Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1906-03-07
VARSITY FACULTY
HIT BY CARDINAL.
Students Organ Accuses Professors of
Being "Intellectual Arts
tocrats"

MADlSON- Wis, March 81 Spe-
claI-l-Ihe Daily Cardinal in it's most
recent issue charges, in an editorial, that
Wisconsin university professors are be-
coming intellectual aristocrats." who
navel put themselves on a pedestal ''lke
penitent monks of the old eastern eoun-
tries. A warning of possible effects is
included
Tips for the State Solons-
The editorial is in the nature Of tip
to the legislative investigation, and has
caused a sensation 1t says:
The legislative committee will find if it
pursues it's Investigation long enough and
searching enough, that there has grown
up among our university professors Ger
tain intellectual aristocracy" which is far
from beneficial to the students and the
state. Many of those professors who are
reported to have built up the University OF
Wisconsin have placed themselves upon
pedestals, like the penitent monks OF old
i'll the eastern countries.
Like those ancient penltentSy too. many
OF our professors expect TO receive theif
sustenance from the popuace whom they
expect to be ever ready to hand to them
in their high position the yam and the
date with not even a thank you TO COM
pensate them.
What History Teaches.
History tells US, however, that the influ-
ence of these penitent monks would have
been far better had they mingled among
men and taught them, by. example, the
paths Of righteousness. Perhaps this prlll-
ciple applies as we'll now as then. Per
haps the influence of our professors would
be far more widespread if they would
call for ladder climb down from their
lofty seats and mingle among as men.
We have every respect for the professor
who has become an authority in his chosen
line, even though he answers our friendly
a6 n
chanical nod. Such a teacher, however.
cannot say that he has done his duty to
does nothing more and if this is cri-
teriOn we feel we have struck the truth
when we say that over half of the faculty
of our university is delinquent.
DON'T Know Each Other
We do not know them and they do not
know us. We are aware of their pres
enee in the classroom, at exam time time and
before the discipline committee. They are
aware of US at those times in but vague
and indefinite manner and they can call
but few of us by name.
We cannot excuse this attitude in our
best and oldest professors, much less can
we excuse it in the rising young instructor
who believes that since his name is placed
upon the pay roll a Prof" he must
needs assume the ieincanor Of snob and
try to drive his students into intellectual
fields In the same manner and with the
same motives that the section boss EN-
ploys when he drives his men for the honor
and glory of himself and for the financial
benefit Of his employers.
Can't Hide the Facts
We want to know our teachers and we
have a right to their mountaineering. If
they are men we shall soon find it out
and learn to love them for what they are
If they are "dubs," in the modern sense
we shall soon learn to know that also, but
our contempt for them will be no greater
than now We do not know them
and are led to believe many things about
them which may not be true.