a volume and force such as the world has never
had to contend with before. How can we do this
unless you, representatives of the people, deter
mine solemnly that sound education shall prevail,
and that we shall not be behind in this grand
old Commonwealth, where Franklin one hundred
and fifty years ago laid the lines of such a broad,
progressive system of state education, that had
they been followed, we would now be far in ad
vance of any of our sister commonwealths.
I feel that it is impossible to let such a day as
this pass without some word of tribute; such as I
as an outsider might fitly speak, of what President
Atherton has done for this place, and for the peo
ple of Pennsylvania. Twelve years ago, in tgB2,
State College had thirty-four students in the col
lege classes, one building on this campus, and a
very unsavory reputation. To-day, after twelve
short years of vigorous administration, we see this
fine group of buildings, we know that there are
three hundred students in attendance, that the
curriculum has been enlarged and the standard
greatly raised, and that all over the State,
thoughtful men and women are turning their eyes
to this college as one where excellent educational
results are secured. Quite recently I approached
one of the richest men in Philadelphia, with- the
request, such as 'in
. my time I have preferred to
many men and women, for a substantial contribu
tion to the University of Pennsylvania. He
agreed with me that the time had come when he
should give some expression of his faith in the
cause of education ; but he added have been
disposed to think that when I gave to this purpose
the considerable sum I propose, I should select the
State College as the recipient." It is important that
we should demonstrate here the fact that State ap
propriations to an institution do not check the
stream of private benefactions. I call upon the
liberal and progressive policy of President Ather
ton to secure a recognition of this truth. I
do not of course mean that President Atherton
has been the sole cause of this great progress.
Probably it has not been he so much as it has
THE FREE LANCE.
been the faculty ; and probably it has not
been the faculty so much as it has been the
young men and women who have gone out
from the institution so trained that each of them
has been an apostle for State College. But
whether it were Paul or Apollos, they have so
watered and it has so grown that to-day I assert,
and I challenge any contradiction of the assertion,
that this institution is becoming deeply rooted in
the good opinion of our people, that it is developing
as vigorously as any educational institution in our
country, and that there is none in this or any
other state which has a stronger or more righteous
claim upon the Legislature for even more liberal
treatment than it has yet received.
It seems to me that if we cannot afford to give
to every boy and girl in this Commonwealth a
good grammar school education, and then the
chance of a good high school education, and then
the chance of a good college or university educa•
tion, we are poor indeed. Not only poor in re
sources, but poor in ambition, and . in our concep
tion of life. No one would wish to force it upon
those who did not desire it, or who have not
shown themselves well-fitted to profit by it but I
hope the time is coming when the taxpayers will
approve of the principle that every child . of this
community shall have the opportunity to rise by
his or her own efforts from whatever position
birth and circumstances may assign, to the
acquisition of the highest scientific or literary at
tainments, so as to have the chance of enjoying
the honor and emoluments that attend them.
For my own part .I can think of no way in which
it would be wiser and more fruitful to expend a
part, and it would require only a small part, of
the current revenues of the State. I should not
look forward to any pauperizing influence; nor to
any degradation of education. I do not believe
it would result in the creation of a class of so
called educated men and women, who would be
in reality unfitted for the practical work of life.
There would, of course, be nothing in a plan
which offered a certain number of prize scholar-