The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-11
SLEEPY OXFORD
May be Modernized and all it, Ira
ditions Shattered.


London Letter In Brooklyn Eaale
Oxford In preparing. trembling and ap'
prehensiye. to make place for the insress
OF Rhodes students who will soon be sail.
Ing across the seven seas to put an end
to all the century-old traditions Of the
iyy-colored colleges. Not even the most
hide-bound don Of the university thinks
otherwise than that Mr.. Rhodes has IN
willingly sounded the doom of Oxford by
driving into its Enclosures, army after
arnv during never changing years OF
eager young men fresh from new and
novel surroundings, rich In imasination,
huoyant of hops and impatient to 40
are detaching themselves for three years:
The Oxford which has never ENCOURAGED
word or deed other than that designed
for repose and elegant idleness, -. per
force. reused ruthlessly from Its slur1,e.r
Of centuries and now. willy nilly. It fnds
itself face 10 face with problem that
u well nigh inmeasureable In Its depth.
What about all OF these hundreds OF
for knowledge? Will they be satisfied
with the spoonfuls Of Greek tragedies
and fragmentary lengths Of Horatian
lines? Will they not coming as they
not, demand more worldly knowledge Tor
Mr.. Rhodes money. ard so, will not OK
ford in time be forced In teach rather
dons Of the glorious old university are al
ready invoking the shades Of their patron
saint, william of wykeham, in their pro.
hesitation that three years AZ, Oxford Will
at least make gentlemen of the horde Of
uncouth colonials and Americans.
For my part, am inclined to the opin-
Ion that instead of oxford influencing the
horde, the horde will influence Oxford
and for It's own good. Mr.. Rhodes, who
was a man of a most practical turn Of
mind. must have known this. for while
he was an ardent adnlirer Of his old alma
mater, he yet knew its many weaknesses
au~1 IL A. AAr4
awakener for 1t would be liberal dose
or trans-oceantc kinsmen, whose larger
views OF life and broader perceptions
could not fail to impress themselves upon
the youth Of England.
The benefit to England is two-foId.
Firstly. 1t is enabled to send forth into
the world two hundred and more cham
pions every year whose intimate knowl-
edge of her social and domestic economy
win do much to maintain an unbreakable
tie with her sisters and cousins across
the seas. Secondly. the army of visiting
students must, as matter of course.
else than by teaching the home-grown
student that there are other English
speaking people in the world. people who
lay less stress on the value of their
grandfathers than upon their present OBJ
jects in life.
And here I may prophesy that. try as
they NAV. the college authorities Will
find it extremely difficult to prevent the
dams and the Americans will. naturally;
fraternize. The Australians will be found
predominant at one college and the south
Africans at another. II will take time.
of course. but in due course. say after
dozen years or so, when the novelty of
the thing has dirnmed, you will find GER
tain college devoted almost exclusively to
South African Rhodes students, another
to Australian ''Rhodesials.' and so on.
The Stars and Stripes will wave from
nearly every window of. say. historic old
Balifoi. eyer a favorite college with Amer
leans, and so gradually in time each ma
ton to itself. And there will be at first,
fear, much snobbish and unmannerly
reference to imported paupers," which
must disappear after the new corners
have made their influence felt. 1t Will pc
wholesome and wholesale infusion of
Democratic blood in it's aristocratic veins. |
while the consequent horror OF Elton and
Harrow at this inexcusable invasion OF |
ries-old preserve is amusing in proper |
ton.
The sensible and real aristocrat views |
Mr.. Rhodes beneficence in the proper |
vautages to be derived from contact with
sons OF men who have striven with hon.
orable poverty throughout the world hut
the new aristocrat. the newly-baked
likes to remember the people from whom
he was only yesterday separated by royal
patent, will give oxford a wide berth in Ii
future. and will send his sons to Cam
bridge. where the Contamination" can
not reach them SO much the better for
Oxford and the world at large. Some
lay a great man will similarly beneht
and then will come the end OF
Ill things
The cost of living at oxford will seri-
,usiy affect the "Rhodesians,' for their
100 pounds year will not admit them 10
all the colleges. FOR instance. there Is
lot a student at Christ Church who could
20 through the entire year on less than
100 pounds year. The terms at Oxford
AXE up about six months in the year
Ind the average cost Of the colleges IL
lhout 200 pounds Tor term time, so that
he "Rhodesians' will be debarred from
,om~ Of the more expensive establish
nents. The system of working OUT dur
nS vacations. which Is SO general at
american seats Of learning, is absolutely |
unknown here. student at oxford or
cambridge would as soon think of trying
o hy as TO go out as a waiter during
,acation. He would simply lose caste
With his fellow students: and herein is
he germ of Mr.. Rhodes's democratic
evolution. The time will come when an
oxford man may do what he likes to
maintain himself. without bringing down
lpon him the whitening scorn Of his con-
emporaries.
The ancient historians say that oycr I nm |