Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-20
Not Freak But Tremendous Force.
BY BISHOP WARREN A. GAMBLER.

believe that such an appropriation
would be both unconstitutional and
unwise
The proposition to include among
the constitutional powers of the fed
y eral congress the authority Ito estab-
lish a university was voted down in
the constitutional convention Septem-
Der Il, 1887, although the motion was
made by Mr.. Madison and Mr.. Pick
ering, and although it was known that
General Washington favored it. The
members from Massachusetts New
Hampshire New York. New Jersey,
Delaware Maryland and Georgia voted
against it.
Our Georgia members, with their
concurring colleagues we're right.
great university is a thing which poll
ticians such as generally compose the
federal congress can not be safely
trusted to found or to manage. IL
would become in such hands too great
an engine of partisan politics, just as
Oxford university in England has been
time out of mind the tool of the Brit
ish Tories. There is not in the Uni
ted States, even a state university
above fifty years old, that has not
suffered much at the hands Of the
political doctors, and been nothing
better but rather the worse for their
treatment In states where political
parties are about equally divided such
institutions stand in jeopardy every
hour. The university of Georgia was
nearly killed through the struggles Of
rival factions in the decade between
1S30-1S40. A few years ago the univer-
sity OF Michigan was rocked to its
very foundations by party politics.
We want no national university on
any such unsteady base. Thus believ-
ing, some years ago / wrote United
States Senator Walthall. of Mississip-
pi, In response to an inquiry from him.
a very positive expression against
national university If it were to be es-
tablished and maintained by the fed
eral government.
Writing on February %, 1896 -(Wash-
ington's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the fear OF
''the father of our country" before my
eyes but in the fear Of God. said:
IT am emphatically opposed to ma
tional university by the general gov
eminent. a. Because 1t is an uncon-
stitutional institution. (2.) II is an I'M
necessary institution. O. II would be
n most vicious institution, educational
" and politically"
All this I do yet ,steadfastly believe.
But Mr.. Carnegie's institution. if kept
separate from the patronage and pol
itics of the federal government, will
he quite a different thing. In addition
to the important uses which 1t VIII
serve as already pointed out, 1t VIII,
If kept apart from dependence upon
and responsibility to the congress-
serve the further purpose OF keeping
always at the national capital BODY
of wise, scholarly and patriotic men
who must inevitably influence the ma
tional government for good. They will
contribute to the creation OF a better
atnosphere there. Their exemption
from the heat and fury Of partisarship
will temper both legislation and ad-
ministration.
Mr.. Carnegie is building more wisely
perhaps, than even ne knows-espe-
cially If he safeguards the university
against the touch and the faint OF pol
itics and politicians.
let me saw in conclusion that no
man now living on the planet is taking
a more direct course to lasting renown
than Andrew Carnegie. His libraries
dot both North America and the
British Isles.
Suppose, as some curious, specula-
tive minds have more than once sug-
gested. that the present day civiliza-
ton should be overwhelmed by some
great disaster and that our habitattons
and public buildings should In some
distant age become the object OF anti
quarian research. as the imposing
structures of ancient Egypt and As
syria now interest us. What would
these archeologists of the future think
of this man after exhuming Carnegie
libraries distributed over two hemi-
spheres? Viewing him for moment
from such standpoint may help US OF
the present to measure justly what this
most original genius and generous
giver is doing. The Psychologists or
our times have not yet found any re-
mains that go to show that any such
library builder ever lived in any other
age. History since it began to be con-
tinuous records none such, and he is
without a mate among his contem-
poraries.
When from his worth and work ev-
cry subtraction IS made that is justly
demanded by whatsoever faults and
limitations he may possess, there still
remains an epoch making man. BE is
all alone creating an era in the history
of libraries for the masses, II indeed
we may not say his gifts mark an
epoch in the history of popular en-
lightenment.
He is not a freak to be laughed at,
but a tremendous force to be reckoned
with. He startled the sleepy univer-
sity world of Scotland and walked II
I'D to knew life. He now sets all
America to thinking about his great
institution at Washington. He is strait
flying the civilization of the English
speaking world with a Carnegie layer
of thought producing enterprises.
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