ships or prize fellowships which would do other
wise than stimulate those more amply possessed of
means to attain an equally high grade of prepa
ration. Nor do I believe that appropriations by
the State would operate disadvantageously to the
institutions receiving them, in the matter of loss
of private benefactions.
It is undoubtedly true that if higher education
is to win in this way the approval and support of
the people and their representatives, the scheme
of such education must be so broad and well con
sidered as to merit that approval. It was a prin
cipal merit of Franklin's proposals, in which in
deed, as in many other matters, that remarkable
genius was far ahead of his day, that he thought
to introduce the more thorough study of English,
the study of French and German, the study of
Spanish, so that we might promote reciprocity
with the South American countries, and the study
of many of those branches now so widely pursued
as being practical. He supported these novel
proposals in his own humorous way as usual.
"Many of you will remember," he said, ''that
when our ancestors wore wigs, rode in coaches,
trod on carpets in passing from their carriage to
their mansion they still carried a hat under their
arm, so that it was called a 'chapeau liras;' and al
though likely enough many of them rarely had
hats on their heads, still it was an indispensable ap
purtenance to their costume." "So," said Frank
lin "at a former date it is true "that," Greek and
Latin were necessary, but as life has now come to
be organized, they are scarce more than the 'chap
eint bras' of an education, and among the ma
jority of students a superfluity whose place might
be filled by studies of greater utility." ' He did
not use this as an argument against a deep and
thorough study of the classics by those who had a
taste for them or whose future occupations would
require a knowledge of them. No such argument
certainly is needed to-day in this institution,
which, in the language of its foundation, is "for
the promotion of the liberal and practical educa
tion of the industrial classes in the several pursuits
HE FREE
and professions of life." "Liberal and practi
cal,"—that surely implies all. "Industrial class
es,"—who is there among us who is not proud to
be so classed ? "Ili the several • pursuits and
professions of life,"—what broader charter and
scope could be sought? It is not enough that we
have Engineering and Chemistry in their various
branches so well provided for as in the admirable
buildings you have recently erected. We must
have Greek and Latin and Hebrew and Sanscrit
and the higher mathematics and every subject
that can stimulate and enlighten the minds of men
taught here and taught to the very highest point ;
but,pot forced upon any one; not forced, only of
fered. I realize perfectly that if this claim is to
be made, it means that the results shown by our
colleges shall merit the approval of the people.
Unless work is being done here and in other col.
leges which commends itself to you, as thoughtful
and impartial judges, as being well worth the
Money spent upon it,—and worth far more than
that—it is needless to• say that the fountains of
generosity will dry up at their sources.
In speaking as I have done, I have viewed the
higher educational facilities of the entire State as
constituting what in reality, though not now in
name or in form, they actually do, the University
of the State of Pennsylvania. All great institu•
tions, which without denominational restrictions,
aim at giving impartially a broad and high edtica
don are the component parts of this University.
In some places certain subject's will be more
fully equipped and may be pursued to greater ad
vantage than at others, but the spirit which per
vades and which affiliates all will be one and the
In such a Republic as ours, I would say
that some system must exist by which every child
in every grammar school in the State shall feel the
stimulus of a great opportunity ; and that the en
tire curriculum or course of education shall be so
arranged that there shall be no break between the
successive stages from the grammar school up to
the department of philosophy, in which the post-