New-York tribune., 1907-11-01

that. for the most of our youth, before or at
the time that we taGght trem to make
character we should teach them to make
living.
Nine men out OF ten in this audience. or in
any audience in Great Britain. if asked to
name the greatest two leaders in all American
history, would answer without hesitation,
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both
looked to education a vital necessity for
free people But the different points of view
from which they regarded it bear significant
testimony to the popular uplift in the Republic
as It trod its toilsome way from the Revolu-
tionary War the Civil War.
Washington in his last Will and Testament
outlined and tried to provide for national uni
versity, to which "the youths of fortune and
talents might be sent from all parts of the
country. for the completion Of their education
In all the branches of polite literature in the
arts and sciences. and in the principles OF
politics and good government" BY Lincoln's
time the necessity specially felt at least to
National assistance. was somewhat different.
In the darkest days of the Civil War he put
his name to a law making unprecedented ap-
preparations for educational purposes. Under
this law secondary education had new birth.
and the great system of State Universities was
developed. IN order-to quote its exact words
Ito promote the liberal and practical education
Of the industrial classes"
Ihe line this movement has taken you all
know. or can readily imagine. AS might be
expected. one of the new University studies first
brought to the front was Agricultural Chem
istry. Then came most other forms of this
modern miracle working science: then Mining
Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical and
Electrical Engineering. But before any of these
must come a solid foundation, laid largely in
the secondary schools In mathematics physics
and mechanical drawing, rounded out by seec-
hons from list in which civics. economics and
commercial law are leading subjects
Let me hasten at once to disclain anv pre-
tence that originated this system Of deveI-
oping science for the industrial arts, and edu-
eating our youth specially for occupations de-
pendent scientific training We owe that
as we owe so many things to you. The first
suggestion for It, over two centuries ago. came
from the Marquis Of Worcester. n we can
claim priority in any way IN the matter 1t
might be perhaps in an earlier and wider action
his lesson. The general course of our people
In applying the system to their condition and
wants may be gathered from the latest COM
paratve statistics now accessible to me. These.
as tabuated by the National Commissioner of
Education. show that out of a million students
then our secondary schools 30G0 studied
algebra; 274000, Latin 147,O0O. geometry; 49,
COO. physics: 470OO chemistry, and only 25OOO
Greek
Not TO weary you further with mere figures.
let me explain in a general way that these sec
ondary schools and universities maintained
partly by State taxation. partly by National en-
dowments. partly by gifts from public spirited
citizens. and partly in universities. by fees
from pupils Utmost Of the States the taxation
for the free school system. generally including
secondary schools. is larger than for any other
object in the annual budget. Let add
that it is voted by the legislators with greater
iberality and less cheeseparing than any other
item in the budget, and is paid with greater
cordiaity by the taxpayers-if It can ever be
truthfully said that any tax anywhere IS cord
tally paid! In the Nation the largest gifts from
the public domain, after a few to vital rail-
roads and after homesteads to actual settlers
on the frontier. have been for State Universities
As to gifts from private citizens two men.
whose names are perfectly known to you ALL
have given four educational enterprises alone
over S40OO0O00 0O0)-Andrew Carnegie
and John D. Rockefeller. A third, whose name
is probably less known TO you than II deserves
to be. since he one OF tho little group OF
courageous and farseeing Californans who
risked their fortunes and exhausted their lives
in binding the Pacific coast 70 the Atlantic with
bonds OF steel. Governor Leland Stanford gavo
TO a single University practically his whole
estate. 1t is still in liquidation, but enough
the University will receive over $3OOOO.OOO, and
may receive over $40OOOOOO-say, f6OOOOOO to
100000 Nor do these men stand alone, al
though they are IN the front rank. Merely I'm
the ten years ended with 1902, the last decade
which have seen thus tabuated. similar gifts
from public-spirited private citizens amounted
to SIZE. 100000 Cf23 100000.
II you now ask to what extent the people use
aad prize the educational facilities provided with
this public and private munincence. let me
merely mention in reply that I'm the single State
Of New York. according to the latest accessible
returns, the average daily attendance in the
primary schools was 7G per cent of all the
enrolled youth in the State, while ninety-fve
thousand were in the secondary schools. In
the country at large accurate statistics Of very
late date not so easy to get in tabulated
form: but it IS fair TO say that Of the eighty
or eighty-fve millions Of population In this year
OF grace nearly one-fourth are now at school
Not instant further shall 1 presume the
invitation to speak about the practical side OF
American education. Let me close with a few
words on a subject closer to the occasion.
It is a hackneyed remark that republics are
ungrateful. Perhaps a kinder way of saying
the same thing would be that the republic ex-
poets every man always and everywhere to do
his duty. and does not therefore make much
gratitude, It certainly does not imply that the
no doubt for those who at critical moments
may have inadvertently. or wilfully, i'm
peded our way. 1t is often the highest wisdom
as well as the sincerest friendship TO forget
Bat of one thing you may be very sure-thc
40 tcv,,r