not too strong for the occasion. No one who has
had to do with schools of science and technology
has failed to know that a kind of prejudice long
existed respecting the students and the graduates
of such schools, in fine and fashionable ctrcles.•
Perhaps that prejudice was never so conspicuously
manifested as in laborious efforts at condescen
sion and toleration. It was time that schools of
this character should be established and should
fight their way to success and general recognition,
when manual labor had come to be deemed dis
honorable in America; when the discolored fin
gers of the chemist ranked him below the daintier
student of philosophy and rhetoric; and the rough
clothes in which the young mechanical engineer
pursued his work were considered the badge of an
Inferior occupation. Already we see the signs of
a great change in this respect, due directly to the
influence of schools like this on which we look
around to-day. The scions of our "best families"
are no longer ashamed to be seen winding an arm
ature, or charging a furnace, or working at the
lathe, in a paper cap, a leathern apron, and hob
nailed shoes. The intellectual squeamishness, to
which I a moment ago referred, was much less
contemptible in its spirit, but it was, none the
less, a thing to be reformed, and reformed alto.
gether. The notion that scientific work was some
thing. essentially less fine and high and noble than
the puruit of rhetoric and philosophy, Latin and
Greek, 'was deeply seated in the minds of the lead
ing educators of America, a generation ago; and
we can hardly hope to see this inveterate prepos
session altogether disappear from the minds of
those who have entertained it ; but from the new
generation, scientific and technical studies will en.
counter' no such obstruction, will suffer no such
disparagement.
Secondly, another objection, entitled to far
more consideration, which the new education has
encountered, has been from the sincere convic
tion of many distinguished educators, that in the
pursuit of science the student loses somewhat of
that disinterestedness which they claim, and right
THE FREE LANCE.
ly claim, is of the essence of education. For the
spirit of 'this objection, .I entertain profound re
spect; I differ from these honorable gentlemen
only in believing that the contemplated uses of the
sciences do not necessarily impair disinterestedness,
which, I fully concede, is essential to the highest
and truest education. lam willing to admit that,
in my humble judgment, many technical schools
have erred in addressing themselves too directly
to the practiCal side of instruction. I believe
that, in doing. this, they have made a mistake,
even from their own point of view. Young men
graduating from, such schools may be the more
successful for this during the first few years of their
professional practice, and yet in the whole of their
career be the worse for it. The thorough mastery
of principles is of far more importance to the en
gineer than the acquisition of a certain amount
of immediately useful knowledge or the pos
session of mere knacks and technical methods
and the tricks of a trade. Nay, even the
principles of science are of less importance, not
only for the purpose of education, but for the uses
of the world outside the. school, than is the scien
tific spirit. All this a longer experience can not
fail to demonstrate to the conviction of any intel
ligent body of trustees or teachers who may have
erred in that respect at the beginning.
Moreover I am free to acknowledge that, in my
humble judgment, those who direct many tech
nical schools have made a mistake in omitting
from their curriculum philosophical studies as
tinguished from scientific, liberal as distinguished
from exact; I am proud to say that no man ever
• . •.
received the degree of the MassachusettS Institute
of Technology without a substantial course in lan
guage, literature, history,anal
,political science,
extending through not less'tlian thive years; and
I rejoice to find in your catalogue, Mr. President,
ample proof that, under its present enlightened
management, the Pennsylvania State College does
not neglect liberal and philosophical studies. Vol
arc right in this. You are wise, even, from the point
of view of the technical professions. These stud-