EDITORS TABLE. 



769 



phatically, ""Where do its knaves and 

 rascals come from ? We do not make 

 them ; you send them to us from all 

 parts of the nation." But the argu- 

 ment was not helped by the retort, for 

 it is quite immaterial whether Wash- 

 ington breeds its scoundrels or imports 

 them. If our republican system is one 

 that sifts out its most venal and un- 

 scrupulous intriguers and sharpers, and 

 gathers them into one place, it is ques- 

 tionable whether that place had better 

 not be avoided as the seat of a great 

 model university especially if said in- 

 triguers and sharpers are to have the 

 management of it. 



ELECTIVE STUDIES AT HARVARD. 



1st an instructive article upon this 

 subject, the Nation says : " There was 

 a vague but very general impression, 

 a few years ago, that, if the elective 

 system were introduced into the older 

 American colleges, the practical sci- 

 ences, as they are called, especially 

 physics, chemistry, and natural his- 

 tory, would crowd out the study of 

 the ancient languages. There was also 

 a feeling that the obvious utility of the 

 modern languages, and particularly of 

 French and of German, would help to 

 throw the " dead languages " into the 

 background. A great many enthusiasts 

 fancied that the good time a-coming 

 was at hand, when books would be 

 thrown aside, and all intellectual ac- 

 tivity would be narrowed down to the 

 study of physical Nature ; and so much 

 noise has been made about the natural 

 sciences that a great many people un- 

 doubtedly think this is the principal if 

 not the only subject taught where an 

 elective system prevails." 



To submit this matter to a test, and 

 " ascertain what it is that the mass of 

 students feel the need of most and flock 

 to most when the choice is left entirely 

 to themselves," the Nation overhauls 

 the university catalogue of Harvard 

 vol. in. 49 



for 1872-'73, and presents the statistics 

 which bear upon the subject. The 

 " elections " of subjects of study or 

 choices of the students are shown in a 

 succession of tables, the last of which 

 divides the college studies into "dis- 

 ciplinary " and " practical," and ex- 

 hibits the results as follows: 



DISCIPLINARY STUDIES. 



Ancient languages . . . .100 



History 87 



Mathematics 21 



Philosophy 15 



Political science 12 



1S5 



PRACTICAL STUDIES. 



Modern languages .... 80 

 Physics and chemistry . . 37 

 Natural history 28 



145 



"By this arrangement the disci- 

 plinary studies preponderate over the 

 practical in the ratio of 185 : 145 or 

 100:78." 



Upon this the Nation proceeds to 

 remark: " The figures show conclusive- 

 ly that, in spite of the crusade which 

 has been carried on against the ancient 

 languages, they are still full of vitality, 

 still a power, still a popular study, and, 

 in fact, the greatest interest in the 

 little college world. As our inquiry is 

 purely numerical and statistical, we do 

 not ask why the students make the 

 selections they do. Doubtless, the 

 reasons are not very obvious ; still, one 

 fact is plain, that they are not guided 

 wholly by utilitarian views." 



Now, if the Nation had looked a 

 little into the "why" of this matter, 

 we are sure it would have found the 

 reasons for this state of things obvious 

 enough, and, although it might have 

 somewhat qualified its conclusion, it 

 would have made the statement more 

 valuable. The number of votes cast 

 at an election is usually an expression 

 of public opinion, but, if in any case 

 there happen to have been military 

 interference and dictation, the numeri- 

 cal report of ballots cast, if taken alone, 

 would be misleading. "We are told that 



