The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-02-19
u~lrElkiND rHr col.Lncis.

2
A critical study of their courses
ther methods oi instruction. thel
faculties and their equipments eon
WAGES the Foundation that thrl d
not occupy the plane that ins,itu
tluns supp9tod largely from th,
state treasury should eceupy Non,
of them are diretly owned or CON
lgrailed by the state, and the infer.
euee is that no great improvement
m them, conducted as they are !.
likely TO take place sufficient to
" thstand the Indictment Much est
ths Foundation says both 10 their
credit and their discredit, but is
recommendation Is that the state
Withdraw It's aid amounting 70
about 100000 a year, and devote
the sum TO Improvement Of the pub.
lie schools along lines suggested.
No feature of the report viii at
tract more attention than this, In a
way Il Is destructive II would
take away the assistance from the
coll ges. which has served to keep
so me II not all OF them alive aud 70
make them what they are. leaving
them TO wither and die al the end ol
what would probably be from the
outset hopeless struggle. For II
with state aid they have only been
able 10 reach secondary standard.
where Will they 80 with no aid ?
What chance will they have In
competition with the strong, rich.
heavily endowed institutions Of
nearby statesY
The question is therefore peril
nent, does Vermont want TO XIII off
her colleges and deprive her sons
and daughters OF an opportunity 10
secure at home and eheaply higher
education of kind that In hundreds
and thousands OF instances has prov
cd It's value, even If il does not
III aasure up to the high mark OF ex
pert criticism all TO save 100000
year, which is TO be-not saved
but spent in other directions One
hundred thousand dollars Is a large
shm. to be sune. but II is paltry
compared with what many staes do
for their colleges It Is not dis
proportionate, either, as compared
with the public funds that go TO
the support OF the common schools.
We believe that the adoption of
the Foundation report, SO far as
II relates TO our colleges, would be
a great mistake. Not only would II
cut so heavily into the revenues OF
these Institutions as to imperil their
existence, but II would be fatal
blow al them from an educational
stndpo.nt If they are not worthy
OF state recognition, OF course they
are not worthy OF private support
The facts, fully considered, do
not bear out the Foundations find
ings. These colleges are small, II
is true; faulty, II Is true; poor II
Is true; but what is the correct test
to apply? Is II not their records as
educators Of our YOUTH Judged by
this standard, what has the Founda-
tion TO say? II does not undertake
to prove that students and graduates
OF Vermont colleges are 50 i'll fitted
that they have been dlstanced I'M
the race of life. II cannot prove this
for the truth disproyes it.
Undoubtedly. according to the mp
proved standard Of large modern
colleges and universities, those oi
Vermont do not measure up. But
they are the best we have and all
we have. without them there would
be nothing A scientific educational
system. such as the commission VIII
outline, would be sadly lacking II I
bereft Of the higher
training that the college affords
Must we give up III despair because
experts tell us we haven't the best
there is already in the collegiate
world? Why not turn our attention
10 Improvement rather than de-
Can't Vermont produce
one or more colleges worthy Of her
own APPROVAL Or shall we go
out OF business altogether, confess
failure and chop off our educational
system at the shoulder trusting that
IN other states our sons and daugh-
.ers may find what Is denied them
lere? A good way, this, TO increase
heir faith and love and loyaty 10
he home state and to reclaim them
o citizenship,
Another thing: State aid 10 our
is not given outright In
arge part IL goes IN the form Of
conferred on worthy
md need students Hundreds who
otherwise would never have at
ended college have been helped
,y these--and rise up TO bless the
eature that the Foundation con
Iemns. Where are these young peo-
'le TO 20 In future needy and
Worthy who cannot even afford 70
ay tuition in Vermont The doors
I the great impressive approved
olleges outside the state are clos
d to them and higher education