NATIONALIZATION OF UNIVERSITY EXTENSION 501 



all its own direct expenses. But the central oflBce must meanwhile 

 be sustained. At present this is done in most cases by private 

 subscription. It is a benefaction, and bounded by all the limita- 

 tions of a benefaction. Under this arrangement it is quite clear 

 that a center can only be established where there are people of 

 means willing to make themselves responsible for the local expense 

 in case the sale of lecture tickets does not provide sufficient funds. 

 The freedom of the individual to avail himself of university ex- 

 tension is, therefore^ limited by the double contingency of local 

 conditions and the facilities possessed by the nearest central office. 

 In no case, it is to be observed, does the central office suggest 

 courses, or pay for them. 



Now, it was not proposed that Government should assume the 

 paternal duty of establishing lecture courses in the arts and 

 sciences here and there over the country, like so many intellectual 

 post-offices. But it was proposed that the establishment of local 

 centers should be left, as now, to private initiative and enterprise, 

 while the Government should simply assume the duties of the 

 central offices on a larger and more liberal scale. The work prom- 

 ises to be much too large for private enterprise, and since it does 

 not pay for itself, it can not, in private hands, be thoroughly and 

 systematically done with regard to the country at large. The 

 naovement would not be pauperized or degraded by such national- 

 ization. There would be the same play for individual zeal and 

 public spirit as now. But there would be this difference : it would 

 everywhere find established and adequate co-operation where now 

 it finds only special and metropolitan co-operation. 



I think that the experiment would not be very dangerous, and 

 it need not be very expensive. Once established, these district 

 central offices of the Department of Education might with perfect 

 propriety go a step further, and provide, under suitable conditions, 

 for part of the expense of an extension course where the proceeds 

 from the sales of lecture tickets were not sufficient. With the 

 people themselves directly creating each center, electing their own 

 subject, choosing their own lecturer, and paying for all or part of 

 the local expense, I really do not see how the movement could be- 

 come commonplace or mercenary in its character by being system- 

 atized under national auspices. There would be room here for an 

 enthusiasm which could be followed by performance. 



Like most lovers of freedom we are often too jealous of it to 

 use it. The chief incapacity for greatness in republican admin- 

 istrations is that we are at heart cowards. We make our own 

 government, and are then very much afraid of it. It is as if we 

 feared that this thing which we have ourselves created should 

 turn and devour us ; and this distrust is everywhere fostered by 

 the current belief that American politics is very corrupt. Un- 



