the higher learning in america-第41章

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take　thought　and　institute　something　in　the　way　of　an　authentic



curriculum　of　academic　festivities　and　exhibitions　of　social



proficiency。　A　degree　of　expensive　gentility　is　in　this　way



propagated　by　authority；　to　be　paid　for　in　part　out　of　the



salaries　of　the　faculty。



　　　　Something　in　this　way　of　ceremonial　functions　and　public



pageants　has　long　been　included　in　the　ordinary　routine　of　the



academic　year　among　the　higher　American　schools。　It　dates　back　to



the　time　when　they　were　boys'　schools　under　the　tutelage　of　the



clergy；　and　it　appears　to　have　had　a　ritualistic　origin；　such　as



would　comport　with　what　is　found　expedient　in　the　service　of　the



church。　By　remoter　derivation　it　should　probably　be　found　to　rest



on　a　very　ancient　and　archaic　faith　in　the　sacramental　or　magical



efficacy　of　ceremonial　observances。　But　the　present　state　of　the



case　can　by　no　means　be　set　down　to　the　account　of　aimless



survival　alone。　Instead　of　being　allowed　in　any　degree　to　fall



into　abeyance　by　neglect；　the　range　and　magnitude　of　such



observances　have　progressively　grown　appreciably　greater　since



the　principles　of　competitive　business　have　come　to　rule　the



counsels　of　the　universities。　The　growth；　in　the　number　of　such



observances；　in　their　pecuniary　magnitude；　in　their　ritualistic



circumstance；　and　in　the　importance　attached　to　them；　is　greater



in　the　immediate　present　than　at　any　period　in　the　past；　and　it



is；　significantly；　greater　in　those　larger　new　establishments



that　have　started　out　with　few　restraints　of　tradition。　But　the



move　so　made　by　these　younger；　freer；　more　enterprising　seats　of



learning　falls　closely　in　with　that　spirit　of　competitive



enterprise　that　animates　all　alike　though　unequally。　1



　　　　That　it　does　so；　that　this　efflorescence　of　ritual　and



pageantry　intimately　belongs　in　the　current　trend　of　things



academic；　is　shown　by　the　visible　proclivity　of　the　older



institutions　to　follow　the　lead　given　in　this　matter　by　the



younger　ones；　so　far　as　the　younger　ones　have　taken　the　lead。　In



the　mere　number　of　authorized　events；　as　contrasted　with　the



average　of　some　twenty…five　or　thirty　years　back；　the　present



average　appears；　on　a　somewhat　deliberate　review　of　the　available



data；　to　compare　as　three　or　four　to　one。　For　certain　of　the



younger　and　more　exuberant　seats　of　learning　today；　as　compared



with　what　may　be　most　nearly　comparable　in　the　academic　situation



of　the　eighties；　the　proportion　is　perhaps　twice　as　large　as　the



larger　figure　named　above。　Broadly　speaking；　no　requirement　of



the　academic　routine　should　be　allowed　to　stand　in　the　way　of　an



available　occasion　for　a　scholastic　pageant。



　　　　These　genteel　solemnities；　of　course；　have　a　cultural



significance；　probably　of　a　high　order；　both　as　occasions　of



rehearsal　in　all　matters　of　polite　conformity　and　as　a　stimulus



to　greater　refinement　and　proficiency　in　expenditure　on　seemly



dress　and　equipage。　They　may　also　be　believed　to　have　some



remote；　but　presumably　salutary；　bearing　on　the　higher　learning。



This　latter　is　an　obscure　point；　on　which　it　would　be　impossible



at　present　to　offer　anything　better　than　abstruse　speculative



considerations；　since　the　relation　of　these　genteel　exhibitions



to　scientific　inquiry　or　instruction　is　of　a　peculiarly



intangible　nature。　But　it　is　none　of　these　cultural　bearings　of



any　such　round　of　polite　solemnities　and　stately　pageants　that



comes　in　question　here。　It　is　their　expediency　in　point　of



businesslike　enterprise；　or　perhaps　rather　their　businesslike



motive；　on　the　one　hand；　and　their　effect　Upon　the　animus　and



efficiency　of　the　academic　personnel；　on　the　other　hand。



　　　　In　so　far　as　their　motive　should　not　（by　unseemly　imputation）



be　set　down　to　mere　boyish　exuberance　of　make…believe；　it　must　be



sought　among　considerations　germane　to　that　business　enterprise



that　rules　academic　policy。　However　attractive　such　a　derivation



might　seem；　this　whole　traffic　in　pageantry　and　ceremonial



amenities　can　not　be　traced　back　to　ecclesiastical　ground；　except



in　point　of　remote　pedigree；　it　has　grown　greater　since　the



businessmen　took　over　academic　policy　out　of　the　hands　of　the



clergy。　Nor　can　it　be　placed　to　the　account　of　courtly；



diplomatic；　or　military　antecedents　or　guidance；　these　fields　of



activity；　while　they　are　good　breeding　ground　for　pomp　and



circumstance；　do　not　overlap；　or　even　seriously　touch；　the



frontiers　of　the　republic　of　learning。　On　the　other　hand；　in



seeking　grounds　or　motives　for　it　all；　it　is　also　not　easy　to



find　any　close　analogy　in　the　field　of　business　enterprise　of　the



larger　sort；　that　has　to　do　with　the　conduct　of　industry。　There



is　little　of　this　manner　of　expensive　public　ceremonial　and



solemn　festivities　to　be　seen；　e。g。；　among　business　concerns



occupied　with　railroading　or　banking；　in　cottonspinning；　or



sugar…refining；　or　in　farming；　shipping；　coal；　steel；　or　oil。　In



this　field　phenomena　of　this　general　class　are　of　rare



occurrence；　sporadic　at　the　best；　and　when　they　occur　they　will



commonly　come　in　connection　with　competitive　sales　of　products；



services　or　securities；　particularly　the　latter。　Nearer　business



analogues　will　be　found　in　retail　merchandising；　and　in



enterprises　of　popular　amusement；　such　as　concert　halls；　beer



gardens；　or　itinerant　shows。　The　street　parades　of　the　latter；



e。g。；　show　a　seductive；　though；　it　is　believed；　misleading



analogy　to　the　ceremonial　pageants　that　round　off　the　academic



year。



　　　　Phenomena　that　come　into　view　in　the　later　and　maturer　growth



of　the　retail　trade；　as　seen；　e。　g。；　in　the　larger　and　more



reputable　department　stores；　are　perhaps　nearer　the　point。　There



are　formal　〃openings〃　to　inaugurate　the　special　trade　of　each　of



the　four　seasons；　desired　to　put　the　patrons　of　the　house　on　a



footing　of　good…humoured　familiarity　with　the　plant　and　its



resources；　with　the　customs　of　the　house；　the　personnel　and　the



stock　of　wares　in　hand；　and　before　all　to　arrest　the　attention



and　enlist　the　interest　of　those　classes　that　may　be　induced　to



buy。　There　are　also　occasional　gatherings　of　a　more　ceremonial



character；　by　special　invitation　of　select　customers　to　a



promised　exhibition　of　peculiarly　rare　and　curious　articles　of



trade。　This　will　then　be　illuminated　with　shrewdly　conceived



harangues　setting　forth　the　alleged　history；　adventures　and



merits；　past　and　future；　of　the　particular　branch　of　the　trade；



and　of　the　particular　house　at　whose　expense　the　event　is



achieved。　In　addition　to　these　seasonal　and　occasional　set　pieces



of　mercantile　ceremony；　there　will　also　run　along　in　the　day'　s



work　an　unremitting　display　of　meritorious　acts　of　commission　and



omission。　Like　their　analogues　in　academic　life　these　ceremonials



of　trade　are　expensive；　edifying；　enticing；　and　surrounded　with　a



solicitous　regard　for　publicity；　and　it　will　be　seen　that　they



are；　all　and　several；　expedients　of　advertising。







　　　　To　return　to　the　academic　personnel　and　their　implication　in



these　recurrent　spectacles　and　amenities　of　university　life。　As



was　remarked　above；　apart　from　outside　resources　the　livelihood



that　comes　to　a　university　man　is；　commonly；　somewhat　meagre。　The



tenure　is　uncertain　and　the　salaries；　at　an　average；　are　not



large。　Indeed；　they　are　notably　low　in　comparison　with　the　high



conventional　standard　of　living　which　is　by　custom　incumbent　on



university　men。　University　men　are　conventionally　required　to



live　on　a　scale　of　expenditure　comparable　with　that　in　vogue



a