the higher learning in america-第40章

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and；　in　the　long　run；　with　a　still　more　unqualified　insistence。



For　good　or　ill；　in　the　apprehension　of　the　civilized　peoples；



matter…of…fact　knowledge　is　an　end　to　be　sought；　while　gainful



enterprise　is；　after　all；　a　means　to　an　end。　There　is；　therefore；



always　this　massive　hedge　of　slow　but　indefeasible　popular



sentiment　that　stands　in　the　way　of　making　the　seats　of　learning



over　into　something　definitively　foreign　to　the　purpose　which



they　are　popularly　believed　to　serve。（1*）







　　　　Perhaps　the　most　naive　way　in　which　a　predilection　for　men　of



substantial　business　value　expresses　itself　in　university　policy



is　the　unobtrusive；　and　in　part　unformulated；　preference　shown



for　teachers　with　sound　pecuniary　connections；　whether　by



inheritance　or　by　marriage。　With　no　such　uniformity　as　to　give



evidence　of　an　advised　rule　of　precedence　or　a　standarized



schedule　of　correlation；　but　with　sufficient　consistency　to



merit；　and　indeed　to　claim；　the　thoughtful　attention　of　the



members　of　the　craft；　a　scholar　who　is　in　a　position　to　plead



personal　wealth　or　a　wealthy　connection　has　a　perceptibly　better



chance　of　appointment　on　the　academic　staff；　and　on　a　more



advantageous　scale　of　remuneration；　than　men　without　pecuniary



antecedents。　Due　preferment　also　appears　to　follow　more　as　a



matter　of　course　where　the　candidate　has　or　acquires　a　tangible



standing　of　this　nature。



　　　　This　preference　for　well…to…do　scholars　need　by　no　means　be



an　altogether　blind　or　impulsive　predilection　for　commercial



solvency　on　the　part　of　the　appointing　power；　though　such　a



predilection　is　no　doubt　ordinarily　present　and　operative　in　a



degree。　But　there　is　substantial　ground　for　a　wise　discrimination



in　this　respect。　As　a　measure　of　expediency；　particularly　the



expediency　of　publicity；　it　is　desirable　that　the　incumbents　of



the　higher　stations　on　the　staff　should　be　able　to　live　on　such　a



scale　of　conspicuous　expensiveness　as　to　make　a　favourable



impression　on　those　men　of　pecuniary　refinement　and　expensive



tastes　with　whom　they　are　designed　to　come　in　contact。　The



university　should　be　worthily　represented　in　its　personnel；



particularly　in　such　of　its　personnel　as　occupy　a　conspicuous



place　in　the　academic　hierarchy；　that　is　to　say；　it　should　be



represented　with　becoming　expensiveness　in　all　its　social　contact



with　those　classes　from　whose　munificence　large　donations　may



flow　into　the　corporate　funds。　Large　gifts　of　this　kind　are



creditable　both　to　him　that　gives　and　him　that　takes；　and　it　is



the　part　of　wise　foresight　so　to　arrange　that　those　to　whom　it



falls　to　represent　the　university；　as　potential　beneficiary；　at



this　juncture　should　do　so　with　propitiously　creditable



circumstance。　To　meet　and　convince　the　opulent　patrons　of



learning；　as　well　as　the　parents　and　guardians　of　possible



opulent　students；　it　is；　by　and　large；　necessary　to　meet　them　on



their　own　ground；　and　to　bring　into　view　such　evidence　of　culture



and　intelligence　as　will　readily　be　appreciated　by　them。　To　this



end　a　large　and　well　appointed　domestic　establishment　is　more



fortunate　than　a　smaller　one；　abundant；　well…chosen　and



well…served　viands；　beverages　and　narcotics　will　also



felicitously　touch　the　sensibilities　of　these　men　who　are



fortunate　enough　to　have　learned　their　virtue；　the　better；　that



is　to　say；　on　the　whole；　the　more　costly；　achievements　in　dress



and　equipage　will　〃carry　farther〃　in　these　premises　than　a



penurious　economy。　In　short；　it　is　well　that　those　who　may　be



called　to　stand　spokesmen　for　the　seat　of　learning　in　its　contact



with　men　and　women　of　substantial　means；　should　be　accustomed　to；



and　should　be　pecuniarily　competent　for；　a　scale　of　living



somewhat　above　that　which　the　ordinary　remuneration　for　academic



work　will　support。　An　independent　income；　therefore；　is　a



meritorious　quality　in　an　official　scholar。



　　　　The　introduction　of　these　delegates　from　the　well…to…do　among



the　academic　personnel　has　a　further；　secondary　effect　that　is



worth　noting。　Their　ability　freely　to　meet　any　required　pecuniary



strain；　coupled　with　that　degree　of　social　ambition　that　commonly



comes　with　the　ability　to　pay；　will　have　a　salutary　effect　in



raising　the　standard　of　living　among　the　rest　of　the　staff；　



salutary　as　seen　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　bureau　of



publicity。　In　the　absence　of　outside　resources；　the　livelihood　of



academic　men　is　somewhat　scant　and　precarious。　This　places　them



under　an　insidious　temptation　to　a　more　parsimonious　manner　of



life　than　the　best　（prestige）　interests　of　the　seat　of　learning



would　dictate。　By　undue　saving　out　of　their　current　wages　they



may　easily　give　the　academic　establishment　an　untoward　air　of



indigence；　such　as　would　be　likely　to　depreciate　its　prestige　in



those　well…to…do　circles　where　such　prestige　might　come　to　have　a



commercial　value；　in　the　way　of　donations；　and　it　might　at　the



same　time　deter　possible　customers　of　the　same　desirable　class



from　sending　their　young　men　to　the　university　as　students。



　　　　The　American　university　is　not　an　eleemosynary　institution；



it　does　not　plead　indigence；　except　in　that　Pickwickian　sense　in



which　indigence　may　without　shame　be　avowed　in　polite　circles；



nor　does　it　put　its　trust　in　donations　of　that　sparseness　and



modesty　which　the　gifts　of　charity　commonly　have。　Its　recourse



necessarily　is　that　substantial　and　dignified　class　of　gifts　that



are　not　given　thriftily　on　compunction　of　charity；　but　out　of　the



fulness　of　the　purse。　These　dignified　gifts　commonly　aim　to



promote　the　most　reputable　interests　of　humanity；　rather　than　the



sordid　needs　of　creature　comfort；　at　the　same　time　that　they



serve　to　fortify　the　donor'　s　good　name　in　good　company。



Donations　to　university　funds　have　something　of　the　character　of



an　investment　in　good　fame；　they　are　made　by　gentlemen　and



gentlewomen；　to　gentlemen；　and　the　transactions　begin　and　end



within　the　circle　of　pecuniary　respectability。　An　impeccable



respectability；　authentic　in　the　pecuniary　respect；　therefore；



affords　the　only　ground　on　which　such　a　seminary　of　learning　can



reasonably　claim　the　sympathetic　attention　of　the　only　class



whose　attentions　are　seriously　worth　engaging　in　these　premises；



and　respectability　is　inseparable　from　an　expensive　scale　of



living；　in　any　community　whose　scheme　of　life　is　conventionally



regulated　by　pecuniary　standards。



　　　　It　is　accordingly　expedient；　for　its　collective　good　repute；



that　the　members　of　the　academic　staff　should　conspicuously



consume　all　their　current　income　in　current　expenses　of　living。



Hence　also　the　moral　obligation　incumbent　on　all　members　of　the



staff　　and　their　households　　to　take　hands　and　help　in　an



endless　chain　of　conspicuously　expensive　social　amenities；　where



their　social　proficiency　and　their　ostensible　ability　to　pay　may



effectually　be　placed　on　view。　An　effectual　furtherance　to　this



desirable　end　is　the　active　presence　among　the　staff　of　an



appreciable　number　who　are　ready　to　take　the　lead　at　a　pace



slightly　above　the　competency　of　the　common　run　of　university



men。　Their　presence　insures　that　the　general　body　will　live　up　to



their　limit；　for　in　this；　as　in　other　games　of　emulation；　the



pace…maker　is　invaluable。



　　　　Besides　the　incentive　so　given　to　polite　expenditure　by　the



presence　of　a　highly　solvent　minority　among　the　academic



personnel；　it　has　also　been　found　expedient　that　the　directorate



take　thought　and　institute　something　in　the　way　of　an　authentic



curriculum　of　ac