The Washington herald., 1912-06-20
AIN INSTITUTION
FOR THE PEOPLE
The Proposed Peoples Educational
Foundation One for the
Whole Nation.

To the Editor: Referring TO your quo
tation this morning from the Ohio State
Journal antagonistic TO the idea OF q
National University at Washington. the
objections OF this writer will be fully met
by the type Of university proposed by the
Peoples Educational Foundation.
The Ohio writer has in mind an insti-
tuition merely academic, place 10 which
those fortunate enough 10 have the
money may go for education; but the
Peoples Foundation proposes to take edu-
cation to those who are unable to 80
after It. and the natural distributing cen
ter for such a national institution Is at
the seat OF government, Washington, with
its wealth OF latent resources in the vari-
Gus governmental bureaus and educa-
tional institutions already established
here.
BY q far-reaching system Of distribu-
ton Of literature. the Peoples Founda-
tion will carry education OF the kind
most needed TO those needing II the most,
the children of the factory workers OF
the East and the West. the miners OF
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado. the
salmon fishers Of Oregon and Alaska, the
fruit growers Of the Pacific Slope, the
Southern mountaineers, and all classes
Of industrial workers. vocational train
ing. home making, self-supporting pur-
suits. art, ethics, government and science.
spreading educational opportunity through
every hamlet Of each State and county.
OF academic institutions such as the
Ohio writer had in mind. we have plenty.
The first academic institution was es-
tablished at Paris in the twelfth century
by AOelard: for centuries It held the
lead in intellectual training. Students
were attracted from all parts Of Europe
and foreigners became habituated to come
to Paris for study there This type OF
classical and academic institution, large
factors in the progress OF civilization, has
been supplied with generous hand by cit
liens Of the United States in this coun-
try, and we have all such that are
needed. both In number and quality.
But the national university Of the
Peoples Foundation Is 20 hll the na-
tional want now unprovided for.
FroebeI. in the nineteenth century.
made his new stand in education-that
the training OF the hand is a funda-
mental necessity and the best prepara-
ton for intellectual growth.
About 1850 Peter Cooper established
the institution that has been ever since
a great blessing to the citizens OF New
York.
Following this lead have been many
others, like the DreXel Institution, in
Philadelphia; the Pratt Institute, in
Brooklyn: the Mechanics Institute, OF
Boston, and so on, each in its locality
filling a high purpose for the betterment
Of city life.
Parallel with these have been devel-
oped in each State, under the Morrill,
act agricultural colleges, universities.
and government experiment stations.
The natural sequence to all these
manual training schools Is a university
where their graduates may be admitted
on the work that they have done and
where they may take graduate courses.
Such an Institution is contemplated in
the bill before Congress introduced by
Senator Borah Of Idaho.
But the Peoples Foundation proposes
to establish this national institution
without government aid II will be
financed by the people controlled by the
people. and for the people, with every
possibility Of politics or partisanship or
religious preference excluded
It stands for equal educational oppor-
tunity. equal rights for all
More than % per cent OF the children
leave school and go TO work before they
are sixteen years Of age. The special
purpose Of this university is to give these
10 OOO, 900 children Of vocational age higher
ideals and to extend a protecting hand
over such as can be self-suppOrting,
giving them the best opportunity, no
matter where they live, nor what their
condition.
Senate report No. sS. by Senator De-
bee. published in 1902 said. in part:
The idea OF a national university Is
as old as the nation, has had the fullest
sanction OF the wisest and best man OF
succeeding generations, and is in perfect
harmony with the policy and practice
OF the government"