364 CORRESPONDENCE. 
the criticism in the August Review will doubtless be ac¬ 
cepted by many as having special reference to the under¬ 
signed. I was unable to be present at the New York meeting 
for nomination, and cannot speak from personal knowledge, 
but 1 have been informed that the resolution introduced before 
the recess, was not simply to exclude teachers of veterinary 
schools, but teachers “ in any educational institution. Surely 
no one on sober second thought would advocate a resolution 
of this kind. I do not for a moment suppose that its full 
meaning could have been realized by its advocates. I can 
suppose that it was proposed hastily and inconsiderately, and 
that it was abandoned when its true import was more fully 
realized. 
The objection to teachers in veterinary schools has more 
to be said for it, and yet it seems to me it is not so farcical, 
mischievous and unjust as has been charged. Were this a 
viva voce examination, or were the papers signed by the re¬ 
spective, candidates the objection would be valid; but when 
examiners and examined do not meet at all and when the ex¬ 
amination papers are identified by numbers only, the objec¬ 
tion loses all its force. It is true that through collusion 
papers could be identified by private marks, but it is to be 
hoped there is no teacher who would condescend to such in¬ 
famous practice. If we can suppose such a thing possible for 
the teacher it must be allowed to be equally possible for the 
practitioner, and for the man who could descend so low it is 
not difficult to conceive of objects to be gained beside the 
mere advancement of a particular school. Any such practice, 
however, would soon work its own cure, as the high maiks 
given by one examiner to a candidate who proved to be 
utterly unfit to be passed by the others, would soon lead to 
the discovery and correction of the fraud. 
Then as to unconscious bias : Is it not as dangerous to ap¬ 
point the students as the teachers of any given school? If 
the teacher has a desire to see his school prosper, so has the 
alumnus for his alma mater. If a teacher has a given method 
of instruction, the graduates who have been under this par-, 
ticular method must still bear its influence and are open to 
