Evening star., 1922-09-30
Aristocracy Of Brains if Education
II q Privilege.

Ar1St0cracy OF Brains II Education
Il q Privilege.
1T was not 50 long ago." the New
York Times recalls. that college and
university presidents were going up
and down the country trying to inter-
est young men and young women in
higher education. Like Wisdom in
the Proverbs. they cried in every pub
lie place. But they seemingly have
been too successful Now. with
practically every institution Of high
er learning in the country crowded
beyond it's capacity, the cry is raised
by the head of one such institution,
DR.. Hopkins of Dartmouth, that "too
many mon are going to college," In
SO doing he expresses q sentiment
which tho Lowell Courier-C Citizen
says has been present in the minds
Of many, but it has not been fashion
able to say much about it." From
the editorial viewpoint, however, the
diflculty Is not SO much that there
are too many men in college. but too
many Of the wrong kind and too few
of the right kind.
President Hopkins" the New York
Globe explains. opposes wasting the
time OF boys who are incapable Of profit
Ing BY so1ourn In the colleges, and at
the same time he would enable the At
to do better work by removing the lag
CARDS. This" in the opinion Of the
paper. us position which can be de-
tended on the grounds Of democracy
and educational science Because so
many sons of the rich are sent to col
~ H4t,,
higher education In many places tends
to assume the form Of country club.
The Providence Tribune agrees that
there are entirely too many men going
to college today. and the result is that
the former thorough and efficient
grounding In fundamentals. as an aid in
the preparation for life. has degenerated
into a mechanical. half-baked smatter-
ing Of this. that and the other"
DR.. Hopkins declaration that "the
opportunity for securing an education
by way Of the college course is definitely
a privilege and not at all a universal
right the Philadelphia Record con-
shobbishness," but 1t contends. never
theless. that 1T is nothing Of the sort.
DR.. Hopkins speaks good sound sense.
He is not an intellectual snob, but an
Intellectual democrat, for II the work
ing theory for which he seeks ever at
tains perfection it will be most helpful
to the poor boy with brains, who is
as the Pittsburgh Dispatch predicts,
''his plea for an 'aristocracy of brains
will not become popular except after a
long. bitter battle"
Let US have an arfstocracy of brains
by all MEANS" agrees the New York
Tribune, but before we establish such
a caste let us first answer the question,
what are brains? Just what are the
qualities to be searched for? . The
two factors Of originality and leader
ship suggest the qualities which we have
In mind and which ought to enter into
any true test Of real aristocracy. But
examination papers that really test
the qualities that may make a man a
great leader further on in life are hard
to isolate at eighteen" The Boston
Globe asks, How can We pick and
choose? Can we pick and choose? For
the decision as to who is and who Is not
worthy OF higher education is Ike the
lethal chamber for incurables. an excel
lent project-untI it comes to deciding
who shall do the choosing and how
Even granting possible basis for
choice. the Globe is still reminded "ot
certain men and women. some schooled
some unschooled. who never could quail
ify for any such aristocracy as vet en-
'A~o>Ns sAASA yos "HocS WoAShs ouu SA.
cellence, and education. and intelligence
and character. and personality put the
idea Of an ar1stocracy Of brains to
II President Hopkins means tina,
the privilege Of college training
should be extended to all" who quail.
ify as Intellectual aristocrats, then
the Jersey City Journal comedies, "h.
voices the sentiment Of those who be.
lieve that the state should support
more colleges and make 1t possible
for more Of the intellectually brigh,
and alert young men Of the country
to attend them" Certainly going tc
college ought to be made easier foI
the capable" the Kansas City Sta1
maintains. and ut ought to be made
harder for those who either cannot OF
will not thereby confer benefit either
on themselves or society,"" and "hu.
man material good for something
the New York Herald insists. ''shoui6
not be allowed to 60 on for year,
making itself good for nothing IN the
way that 10 becoming notorious II
colleges" There are, as the Bostor
Transcript puts 1t, $50 many goats fr
sleeps clothing, and 20 many good
sheep who in later life yield much
rich fleece of wisdom and usefulness
who in school are reckoned as goats
Of an improbable breed"