New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-20

through the Rhodes scholarships Is an additional
warrant for retaining the study of Greek as
The foundation of a liberal education. The open
door. they argue may be sound principle IN
The Far East but il is a dangerous heresy in
\ stronghold OF medieval learning. The Ger
man ralleons the pinnaces from the colonies
a,d ,ba clpper-built ships from America may
be waited on their courses by youthful hopes
md ambitions but they cannot be allowed to
come to anchor oxford unless they are heaNi-
IL bal!asted with Greek knowledge. The world
my knock a :he doors of the ancient university
but il nav not enter without the Greek pass
word ImperiaT federation may may not pe
worked out; the forces of Anslo-SaXon ciViliza-
;ion may er may not be brought into working
relations. but there must be relapse into
medieval barbarism; il must still be Aristotle
against the world: German speculation must re-
main of less consequence than Greek philosophy;
The lucidity Of French thought must not for
moment he compared with perfect a vehicle
Of expression as the Greek language; and the
masterpieces of English literature must be dis
missed as vagaries of unlettered barharisih'
If the more violent spirits IN the Greek camp
al oxford were Convinced chat the Rhoues
Scholarship Trust would ultimately involve
triumph Of the modern spirit in university
education, they would denounce IL as vulgar
and immoral raid. with as little justiflcatoh as
Jameson's dash from Mafekng toward JONAH
nesburg.
The world however moves. even at oxford
.rl,a Ieeniste are obstinate there. but they have
changed their ground and become partially
modernized Greek is no longer recognized py
o1aes instinct as a safeguard against mlddIe
class ignorance or parvenu ambition. Ihere
are fewer affectations at oxford respecting clas-
sicai accomplishments, even if the eyes are SUN
rolled when parrot phrases respecting ArS-
tot1o,s etbirs are repeated. The boy in ST. Pauis
School who writes prize poem in Latin verse
is NOT hailed as an incomparably more gentee'
genius than the local bard filing corner OF q
nevrsn9ner. The student content with reading
good translation Of Plato or SophoclcS Is re-
garded as equally equipped for discovering
new element in chemistry or governing 'io"h
colony. with the plodding undergraduate picking
ND a s1n..,tering OF Greek philosophy and tras-
edy with the help Of a tutor The time has
passed when classical tags could be waved IN
Parliament without derison, or when as MI
Hamerton once wrote. 'Ihe habit our fore
IA Tiers had Of quoting Latin aid Greek 10 Keep
the ignorant in their places was strong ce-
fensjve Ueapop Of their caste and they used it
without scrupe." When the Hellenlsts at Ihe
universities now defend the study OF the cas-
sizes il is not on account OF its uselessness IN d
practical world. but because it is pre-emlnehtE
,,safuI &C a foundation of a liberal education,
and there cannot he anything to take its place.
II is the unitarian argument which they have
mainly urged in the recent debates here and at
Cambridge. The weapon is modern even II
used against the modern spirit: and it IS not
employed with the oldtime arrogance OF aca-
demic class.
oxford cannot be emancipated from scholastic
ma rrowness and artificial convention at single
stroke even if so enlightened "A scheme as MI.
Rhodes's be set in operation for promoting the
welfare of the Anglo Saxon world. Academic
pedants. instead of grasping great idea win
firm grip. waste their energy and time in draw
ing petty, trivial distinctions and splitting hairs
over small points. They will explain with an air
Of soIernnity the difference between genuine
oxford scholars, who receive financial assist
ance from the colleges and wear gowns differ
inp from those of ordinary commoners. and the
Rhodes scholars who draw $500 annually from
the Trust have an asterisk after their names in
the official records and allowed to be habited
only like commoners. They viii add nom
chalantly that the university does not know
ANYTHING about these Rhodes scholars; that they
t,,rn I'M with certificates of having passed Re
sponstons; that the colleges have nothing to do
with the Trust, but good naturedly look them
over and find rooms for them; and thatfwhen
they are once in residence they are IKE oInei
commoners. but not scholars in the technical
oxford sense and are subject TO all the restric-
lions and penalties of paternal rule. These
academic fctions are harmless. The university,
Of course, knows all about DR.. Parkins's adj
rnirab plans for obtaining candidates with the
co-opera ton of the educational authorities in
America and the colonies; the colleges under
stand the sources of financial supply; systematic
arrangements have been made for fitting the
students into courses and putting them under
control OF. tutors, and the Rhodes scholar, even
with the astersk after his name, IS already as
definite and as Ineligible institution as
Great Tom, al whose stroke all the undergrad
yates are expected 10 be within the college ga les.
lie may not have learned all the intricacies of
oxford Technology, even if ne have Professor
Louis Dyer's excellent little manual on his desk;
and he may have gone far astray from Ken
lucky bluegrass the sagebrush Of the wild
and woolly West; but he is there, and the uni
versity takes him seriously he does himself:
and far away from the lonely, majestic Matop
pos there Is a voice proclaiming that he shows
promise of becoming a good Anglo Saxon.
NEW MANHATTAN BRIDGE TERMINAL.