Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1905-06-29

| mense reduction in the money value
of the exceptional prizes thus to be
won; but in scholarship what is need
| ed is the reverse. In this country we
rightly go upon the theory that it is
fare of the average man than to put
a premium upon the exertions of the
| exceptional. But we must not forget
that the establishment of such a pre-
| MUM for the exceptional though OF
| less importance, is nevertheless of
very great importance. 1t is I'm
portant even to the development OF
| the average man, for the average of
all of us is raised by the work of the
great masters.
II is, | trust, unnecessary to say
that | appreciate to the full the fact
that the highest work of all will never
be affected one way or the otner by
any question Of compensation And
much of the work which is really best
for the nation must from the very ma
ture of things be non-remunerative ms
compared with the work of the ordi-
h"' anu NbNdAlpllS. Nbl
would it ever be possible or desirable
that the rewards of transcendent sue
Cess in scholarship should even ap.
proximate. from a monetary stand
point, the rewards in other vocations.
But IL is also true that the effect upon
ambitious minds can not but be bad
if as people we show our very
slight regard for scholarly achieve
ment by making no provision at all
for its reward. TIE chief use of the
increased money value of the schol-
ar's prize would be the index thereby
afforded Of the respect in which II
was popularity held The American
scientist. the American scholar, should
nave the chance at least of winning
such prizes as are open to his sue
cessful brother in Germany, England
or France, where the rewards paid for
first class scholarly achievement are
as much above those paid in this
country as our rewards for first class
achievement in industry or law are
above those paid abroad
But of course what counts infinite
ly more than any possible outside re-
ward is the spirit of the worker him
self. The prime need is to instill into
the minds of the scholars themselves
a true appreciation of real as distin,
guished from sham success In pro
ductive scholarship, in the scholarship
which adds by its work to the sum
of substantial achievement with
which the country is TO be credited, II
is only first class work that counts.
In this field the smallest amount oil
really first class work is worth all
the second class work That can pos
sibly be produced; and 10 have done
such work is in itself the fullest and
reward to the man producing
II. We outsiders should according to
our ability aid him in every way to
produce II. Yet all that we can do is
self can and must do. TIE spirit OF
the scholar is the vital factor in the
productive scholarship OF the coun-
try.
So much for the first function OF
the university, the sending forth of a
small number of scholars of the high
est rank who will do productive work
of the first class. Now turn to the
second, and what may be called the
normal, function of the college, the
function of turning out each year
many hundreds OF men who shall pos
sess the trained intelligence, and e.
pecially the character, hat will en-
able them to mold high the renown OF
this ancient seat of learning by doing
useful service for the nation. 1t Is
not my purpose to discuss at length
what should he done in Harvard to
produce the right spirit among the
men who go out of Harvard. but ratn-
er to speak of what this spirit should
be. Nor shall | speak of the excep-
tons, the men to whom college life Is
oke. he OF the biting tongue, once re-
marked of an opponent that ne re-
minded him of certain tracts of land.
Which were almost worthless by ma
ture, and became entirely so by cult
walton" OF course, If in any indl-
vidual university training produces a
taste for refined idleness. a distaste
for sustained effort, barren intel
lectual arrogance, or a sense of sup
ercilious aloofness from the world of
real men who do the worlds real
work, then it has harmed that indi-