New-York tribune., 1901-08-19
COLLEGE ENDOWMENTS.
ARE THE SONS OF RICH MEN REALLY
ACCEPTING CHARITY IN PAYING
NOMINAL. TUITION FEES:
To the Editor n The Tribune.


To the Editor Of The Tribune,
Sir: The problem OF education institutional and
public school, has been satisfactorily solved.
and many points are brought from tiUe 20 time be-
fore the attention Of thinking men 70 indicate the
unrest of the people on this matter. Most fair
minded men are agreed that State has right to
impose a tax for the education OF the people
State composed OF educated citizens has "A decided
advantage and the limit or educational privileges
must be marked only by the wealth Of the State
and consequent financial ability 10 maintain public
schools Of a high order. Those States Of the Union
;ne developed wealth of which Is small and tho
citizens Of which do not realize the great i'm
portance Of educatton are placed At double a.e-
advanta ge-they are not able 10 maintain pabi@
schools Of as high order as their more favored
sister States nor are they disposed 10 60 10 The
limit of their financial ability National citizen
ship uilI no doubt AT no distant future make rhe
question % national super!utendcnce OF public
schools q 1--we and important one
II Is not my purpose 70 enter into The question or
the obligation OF the nation 20 educate its citizens
but rather 70 discuss briefly the ethics involved n
the methods Of giving and receiving endowments
in those Institutions that are national IN MANAGE
rnent and In patronage. The larger and more in
huertaI institutions Of learning not local IS
TO the personnel Of the body OF instructor or %,
students In this respect they may be- said 70
be even national. but rather open 70 the world
These Institutions are endowed by men who wish
to advance higher learning regardless ~ the per
sons who are TO De benefited by their generosity
by men wno wish to place the opporturlt.sz of
higher learning within the reach % those tho
would otherwise be excluded Sometimes the oue
and sometimes the other OF these motives lmpcIs
the man Of means give his money. or. perhaps.
both motives are combined. Are the designs of the
persons ma king these endowments carried out
far as the practical personnel of these Institutions
goes
With a few exceptions. the history Of most en-
dowed institutions Of learning shows that the
greater the endowment the more expensive the in
stitution becomes, not that the tuition increases.
but the OF living in the institution increases
so that students Of moderate means have 10 go 20
institutions With small endoUmeut institu-
tons without endowment This sounds theorcti-
caIly absurd. but II is practically true. Harvard
and Yale fast becoming institutions for the
sons OF wealthy parents only. just certain pre-
paratcry schools with large endowments are al
ready patrOnized only by men of wealth
Now the question arises. Is this condition IN ac-
cord with the design OF the donors. and do The
patrons OF these institutions realize the point OF
ethics involved IN their acceptance Of the benefits
OF such endowments?
There many orphanages and homes for the
education OF poor children supported by Church
State, and great and appreciated good is done by
them But the public generally look with pity and
some degree of reproach upon any man woman
who. while obtaining education has received
this gratuity OF 500 $50 a year the hands OF
strangers; that because Of this public sent-
ment it is rarely the case that will mention
the fact Of having received early education al an
orphanage or home for poor children
millionaire son goes TO Harvard and pays MS
tuition OF S5o year. and receives in return ad-
vantages that would cost $3.50 Il nad for In fun
He receives this gratuity OF $500 year at the
hands or some stranger, and neither does he lose
any self-respect does the public generally look
upon him with scorn for receiving this gratuity-
That mistake may be made. figures taken
cation. Harvard University is taken an eS-
ample Of the wealthiest OF endowed institutions
and that is far beyond any possible injury
from hostile criticism Of this kind.
Interest value Of grounds, apparatus. etc 6o'"o
paid by students. .....-... $d+4664
gratuity received by students $500 l'd
Number Of students. 39l2
Each student thus receives each year from the |
endowment advantages to the amount OF about So
over and above what he pays.
II would be a conservative estimate say thdl (
fully one-thIrd of the students attending Harvard [
University amply able TO pay this S322 without
feel that they pensioners upon the bounty OF
some one else. This amount. II paid by these /
twelve hundred thirteen hundred wealthy stu /
dents into the proper hands, would be SufnceIt
place the advantages OF the best common school !
instruction within the reach OF ten thousand chli-
dren in the mountains Of North Carolina, say. VINO I
now have an opportunity OF attending school, and /
very inferior school that only about three |
months in the year
need no help receive this gra uty and let these
ten thousand children who do need help go with |
II these figures were multiplied many times some |
idea might be conveyed of the condition of things
that is by the practical ethics OF the
educational endowments OF our nation
JUNIUS NJ. HORNER-
Asheville " t.. Aug. 10 1891.