The log cabin Democrat., 1911-01-21
HURT OPPOSES
TILLMAN'S lLAN
Continued from First Page.)

The tendency of large aggregations
of students is always toward the for
nation of classes, with arbitrary
standards of worth, and this strike at
the very foundation of American
greatness. Ex-President Wilson adj
dressed his resourceful mind to the
democratizing of student life at
Princeton, but was not able to see his
theories indicated to his own salts
faction or to the satisfaction of other
university presidents, who looked on
with anxious interest. If we are to pro-
vide college and university education
that really educates, then a priceless
value must be set upon such things
as daily elbow touch of student with
student and of student with instruc-
tor; the individual students response
blhty for honor and well-being of the
student body and the conviction that
| banquets do not make big hearts; that
chapter houses often do not contain
the choicest spirits, and that the new
est cut garments may not cover the
cleanest souls. | contend that these
| lessons can be learned nowhere quite
so well as in the small college. When
they have been learned the student
may be ready for the alrge university.
4. President Tillman says: "More
and more the State University is be-
coming the popular institution for
higher education" If hire agrees with
me that the one test of this popularity
is numbers, then surely he has not
referred recently to education statis-
tics on this point. | have before me
a list of the principal universities
and colleges of the United States" is
sued by the Press Publishing Com
pany of New York. The figures for
1909 show that of the 69,377 students
enrolled in such of these institutions
as are located in the south, only A.
594 were in the State Universities,
while 54,783 were in other 'principal
universities and colleges" Indeed,
there are 1,048 in the colleges and
universities under strict denomina-
tional control-more than twice as
many as were found in all the state
universities.
Again, President Tillman says,
more and more education is becom-
ing an affair of the state" Recall the
facts just given, and then add to them
the consideration that he does not ad-
duce any evidence. This brings me to
a few words distinctly in favor of the
denominational college, which, like all
other colleges, must be judged solely
by it's output. | might show that
| church schools were the pioneers of
higher education in America-but that
| might be deemed an argument for
their existence based on sentiment. |
might contend, also, that, since man
is essentially a religious being, the
course of instruction is best which
constantly reminds him of the fact
but that might be considered an argu-
ment based on religion. | will let my
contention for the separate denomi-
national school rest on several gener-
ally accepted educational ideals. Three
are given:
l. No institution enjoys more
freedom in the operation of its admin
istrative machinery than does the de-
nominational college. Its trustees
usually remain in office number of
years, and the institution is also free
from the dangers of changing polit-
zeal administrations and the whims,
altogether too frequent, of short
sighted and uneducated members Of
state legislatures.
Since President Tillman esteems so
highly the opinion of DR.. Pritchett,
the following words from DR.. Prltch-
ett's fourth annual report to the Car
negie Foundation should be of special
interest to him. Estate institutions"
says he, "are, from the nature of their
organization, most exposed to the
dangers from the politics of organiza-
ton. They are creatures of the state,
and are under the state government.
This government is a party govern
ment, and the temptation to use the
state college or university from the
standpoint of party interest, or, more
often, from the standpoint of the in
terest of some clique in the party,
is always present" l think DR..
Pritchett is right this time.
2. | believe that the greatest edu-
cational latitude is possible not in the