being most anx-
ious and able 10 help themselves deserve and
viii be benefited by help from others and by the
extension Of their opportunities by the aid Of
the philanthropic rich" Money. in other words,
whether given 10 an individual or 10 a cOmmuni-
ty should be given in such a way that II will
stimulate rather than weaken the impulse 10 self
help. Fortunately as Mr. Carnegie points out.
and as he has, in practice. shown there are
many ways In which this be done-enough
10 absorb the surplus wealth OF many genera
tions
Tho aim OF DT. Thwing's volume is to give a
systematic account OF the administration Of the
American college II is, we believe. as DR..
fhwing asserts. tho first book in which this has
heen attempted. Much of course has been pub
lished on many Of the topics with which it deals;
but nowhere else can one find a general dis
cussion 81 the whole subject. This is rather sur
prsing in view OF IT'S Importance and interest.
Il is fortunate that the idea Of writing such a
book occurred TO a man like Dir. Thwing who
ls practically familiar with administrative col
lege work and has made American college life
The subject ~ careful study for many wears No
one is better qualified direct TO the subject
the pubhc attention which n merits and 10
stimulate Others 10 further discussion of H. In
MS various chapters DR. Thwing treats Of the
organization 81 American education the eonsti-
tuition Of the American college the college presi-
dent certain special conditions and methods OF
administration. the government Of students
hhsheial relations and the administrative and
SCHOLASTIC problems Of the twentieth century
All OF these topics he discusses in a broad and
suggestive way. showing everywhere the prac-
teal insight snd sound Judgment which the
readers of his other books on education affairs
would expect. Nothing. for example. could be
Detier than these remarks upon the much dis
cussed problem of securing 20 the college stu
Gent an earlier entrance into his career:
y is 70 be said that year in ones life and in
one lF' tessional career is Of great value and
u Is ais 10 De said. and with emphasis that a
tihsir year is not OF value in comparison with
tne Nslue OF ones professional service. It Is
Tar better To enrich the value of that service
man 10 lengihen out the time Of that service by
- ieN months. But In order 10 secure the pur-
Ppae 'f an earlier entrance into his lifes work
Tor the college bred man "A better rpethod tbsn
thet of duplication Of a single year lies I'm The
5I lleaNoI 10 save a year or two years in the
eafher stages of education. A year is a wear
whether n be the ssVenth or the seventeenth n
Lhe battle for an earlier entrance into NE is TO
pe iought on the floor of the grammar and
primary school room. The question Is how, "a
Set the student out of the grammar school earlier
~ year or two years rather than how 10 get
MN sooner out OF college The simple fact is
tAst the work Of the eight years of the primary
ana grammar schools could stiH be done ,,-itb
ease In six years I'm the case Of many students
This. II seems 70 us hits the nail on the head.
N"' waste OF ume-partieu ~ the time
"i Nhe "lsh'ef pophs-in the lower grades that
must be corrected and 10 attempt 10 correct this
py cutting down the amount of higher university
training Is the height q folly The remedies
which DR. fhU'ing suggests are better selection
and arrangement of primary studies and the
Better training or teachers one may ada N