New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-03-11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
.r,TE HELP FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
,,oFEssoR AsHMoRE PLEADS FOR SUB
sIpY FOR UNION UNIVERSITY


srpY FOR UNION UNIVERSITY
ro ,se Editor OF The Tribune.
e.. VIII YOU kindly permit me 10 say word In
,r.nce 10 your recent editorial on the subject
81 .,s hill now before the legislature asking that
. cate assist in the maintenance Of a school OF
.lscs-scal engineering in connection with Union
.,versty? The writer OF your editorial asks why
-, STATE OF New-York should embark in the bust
.ass Of electrical education why should the
-. NJ New-York." he says, vote the money OF
- whole people for a branch OF professional
.sucation which other institutions already provide
:. ,-,yate expense?"
r. might as well be asked why the State should
a. ANYTHING at all for education. A large part OF
- elementary and secondary education of the
enuntry is carried on through private enterprise:
-. this does not stand in the way OF the support
b,ch the State renders to the public schools. The
onosition present before the legislature IS not
80 q should subsidize q business venture like
~ General Electric Company. for example but
so+ n should assist Union University in the build
a., rn Of its schools courses of Instructions
chool having for its object a reasonably broad
.,n,ng in the higher mathematics, science. lit
rsrure and history but with such trend in the
srec,ion Of electrical engineering lead justly
- the professional degree Of electrical engineer.
=, subsidize such school is simply TO encourage
branch OF the higher education and 10 do so at
e.benectady is merely TO apply the means TO
"a al point where such means would evidently
eve most effective and lead to the largest
r,s The fact that several colleges IN the State
,rs schools Of electrical engineering" Is poor rea-
-on n seems 10 me. for supposing that school
=. ,b,s character is not needed Union. and II is
- reason at ell for affirming that the State Is
-o+ warranted in lending assistance to such a
.hooI in a town where exceptional advantages
,,s. 10 make this branch Of knowledge the foup-
dation OF a broad and exceptional training. Let
n state aid the other colleges also. II opportunity
- occasion suggest Il. If New-York is passing
.,roueh a period OF -etrenchnlent the author OF
vour editorial declares, ali the more VIII New
sr.-r he well able TO spare money for the higher
asnratSon FOR which she has done little enough in
me past oheT St 1e s6 OF rh bT faxafon WAY
should the Empire State not have the same? Such
,birh are endowed II education in this country is
70 compete with that Of Europe
The IDEA that State aid will discourage private
benefactons, as your editorial seems 10 imply, is
ot borne out by @ inos did ne not stand in the
way Of ndow by PriyaIe pers0n 81 me nl
sersify % lie 70 the educationaI schemes Of Mr.
1e,onS Stanford and the Ohio State University was
not hes ag 70 Of the Case School Of Applied Sci
ence at Cleveland, even though the curriculum or
.he state university known TO include the
yery subjects which it was the purpose OF the
Case school e teash ane re to which rather
-ointed reference is made in your eoltorlat no
oud make objection If the existence Of salt wells
IN ms neighborhood was 10 be regarded as grouno
2omote the study Of chemistry that excel
lent seat Of learning. The possible fact however,
mai such a request would not Immediately De
Granted ought not 10 create in any ones nina n
5ssire 10 impede the possible enlargement OF the
ertrical school az Union If. your editorial ao-
rnts the State Of New-York has already SCI a
reoedent for itself in substituting certain interests
n one OF more of institutions OF hlgher ecu,
cation surely denounce that precedent as a pao
one or as one that might eventually grow INTO a
consolidated educational machine or an uhElsss
snecies az s'socalisn' arouse in the rIllo OF
an careful reader the suspicion that the writer OF
The article in question is not wholly disintereste9
II by chance this suspicion should be correet II
ought 10 lessen the force of the adverse OPINION
fT1ressed in your editorial-an opinion that PEE
hans may be permitted TO characterize as soihee
what out Of keeping with the usuaily laEorapls
attitude Of The Tribune toward ali effort .ooHlngS
M the advancement Of education IN the SIa1e Oh
New-York. SlDNEA y. AH Ilsonrs+r
Professor Of Latin in Union bnlVefsitS'
Schenectady y. Y, Feb. q, 1871
I'VE see no reason to change our view pre-
riously expressed that it is not good puoilc
polcy for the State Of New-York 10 subsidize
private institutions of higher education Pro-
tessor Ashmore's assumption that the attitude
of The Tribune on the subject is not disinter-
ested has no foundation in fact and is not
creditable 70 him.