Fbbruaey 28. 1902.J 



SCIENCE. 



335 



acted with beneficial effect upon, the imi- 

 versities, and has tended to promote scien- 

 tific thought throughout the land. By its 

 demonstration of the practical importance 

 of purely theoretic conceptions it has had 

 a far-reaching effect on the intellectual life 

 of the nation. How much such a scientific 

 revival is wanted in our country the social 

 and economical history of the past ten 

 years abundantly testifies. For in the 

 struggle for existence between nations the 

 battle is no longer to the strong in arm, but 

 to those who are the strongest in Imowledge 

 to turn the resources of nature to the best 

 account. ' ' 



What I want to make clear by these quo- 

 tations and references is that universities 

 are not luxuries, to be en,joyed or not, as 

 we may please. They are necessities. Their 

 Avork lies at the very foundation of national 

 well-being. 



But there is another aspect of university 

 work of greater importance than that of 

 which I have spoken. I mean the intel- 

 lectual aspect in the highest sense. The 

 world is advancing in other ways than 

 along material lines. While as I have 

 pointed out, the material interests of the 

 world are connected with the intellectual 

 condition, there are thoughts, there are 

 ideas, that are above material considera- 

 tions, ideas pertaining to the history of 

 mankind, to the origin and development of 

 the universe, to the phenomena of life, to 

 the development of thought, to the signifi- 

 cance of religions. All these are of im- 

 portance, and the character of a nation is 

 determined by the extent to which these 

 ideas are cultivated. There is call for in- 

 vestigation in every sub.ieet — in the various 

 branches of philology, in history, in 

 economics, in arehsology, as well as in the 

 natural sciences, and here again the univer- 

 sities furnish the workers and the work- 

 shops. 



There are, then, deep-seated reasons for 



encouraging the work of our universities in 

 every possible way. We cannot afford to 

 let them languish. The interests involved 

 are too great. The more clearly this is 

 recognized the better for us. 



The rapid advances that have been made 

 in university work in this country have 

 brought us somewhat suddenly face to face 

 Avith new educational problems, and we 

 have not yet had time to adjust ourselves 

 to the new situation thus created. We are 

 in the experimental stage. We are trying 

 to determine hoAv we ought to deal with 

 our graduate students in order to get the 

 best results; hoAV, in general to make the 

 work as efficient as possible. 



As one who, with others, has been en- 

 gaged for twenty-five years in studying the 

 new problems and in attempting to solve 

 them, I may be permitted to say a few 

 Avords in regard to one of the most im- 

 portant problems that the universities 

 have to deal Avith at present. I refer to the 

 problem of the professors. Having been a 

 professor for about thirty years, and hav- 

 ing during that time known intimately 

 many of those Avho belong to this class and 

 AA'Orked AAdth them, I feel that I may speak 

 of the professor problem Avith some con- 

 fidence. 



The university is what the professors 

 make it, and the president has no more im- 

 portant duty to perform than that of see- 

 ing that the various chaira are filled by the 

 right kind of men. He should not take the 

 full responsibility of selection. He shoidd 

 take all the good advice he can get. He is 

 sure to have some that is bad. He should, 

 however, not only take advice, but he 

 should endeavor to determine for himself 

 by every available means Avhether or not 

 the persons recommended to him are 

 Avorthy of appointment. He should not 

 shirk this responsibility. A mistake in this 

 line is almost as difficult to rectify as a 

 mistake in the matrimonial line— perhaps 



