i3° POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



academy portions could be gathered into a strong academy and the 

 college portions into a strong college, with the academy as its feeder, 

 if higher institutions under similar relations of space could be brought 

 together so as to make a thoroughly equipped college and a thoroughly 

 equipped university, the vast sums now expended on mere maintenance 

 of property could be applied directly to educational work and a long 

 advance would be made toward paying salaries which, with the re- 

 gained leisure and the regained honor, would make college teaching 

 once more attractive to men of the highest type. 



The writer has been told that these propositions are fair and rea- 

 sonable, that they are merely what common sense demands, but that 

 they are chimerical. One correspondent asserts that they are good 

 but that the world can not go backward. This last is very true, but the 

 truism has no bearing upon the question. If one have strayed from 

 the road in blind trails, he can hardly be reproached for retracing his 

 steps to the parting of the ways, that, taught wisdom by his error, he 

 may advance anew and along the right path. 



That the suggestions are chimerical, the writer can not concede; 

 that they involve serious difficulties, he not only concedes but also 

 asserts. The obstacles to be overcome before the second can be realized 

 are comparatively insignificant. If it be a common sense proposition, 

 it will need only proper presentation to secure its acceptance by the 

 business men on the corporate boards and, as far as they are concerned, 

 the adjustment could be effected very rapidly. But obstacles of no 

 mean sort will be encountered in an effort to realize the first and third, 

 most serious of which are those arising from denominational prejudice 

 or jealousy. Almost as serious are those due to individual prejudice 

 or obstinacy. Trustees and teachers are unwilling to acknowledge that 

 their college has no good reason for separate existence, though they 

 know and the community knows that they know the fact. Alumni, 

 whose only manifestation of interest in the college has been an occa- 

 sional visit to a summer re-union, are apt to display a sudden and 

 emphatic love for Alma Mater when consolidation is suggested, putting 

 forth energy enough against consolidation to place the college on a 

 good footing, if properly directed. The writer recognizes all of these 

 difficulties, but is convinced that they will be overcome if only full dis- 

 cussion of the matter can be had, so as to bring it fairly to the atten- 

 tion of those on whose gifts the American college depends for de- 

 velopment. 



