360 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



regarded as tolerably correct, although, inaccuracies undoubtedly occur. 

 Consequently the general view of the situation which they offer is 

 approximately correct. 



Many of the universities of the east have at one time or another 

 received appropriations from the state, and some state control has been 

 and still is exercised. But such institutions must nevertheless be 

 classed as private rather than public. The comparative number of col- 

 leges and universities under public versus private control is as follows : 

 National, 2; state, 46; city, 4; private, 620. The total is then 52 

 founded and chiefly if not entirely supported by public funds, as 

 against 620 privately founded and privately supported institutions. 

 Some of these private colleges and universities date from the early days 

 of American history, when the government was not yet strong enough 

 to undertake educational work, and private organizations gave their 

 time, energy, and money to its accomplishment. The fact that the 

 government is now able to do its duty along the line of education of its 

 citizens does not in the least detract from the high honor due those 

 early pioneers who by individual effort paved the way for the accom- 

 plishment by the state of a great and necessary task. 



These six hundred and twenty privately founded institutions, which 

 still educate almost twice as many of our young men and women as do 

 the public colleges and universities (Cf. tables 1 and 2, pp. 545 and 

 546 of the U. S. Keport), are as a rule conducted in accordance with 

 the personal wishes of their founders and, according to the three tables 

 quoted above four hundred and seventeen of them are avowedly denomi- 

 national in attitude. The term denominational is here used in its 

 broadest sense, to include both Eoman catholic and protestant institu- 

 tions. These colleges and universities are, of course (though why " of 

 course" is as yet unexplained), all exempt from taxation. This one 

 fact proves beyond cavil that church and state are not separate in 

 America. Exemption from taxation of an institution of learning 

 which also gives religious instruction or brings religious influence to 

 bear means to this extent state aid, and consequently direct connection 

 with the state. 



The citizens who at its foundation endow a denominational institu- 

 tion and continue to support it also pay their share of the tax which 

 supports the state college and state university. It seems at first, then, 

 that their right to maintain in addition their own private institution 

 for religious teaching should pass unchallenged, and, if the denomi- 

 national college were for religious teaching alone, none might object. 

 But its religious teaching is greatly adulterated. The denominational 

 college and university compete with the work of the state institutions, 

 and infringe upon the right and duty of the state to attend to the 

 intellectual training and preparation for citizenship of its youth. The 

 specious argument may be presented that these private institutions, 



