ore nearly to, equalize educational
opportunities can only result in improvement. Equilibrium of
intelligence tends to unify and harmonize American interests and to
strengthen patriotism. And should liberal scientific education thus
extend its beneficence to all conditions of men, especially to those
hitherto unprovided with facilities for preparation for their vocations,
we can at least endure the innovation, for it does not aim at the
impairment of educational opportunities so long maintained for students
able or desirous to take classical training. Some of the foremost
educators of the day admit that the study of the sciences possess as
much disciplinary value as that of the ancient languages, and the
information obtained, even though incidental to the culture sought after
is of inestimable value in the practical affairs of life. The fact that
but few instructors are prepared to teach the sciences as creditably as
they are to teach the ancient languages, does not weaken the claims set
up for scientific education. In the opinion of many sound educators, the
cultural advantages of the dead languages, all things considered, are
received at the expense of more important subjects. Says The World's
Work: "The easier and better way of retaining, restoring and greatly
broadening the culture-studies of a college course is to recognize the
culture of our own language and literature. A broader and saner and more
humane and thorough and loving study of the literature of our own race
is the obvious way out of the dilemma. And it is more than an escape
from a dilemma. It is a better means of broadening and deepening our
culture than we have over utilized or tried."

The ancient classics as taught in high schools are of but little
cultural value. Not one student in a hundred reaches the degree of
attainment that presupposes a positive benefit. If the time were devoted
to acquiring a more thorough understanding of our mother tongue it would
be more creditable. To give time to translating good Latin into poor
English is paying an extravagant homage to a fetish. Training in the
ancient languages must be long-continued and far-reaching, or it seems
to be of little value. The needs of culture cannot be satisfied by mere
discipline any more than they can be satisfied by merely utilitarian
subjects. But where the training is essentially practical and directly
helpful in discharging the highest of all human duties, that of
providing the ne