the higher learning in america-第74章

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harsher　and　more　personal　note　of　appraisal　of　what　are　rated　as



the　frailties　of　the　executive。　There　are　many　expressions　to　be



met　with；　touching　this　matter；　of　a　colloquial　turn。　These　will



commonly　have　something　of　an　underbred　air；　as　may　happen　in



unguarded　colloquial　speech；　but　if　it　be　kept　in　mind　that　their



personal　incidence　is　duly　to　be　read　out　of　them；　their　tenor



may　yet　be　instructive；　and　their　scant　elegance　may　be



over…looked　for　once；　in　view　of　that　certain　candour　that　is



scarcely　to　be　had　without　a　colloquial　turn。　They　should　serve



better　than　many　elaborate　phrases　to　throw　into　relief　the　kind



and　measure　of　esteem　accorded　these　mature　incumbents　of



executive　office　by　the　men　who　assist　behind　the　scenes。　So；　in



bold　but　intelligible　metaphor；　one　hears；　〃He　is　a　large　person



full　of　small　potatoes；〃　〃The　only　white　thing　about　him　is　his



liver；〃　〃Half…a…peck　of　pusillanimity；〃　〃A　four…flusher。〃



Something　after　this　kind　is　this　aphoristic　wisdom　current　in



the　academic　community；　in　so　far　as　it　runs　safely　above　the



level　of　scurrility。　In　point　of　taste；　it　would　be　out　of　the



question　to　follow　the　same　strain　of　discourteous　expressions



into　that　larger　volume　of　more　outspoken　appraisal　that　lies



below　that　level；　and　even　what　has　so　been　sparingly　cited　in



illustration　can；　of　course；　not　claim　a　sympathetic　hearing　as



being　in　any　way　a　graceful　presentment　of　the　sense　intended　to



be　conveyed　in　these　figures　of　speech。　Yet　the　apology　may　be



accepted；　that　it　conveys　this　sense　intelligibly　even　if　not



elegantly。



　　　　Indeed；　a　person　widely　conversant　with　current　opinion　and



its　expression　among　the　personnel　of　the　staff；　as　touches　the



character　and　academic　value　of　a　capable　and　businesslike



executive；　might　unguardedly　come　to　the　persuasion　that　the



typical　academic　head；　under　these　latterday　conditions。　will　be



a　feebleminded　rogue。　Such　is；　doubtless；　far　from　being　the



actual　valuation　underlying　these　many　artless　expressions　that



one　meets　with。　And　doubtless；　the　most　that　could　be　said　would



be　that；　in　point　of　orientation；　the　typical　executive；　qua



executive；　tends　to　fall　in　with　the　lines　so　indicated；　that　the



exigencies　of　the　executive　office　are　of　a　kind　that　would



converge　upon　such　an　issue　〃in　the　long　run〃　and　〃in　the　absence



of　disturbing　causes〃；　not　that　the　effectual　run　of



circumstances　will　at　all　commonly　permit　a　consummation　of　that



kind　and　degree。



　　　　〃Indeed。。。　we　may　say　as　Dr　Boteler　said　of　strawberries。



'Doubtless　God　could　have　made　a　better　berry；　but　doubtless　God



never　did。'〃







15。　It　will　be　objected；　and　with　much　reason；　that　these



underlying　〃school　units〃　that　go　to　make　up　the　composite



American　university　habitually　see　no　great　evil　in　so　being



absorbed　into　the　trust。　They　lend　themselves　readily；　if　not



eagerly；　to　schemes　of　coalition；　they　are　in　fact　prone　to　draw



in　under　the　aegis　of　the　university　corporation　by　〃annexation；〃



〃affiliation。〃　〃absorption；〃　etc。　Any　one　who　cares　to　take　stock



of　that　matter　and　is　in　a　position　to　know　what　is　going　on　can



easily　assure　himself　that　the　reasons　which　decide　in　such　a



case　are　not　advisedly　accepted　reasons　intrinsic　to　the　needs　of



efficiency　for　the　work　in　hand；　but　rather　reasons　of



competitive　expediency；　of　competitive　advantage　and　of　prestige；



except　in　so　far　as　it　may　all　be　　as　perhaps　it　commonly　is　



mere　unreflecting　conformity　to　the　current　fashion。　In　this



connection　it　is　to　be　remarked；　however；　that　even　if　the　current



　usage　has　no　intrinsic　advantage；　as　against　another　way　of　doing；



　failure　to　conform　with　the　current　way　of　doing　will　always　entail



　a　disadvantage。











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