The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-11-21
AN EDUCATIONAL QUESTION
Are There Too Many Col
lege Graduates
Around?
A GERMAN OPINION
Considered and Opposed By
a United States
Man.
! GERMAN OPINION

Prof Conrad of the University OF
Halle urges that the way has peeh
opened too widely INTO our hlgher
classical institutions. He would nave
the road to the college and the univer-
sity blocked by higher tuition tees'
and he would have no aid ex-
tended except to those selected Tor
their special gifts. Popular opinion has
worked the other way. 1t has peen
conceived to be the height of benevo-
lence to make minister out OF any
good fellow whose boyhood has indi-
Gated piety, Has the result been bene-
fetal to the church? Meanwhile the
average lawyer, although a college
graduate, is not above the average ar
tisan or farmer who has graduated at
our high schools. One OF our city SUI
pertntendents tells us that he has for
some time been offering aid to the
bows Of his school who express de-
sire to go to college, provided, how
ever, that he indorses the boys ambi-
ton. He adds that out of the first 10
applicants he selected but two while
in his opinion the other eight would
become more valuable citizens If left
TO follow the ordinary lines of school
education. He has carried on this sys-
tenn for seven years, and the proper
ton selected is always about the same,
He thinks that the regular school cur
rsculum should be disburdened Of
those studies termed preparatory.
He thinks 1t is a grievous injustice to
the majority to load on those studies,
or any part of them, because a few
are on the road I'd college. He makes
his preparatory studies a sort of an
mex.
This would require total reversion
of our present educational system. We
are opening the door Of professional
life lust as widely as possible, and to
everybody. The competitive struggle
comes later, after the professions have
been crowded beyond workable condi-
lions and largely by those who must be
elbowed down and out. Would 1t not be
as well to let at least a part of this
competition come earlier and so pre-
vent a great waste of money and of
effort to accomplish what the young
fellows are not qualified for? Are we
not In need of a more select list of
literary and professional leaders?
What brought to the front the Boston
crowd In the middle of the last cen
fury, with Emerson, Lowell, Thoreau,
Hawthorne, Longfellow and all the rest
of them? and what was the cause of
the appearance OF the Irving squad in
New York? What has put out this
classical light and leadership?
Inside of SO years our colleges and
\ universities have not only doubled in
number, but the catalogue enrolment
of the larger ones has gone up from
about 800 to 5000. Rivalry Is account
able for some of this Increase which
is quite out of proportion to the in
crease Of population, but the popu-
larigation and socializing of college
life has done much more. The Ameri
can college is no longer filled with
semi recllse students, willing to sup
port themselves largely by labor. A
much larger proportion Of the boys
20 through on borrowed money, ana
nearly or quite one-half graduate in
debt, many of them burdened heavily
Not few of those who escape debt
einbarrass their parents with bills
that are immensely out of proportion
to the expenses incurred by their faith
ers when on the same route. While
the smaller colleges need every boy
they can get to fill up good and pre-
sentable roster, it is notable that a
very much larger proportion of each
class finds itself dropped into business
life Having no genius for professional
life, II has secured no special prtpara-
tion for any other. These young fell
lows dare not turn back to q life Of
manual work, while to go ahead in the
professions would be a pitiful strug-
gle. "a catalogue is yet to be published
which relates the failures of those
handicapped by too liberal educa-
ton"
A large college organization, how
ever, having over 10000 members, re-
ports concerning the success attained
by Its members in the professions,
coming from different colleges. Tables
have been arranged, showing those
who have according to popular judg-
ment achieved influence and power,
and noting in each case the college
Z from which he has graduated, Three
or four Of the smaller colleges are
credited with from AZ to II successful
graduates The first large university in
the list holding the 18th place, and
having a membership Of 27O contrib
utes 90 members--that is, nearly eight