New-York tribune., 1901-11-30


President Hadley's public addresses and mag
azine articles comprised in this volume oeai
with a variety of themes In his inaugural ao-
dress as president OF Yale he devotes hiffSeil
largely to questions concerning that institution
In his paper on The Use and Control or Ex-
aminations'' he deals with the technlcaI prov
lens of the teaching profession Two addresses
before the American Economic Association are
the work of an economic specialist writing for
specialists A popular article on trusts an
after dinner speech and several occasional ad-
dresses collegiate and otherwise. add to the
sliperficially miscellaneous character of the DOOR,
Yet these papers and addresses have douoie
bond of unity which makes their eollocauon ap
propriate and useful. Behind them all is COM
mon purpose to make teaching in every prahch
a practical patriotic force in the best sense TO
make the higher education, not a luxury OF the
mind or an instrument Of individual advah-
tage but a power for the development or a
morally and intellectually trained as We'll as a
widely informed citizenship. Aside from any
common purpose train of thought. moreover
they derive a certain unity from the haplt Oh
mind and type of character which PRESIDENT
Hadley brings to the discussion of various top
les. He has a supreme sense for conduct, but
for reasoned conduct not emotional morality
He is a true intellectual descendant OF New
Haven. a man whose Puritanism has not run to
any transcendentai vagaries. but who, with per
feet nberality to new ideas, with no binding en-
thusasms partisanships. persists in holding
at arms length economic and educational
theories however fashionable or even logical,
and testing them by their actual performance
in improving society fitting men for beneficent
practical life.
He is delightfully."- free from pedagogical can't
and brings up with round turn some OF the
educational fads which have been popular be-
cause they were cheaper than and looked so
much like the real thing needed FOR the accom-
plishn1ent of desirable results. There is nothing
that President Hadley wants schools and col
leees to do than to train pupils for clu-
zenship. Teachers viii rise up everywhere ana
say they are doing just that thing with their
school courses in civics and their college re-
searches into the mysteries Of sociology and
political economy President Hadley answers:
We hear on every side calls for more teaching
of sociology and politics and eivics and finance.
and all manner of studies intended to INFORM
the young American concerning the mechanism
of the political world In which he lives. l shall
not undertake judge the value Of these studies
from the media aeogical standpoint I shall not try
to estimate whether the undoubted advantage
which they possess in awakening interest Is
more than balanced or less than balanced by
the danger of cramnaing which connects itself
with their use. But when the plea Is urged, as
il so often is, that they constitute necessary
and valuable training for citizenship, We are
justified in making dlrect protest. EAcepl
within the naFrOwest limits, they do harm rather
than good As ordinarily taught they tend TO
fix the attention Of the pupil the mechanism
Of free government rather than on its under !
lying principles They exaggerate the tendency.
which is too strong at best. toward laying stress
on institutions rather than on character as a /
means of social salvation AS a rule me .he
teaching of sociology is better when ii is called /
by the plain name of history. the teaching OF
politics better when 1t is made an incident of
the unpretentious study OF geography.
1t must constantly be borne in mind that the
training OF the free citizen is not so much
a a
development of certain essential qualities Of
character and ha birs of action Courage, dis
cipline and loftiness OF purpose are the things
really necessary for maintaining free govern
ment. If citizen possesses these qualities OF
character he will acquire the knowledge which
is essential TO the conduct of the country's in
stituTions and TO the reform of the abuses
which may arise. If he does not possess these
qualities his political learning and that of his
fellow men VIII not keep the state from destruc-
ton If he has not the courage to exercise his
political rights in the face of possible ntimida-
ton. amount Of acquaintance with constitu
tional theory will save his vote from suppress
sion or prevent popular government from be
coming q shadow. If he has the dis
cipne TO subject his Will to the restraints of
law. no amount Of knowledge Of the benefcent
effects Of these restraints will save the people
from that revolution and anarchy which invite
tyranny from within and conquest from with
out. Ic he does not possess measure of po-
litical ideasm and disinterestedness of aim. no
amount OF knowledge Of the needs Of the coun-
try and the ways of meeting them will lead To
the formation of an active public sentiment. or
prevent the institutions Of the nation from de-
generating into more and more rigid formal
ism
President Hadey's special subject is political
economy. and next to building character and Civ
ing the country fit for citizenship and lead
ership his ardent desire is to our legislation
shaped in accord with scientific principles. But
in his attempts to apply science TO politics he
lays stress always the concrete and the prac-
teal avoids the professional jargon well
the professional intolerance with which experts
not uncommonly repel of affairs. and en-
phasizes the necessity that economists, if they
really wish 10 be helpful and influential. should
cease abstract theorizing from psychological
starting point and devote themselves in a
way to actual conditions bringing
their science into close relation TO everyday
questions is the law with which il stood
side by side. Such everyday. practical contact
with affairs. such devotion to statesmen in pref
to students, might give trained econo-
msts something OF the influence that lawyers
have so long almost monopolized. When econ
omists cease to approach statesmen advocates
OF some particular school. sociastic, laissez fare
what not. and simply offer their knowledge
as an aid in the solution of pending problem
within the limits Of existing legal and political
possibilities they already heard with glad
that their influence is largely vitiated by the
representative system which was originally de-
signed to give expression to the views of differ
ent sections that the best action for the bene-
ft Of the whole might be taken but which with
the decay OF debate and the substitution of
committee negotiation. makes laws subserve the
separate wants of the parts whether not they
harmonize with the general interest Of the
tion. The economists purpose is entirely diff