CORRESPONDENCE 651 



to be a syllogism. It is comical beyond words then to assert, 

 as he practically does in his letter to you, that the whole 

 deductive argument consists in nothing but discovering other 

 meanings besides those explicitly stated in the definitions and 

 axioms. 



I accept the correction about inductive Logic, but I take 

 it that in the present controversy we have been dealing ex- 

 clusively with deductive Logic. 



Dr. Mercier says that he passes my examination of his 

 arguments. In this he is probably wise, as I am confident 

 that the " competent reasoner " will agree with me that his 

 arguments have been annihilated. 



I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



W. H. Winter. 



SCIENCE AND MODERN AND ANCIENT LANGUAGES 



From Prof. H. A. Strong, M.A., LL.D. 



Sir, — Allow me to congratulate you as an old colleague on 

 the letter which you and other men of science have pub- 

 lished relative to reforms necessary in our educational system. 

 I am, as a veteran teacher of Classics, no less interested 

 than the distinguished men who have signed that letter, and 

 I venture to ask you to consider my views, which are based upon 

 a wide experience. 



(1) It is my opinion that at least 50 per cent, of the 

 students who came under my teaching would have done 

 much more wisely if they had turned their attention to some 

 other subject, as they plainly had no taste for the subject and 

 it could not in any degree serve to develop their intellects. 



(2) So far am I from wishing to depreciate the Classics as 

 an object of study that I wish to see a very much higher stan- 

 dard for matriculation and degree introduced into all our 

 universities. The standard for the pass degree is so low that 

 it cannot be a real test of the capacity of really good scholars. 

 The standard for matriculation for medical students was so 

 ridiculously low that I am glad to see that Latin has for this 

 purpose been made an optional subject, and I trust that the 

 standard for those who present Latin as a subject will be 

 considerably raised. 



