SMALL COLLEGES 65 



Christian ministry ; it neglected an important side of the intellect, gave 

 an imperfect cultnre and left the man with a false conception of his 

 acquirements. The curriculum sliould be designed to accord with 

 modern conditions, should deal more with what is around us and less 

 with mere abstractions; more with matters exercising the power of 

 reason and less with such petty niceties as linguistic problems. Such a 

 course of study, recognizing the many-sidedness of the intellect and 

 compulsory throughout, would be the ideal gymnasium in which to 

 prepare a young man for undertaking professional studies or for 

 assuming the responsibilities of business life. 



This work can be done only in a large college equipped with real 

 libraries and laboratories, where the man may study under real pro- 

 fessors, not jaded by teaching elementary subjects to academy pupils; 

 where there is no mingling of college students and preparatory pupils 

 in the classroom or on the campus; where the child who can do little 

 more than read will not be " in college." A restricted, stringent cur- 

 riculum would repel the slothful and indifEerent, and fewer teachers 

 would be required. Living salaries could be paid even with present 

 endowments and the proverbial apprenticeship to poverty would not be 

 necessary to enable a professor to live on his pay. The universities 

 should confine themselves to graduate work. They should admit to 

 their professional schools only those who have a college degree, earned 

 not in correspondence schools or in college annexes, but by actual 

 attendance at an institution maintaining the required standard. The 

 country is not suffering from a famine of lawyers, physicians or even 

 of clergymen, and the time is ripe for raising the requirements in all 

 professional schools. 



It is true that this procedure would have serious consequences. 

 A not inconsiderable number of " small colleges " would find their 

 degrees without value; they would lose their hold on the innocent 

 people who have wasted money on them and their requiem would not 

 be delayed. There would not be enough graduates to fill the numerous 

 professional schools and only the best equipped would survive. But 

 there is reason to believe that in each case the public grief would be 

 neither widespread nor inconsolable. 



VOL. LXXX. — 5. 



