THE ECONOMICS OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 379 



of the great body of the people, the example of modern Europe 

 sufficiently demonstrates. But the security of every society 

 must alwa}'s depend, more or less, upon the martial spirit of 

 the great body of the people." 



Again — 



" Even though the martial spirit of the people were of no 

 use towards the defence of the society, yet, to prevent that 

 sort of mental mutilation, deformity, and wretchedness, which 

 cowardice necessarily involves in it, from spreading themselves 

 through the great body of the people, would still deserve the 

 most serious attention of government ; in the same manner as 

 it would deserve its most serious attention to prevent a leprosy, 

 or any other loathsome and offensive disease, though neither 

 mortal nor dangerous, from spreading itself among them ; 

 though, perhaps, no other public good might result from such 

 attention, besides the prevention of so great a public evil." 



For my part I think that the very fact that we have departed 

 so far from Adam Smith's doctrines in other matters adds 

 strength to the arguments which he urges with none the less 

 force because the language in which they are expressed is 

 somewhat old-fashioned. 



In many ways the State, the municipality, and the pious 

 founder have done for all of us much that Adam Smith would 

 have disapproved. Some of us have held scholarships and 

 fellowships. Some have, perhaps, had elementary education 

 provided free, and the fact that the State will probably benefit 

 because such persons will be more useful citizens, in no way 

 diminishes the magnitude of the benefit they have received. 

 National, municipal, and private funds have been showered on 

 the members of every great College. The possibilities of a 

 useful life have been extended for most of us by funds we 

 could not of ourselves have amassed. We have shared in a 

 portion of the wealth of past ages, and of that which other 

 members of the great society to which we belong are accumu- 

 lating to-day. Do we owe nothing in return ? If we ignore, 

 and I agree that we ought to ignore, Adam Smith's doctrine 

 of " no educational endowments," can we treat with the same 

 indifference his dogma that a man incapable of defending 

 himself "evidently wants one of the most essential parts of 

 the character of a man " ? In my opinion each University 

 student who receives from his country the skill to handle 



