DANGERS AT CORNELL-1868-1872 371 



nal act of Congress, the second specified under the vague 

 name of t ' Mechanic Arts ' ' went better, though there was 

 at first much groping to find just what ought to be done. 

 First of all, there was a danger which demanded delicate 

 handling. This danger lay in Mr. Cornell 's wish to estab- 

 lish, in vital connection with the university, great factories 

 for the production of articles for sale, especially chairs 

 and shoes, thus giving large bodies of students opportuni- 

 ties for self-support. In discussing this matter with him, 

 I pointed to the fact that, in becoming a manufacturing 

 corporation we were making a business venture never con- 

 templated by our charter ; that it was exceedingly doubtful 

 whether such a corporation could be combined with an 

 educational institution without ruining both ; that the men 

 best fitted to manage a great factory were hardly likely 

 to be the best managers of a great institution of learning ; 

 that under our charter we had duties, not merely to those 

 who wished to support themselves by labor, but to others ; 

 and I finally pointed out to him many reasons for holding 

 that such a scheme contravened the act of Congress and 

 the legislation of the State. I insisted that the object of 

 our charters from the State and Nation was not to enable 

 a great number of young men to secure an elementary 

 education while making shoes and chairs; that for these 

 the public schools were provided; that our main purpose 

 must be to send out into all parts of the State and Nation 

 thoroughly trained graduates, who should develop and 

 improve the main industries of the country, and, by their 

 knowledge and example, train up skilful artisans of 

 various sorts and in every locality. Mr. Cornell's con- 

 duct in this matter was admirable. Tenacious as he 

 usually was when his opinion was formed, and much as it 

 must have cost him to give up what had become a darling 

 project, he yielded to this view. 



New questions now opened as to this "Department of 

 Mechanic Arts." It was clear to me, from what I had 

 seen abroad, that not all the models I had sent from 

 Europe would be sufficient to give the practical character 



