New-York tribune., 1901-05-26

French and learning the great lessons Of history
as worked out by wise men instead of wasting
their time in delving among trivialities for
themselves.
The sacrifice Of college boys to so-called
university methods has been serious evil. The
public appetite for great universities has led
too many institutions which have an honorable
and useful work to do by being frankly small
colleges to deck themselves out with cheap
pretence Of laboratory practice advanced
courses and scholarly research which are Of no
serious advantage to the real advanced scholar,
while they are an intellectual dissipation to the
average student, who needs thorough instruction
in a few standard subjects rather than n smat-
tering at research in many. The duty and the
opportunity of the small college are not to pose
as something almost as good as big unlver-
sity" to catch the overflow of the fashionable
current toward the great institutions, but TO
be frankly and proudly the small college, found
ing it's claim 10 respect on its ability to do a
certain kind Of work. and that much needed
kind better than anybody else. In The Attain
tic Monthly for June Mr.. Herbert w. Horwill
admirably describes the proper function of the
small college. He holds it to be necessary in
stitution in a rounded educational scheme, and
says:
It's clear aim must be to cultivate the intel
lect and character, rather than to enlarge the
bounds of knowledge respecting the crustacea
or the Greek particles to make the graduation
of its students synchronize with their qualfca-
ton lawyers or physicians. Accordingly. it
will not endeavor to transform itself into either
q miniature university or miniature poly
technic. Il will meet the demands of the new
century. not by extending its curriculum, but
by compressing it, 1t will increase by decreas-
ing 1t will not need to wait for richer endow-
ment that il may continue and heighten its
patriotic service. but it will turn its present
revenues to concentrated and ef,lcient
uses Unless 1t is exceptionally wealthy 1t Will
not spend much money upon buildings; IL VIII
put every available dollar into the quality or
its teaching. 1t will he content with much
shorter list of names its register than is now
commonly considered necessary for a respect
able institution, but II will employ such ma
circulation test as will insure that its energies
will not be wasted in the attempt to give a
higher education to men who are lacking either
in the capacity or in the preparation required
to profit by It, 1t will have the courage to re-
duce by e-half the number of its courses and
to abolish several of its chairs, giving more
adequate remuneration to the professors that
remain. It will thus make the work of it's
staff thorough and more permanent
Teachers OF the highest quality Will then find
within it's walls ample scope for a life career
In a word what is needed that the tree may
bear richer fruit is not the outgrowth of more
branches. but the application of the pruning
knife.
Some of the pruning proposed may seem to
be of a radical sort. Much difficulty might he
encountered in agreeing upon what courses
should be cut off Such deliberate self-restric
ton would require courage in the face OF
present tendencies and could not hope qul ,kly
to commend itself to fashion. But certainly
such educational mission presents higher
ideal than the prevailing ambition to graft upon
every college inappropriate university methods
and pretentious university courses.