Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-26

really are. In all things they are asked to
simply behave themselves as we'll bred
young people engaged in the serious work
of obtaining information and knowledge at
a higher institution OF learning. The uni
versity IL not meant to be q winter resort
for young folks with means to support
themselves In idleness, nor is It a place to
develop expensive tastes or vicious habits.
Especially are the students enJoined from
fostering unseemly rivalries between the
seven colleges that make up the university,
but they should, without abating their de-
votiOn to the college in which they happen
to be working, stand up for the others as
well. The chancellor concludes his address
thus:
In asking you as students individually
and unitedly to work for the upbuilding of
all the good things in connection with the
University of Nebraska, the thought may
occur to you, why should q student con-
Germ himself with such a subject has he
not troubles enough OF his own? The very
reason why l feel that you will respond to
the appeal is because the only motive that
l can hold out to you is the unselfish one
that the end attained will justify the eff
fort. l believe that in a state like Ne
braska there Is room for every type Of
school that we have. The UNCONVENTIONAL
schools will continue to grow and prosper.
II some trust magnate should see fit to
establish in our state a plutocratio uni
versity, the plan would doubtless receive
encouragement in certain quarters, and yet
l believe more and more fully that the
dominant educational ideal of the country
will be the university supported by the
taxpayers and controlled by regents elected
by the people. / believe hat in this way
we shall get an institution nearer to the
whole people and will thus be Of greater
service to the people than would be pos
sible on the part OF any institution main
tained by any par Of the people, though
that mart he a VRFV worthy class. / feel
too, that II the people are not fit to thus
control the education of their children they
are not fit to rule themselves; hat the
whole future of democracy is at stake, and
that as popular institutions are destined to
become dominant, so the state university
supported by the taxpayers Is destined to
be the dominant form Of higher education.
As / said to the alumni last spring, the
University OF Nebraska has a greater pro-
portional representation OF the people Of
the state than any other institution in the
country. Every community OF 800 on the
average sends one student to the univers-
w. In Kansas the proportion is about l
to $50; in Illinois, / to 1900; in Ohio, / TO
1000. The people of Nebraska, then, are
trying TO solve the problem Of democratic
higher education more seriously than the
people OF any other state, and so Il seems
to me that the question Of whether the
people of the state are TIT to control the
education OF their own children is being
tried out here in this university in a more
serious way than in any place in the world.
In, therefore, loyalty contributing your
thought, your eudeavor, and especially
your self-restraint in building up an insti-
tuition worthy OF the confidence that the
people OF the state are disposed to put In
IT, you are serving not only yourselves, you
are not only fulfilling the purpose and as
pirations Of those who, often at a great
sacrifice, are sending you here, but In ad-
dition to this you are contributing to the
welfare OF the state, TO the advancement
Of the principles Of democracy, and to the
permanent betterment OF the human race.