The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-19
BAR QUACKS IN THIS STATE.
norm MUSHROOM COLLEGES AND
PROFESSIONAL FAkIRS.
New York Has shown Her sisters How to
Make . Degree worth Its Face Value
No Pull Goes with state University
Censors-Nork the Neg tents Have Done.

A man up In Albany decided not 90 many
wears ago that he would like 70 be doctor
OF something or other without taking
much trouble about IL. He was no better
equipped 70 possess the title than are nine
men out of ten who are plain John Smith
or william Jones; but he knew the ropes.
He took n trip to New York and entered an
ONCE uptown in the 20s.
He went in there at ESQ o'clock In
>he afternoon. At $50 he emerged. In the
hour between he had entered college,
lad been examined had passed and was
=. full-nedged graduate with an NJ ID. de-
gree. It cost very little more than US
OF course, when you came down TO de-
tails IL wasn't the degree OF doctor OF medi-
cine. His title was doctor OF magnetics.
But A fine, engraved diploma with his name
on 1.-THE engraving was worth At least
n doIlar-went with his title and its very
appe arance was enough 70 awe the un-
Earned. And it gave him the right to prac-
tise and charge fees to the foolish any
where in the State Of New York.
There are still In other States scores OF
these mushroom colleges. comforting de-
rees for q fee, with or without the merest
pretext at examination into the qualihca-
tons of the aspirants. But there Ii none
IN the State of New York. They equip for
business annually an army Of quacks and
fakirs who make a good living out OF the
credulity Of the ignorant. But 20 long as
the local authorities enforce the law these
fakirs do not play the game in this State
Since 1902 New York has formally recoG-
nized In her statutes that the public Ia as
much entitled to protection against incom-
uetent practitioners Of the learned pro-
feesions as against untrust worthy corpora
tons in insurance and banking. and IL has
taken me ans to safe guard the public against
professional frauds The law now pro-
vides that no college OF university In the
State shall confer degrees save by per.
mission and under the supervision OF the
Reeepts OF the State University. II pro-
vides also that no person shall practise In
the State, either as q lawyer, q doctor. a
dentist, a veterinary surgeon or even as q
public accountant unless he has satisfied
the Re gents OF his competency to do so.
More than this, the law provides that no
college or technical school shall admit to
Ma studies q student in law, medicine or
other Of the professions with view to
conferring upon him a degree unless he
holds a certificate OF the Regents showing
that he has passed the preliminary exami-
nation. or has shown to their satisfaction
by credentials Of previous study in an
institution Of recognized standing that he
has the prope educational foundation for
course Of professional training. ~ the
student should proceed without such a
certificate, when the time comes he viii
simply fail to get bis degree.
The effect OF this il not only to protect
the public against imperfectly trained
practitioners Of the learned professions, but
also to prevent young men who have not
the preliminary education upon which TO
bass q thorough professional training
from wasting their time in an attempt 70
obtain q diploma.
The law II enforced in tho strictest pos
sible sense by the Regents OF the State
University. They are q non-partisan body
of the States leading citizens, unsalaried
and they hold Office for life: 20 that they
arc set beyond political considerations.
No pull has ever yet been strong enough
10 get Q spurious degree accepted by tho
Reeents or TO cause them to wink at an
and The standard Ia rigidly maintained:
The result has been that . New York
degree Ia now unhesitatingly accepted.
not only In any State In the Union. but
in Europe, where degree u more carefully
scanned than it In here, ~ the stamp OF
the thoroughly professional training It Ii
other States also are following New
Works lead. and the standard set by the
regents h. been e sss1s ~ N. %spdca
schools OF the United States now take
the New York State Regents certificate
Of preliminary qualification as sufficient
for admission without examination.
II IL a great change from conditions
IN the 's0s. Not a political division
In the United States then had restrictive
educational legislation worthy OF the name
in Europe an American degree was the
target for universal derision. and In this
In this State ali that was necessary TO
incorporate q desree-conferring instlea-
ton was TO file u certificate with the Sec
notorious DR. buchanan got charter
through the Legislature authorizing him
self a. a university To c1nfer degrees
and sold 1000 OF more OF them, degr". OF
81 KINDS. for any'ainf be could ss1,i ,, You ~
give no more He was arrested finally and
died In the state prison.
But the evil be- did lived long after him.
In Germany q famous lawsuit arising from
a es s.r csS from sn s'. e h 2. Il ssssS
degrees was tried Tho court held that
the only QUESTION Ia bs oonsldored ~as
ShethsT the insiit uiios which save him u,s
dexre~ had the right 10 do 80, and Ne o
undoubtsdly had under tia Laws of Penn
sylyanla, lac Won hls oa-s HUI tho tssii'
mony regarding tho value ~ Asnsf'nah
DEGREES Efoushf out ~ the trial gave Z
ilsak eve 10 Ainaflo.n educational tiasiitu
tlons ffonl which thsy ~. otly no~ Ia
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