to　the　untutored　probationers　of　the　undergraduate　schools；　whose
  entrance　on　a　career　of　scholarship　is　yet　a　matter　of
  speculative　probability　at　the　best。
  Those　who　have　spoken　for　an　extensive　range　of　electives
  have　in　a　very　appreciable　measure　made　use　of　that　expedient　as
  a　means　of　displacing　what　they　have　regarded　as　obsolete　or
  dispensable　items　in　the　traditional　college　curriculum。　In　so
  advocating　a　wider　range　and　freedom　of　choice；　they　have　spoken
  for　the　new　courses　of　instruction　as　being　equally　competent
  with　the　old　in　point　of　discipline　and　cultural　value；　and　they
  have　commonly　not　omitted　to　claim　　somewhat　in　the　way　of　an
  obiter　dictum；　perhaps　　that　these　newer　and　more　vital　topics；
  whose　claims　they　advocate；　have　also　the　peculiar　merit　of
  conducing　in　a　special　degree　to　good　citizenship　and　the
  material　welfare　of　the　community。　Such　a　line　of　argument　has
  found　immediate　response　among　those　pragmatic　spirits　within
  whose　horizon　〃value〃　is　synonymous　with　〃pecuniary　value；〃　and
  to　whom　good　citizenship　means　proficiency　in　competitive
  business。　So　it　has　come　about　that；　while　the　initial　purpose　of
  the　elective　system　appears　to　have　been　the　sharpening　of　the
  students'　scholarly　interests　and　the　cultivation　of　a　more
  liberal　scholarship；　it　has　by　force　of　circumstances　served　to
  propagate　a　movement　at　cross　purposes　with　all　scholarly
  aspiration。
  All　this　advocacy　of　the　practical　in　education　has　fallen　in
  with　the　aspirations　of　such　young　men　as　are　eager　to　find
  gratuitous　help　toward　a　gainful　career；　as　well　as　with　the
  desires　of　parents　who　are　anxious　to　see　their　sons　equipped　for
  material　success；　and　not　least　has　it　appealed　to　the
  sensibilities　of　those　substantial　citizens　who　are　already
  established　in　business　and　feel　the　need　of　a　free　supply　of
  trained　subordinates　at　reasonable　wages。　The　last　mentioned　is
  the　more　substantial　of　these　incentives　to　gratuitous　vocational
  training；　coming　in；　as　it　does；　with　the　endorsement　of　the
  community's　most　respected　and　most　influential　men。　Whether　it
  is　training　in　any　of　the　various　lines　of　engineering；　in
  commerce；　in　journalism；　or　in　the　mechanic　and　manual　trades；
  the　output　of　trained　men　from　these　vocational　schools　goes；　in
  the　main；　to　supply　trained　employees　for　concerns　already
  profitably　established　in　such　lines　of　business　as　find　use　for
  this　class　of　men；　and　through　the　gratuitous；　or　half
  gratuitous；　opportunities　offered　by　these　schools；　this　needed
  supply　of　trained　employees　comes　to　the　business　concerns　in
  question　at　a　rate　of　wages　lower　than　what　they　would　have　to
  pay　in　the　absence　of　such　gratuitous　instruction。
  Not　that　these　substantial　citizens；　whose　word　counts　for　so
  much　in　commendation　of　practical　education；　need　be　greatly
  moved　by　selfish　consideration　of　this　increased　ease　in
  procuring　skilled　labour　for　use　in　their　own　pursuit　of　gain；
  but　the　increased　and　cheaper　supply　of　such　skilled　workmen　is
  〃good　for　business；〃　and；　in　the　common　sense　estimation　of　these
  conservative　businessmen；　what　is　good　for　business　is　good；
  without　reservation。　What　is　good　for　business　is　felt　to　be
  serviceable　for　the　common　good；　and　no　closer　scrutiny　is
  commonly　given　to　that　matter。　While　any　closer　scrutiny　would
  doubtless　throw　serious　doubt　on　this　general　proposition；　such
  scrutiny　can　not　but　be　distasteful　to　the　successful
  businessmen；　since　it　would　unavoidably　also　throw　a　shadow　of
  doubt　on　the　meritoriousness　of　that　business　traffic　in　which
  they　have　achieved　their　success　and　to　which　they　owe　their
  preferential　standing　in　the　community。
  In　this　high　rating　of　things　practical　the　captains　of
  industry　are　also　substantially　at　one　with　the　current
  common…sense　award　of　the　vulgar；　so　that　their　advocacy　of
  practical　education　carries　the　weight　of　a　self…evident
  principle。　It　is　true；　in　the　long　run　and　on　sober　reflection
  the　award　of　civilized　common　sense　runs　to　the　effect　that
  knowledge　is　more　to　be　desired　than　things　of　price；　but　at　the
  same　time　the　superficial　and　transient　workday　sense　of　daily
  needs　　the　〃snap　judgment〃　of　the　vulgar　　driven　by　the　hard
  usage　of　competitive　bread…winning；　says　that　a　gainful
  occupation　is　the　first　requisite　of　human　life；　and　accepting　it
  without　much　question　as　the　first　requisite；　the　vulgar　allow　it
  uncritically　to　stand　as　the　chief　or　sole　and　that　is　worth　an
  effort。　And　in　so　doing　they　are　not　so　far　out　of　their
  bearings；　for　to　the　common　man；　under　the　competitive　system；
  there　is　but　a　scant　margin　of　energy　or　interest　left　over　and
  disposable　for　other　ends　after　the　instant　needs　of
  bread…winning　have　been　met。
  Proficiency　and　single…mindedness　in　the　pursuit　of　private
  gain　is　something　that　can　readily　be　appreciated　by　all　men　who
  have　had　the　usual　training　given　by　the　modern　system　of
  competitive　gain　and　competitive　spending。　Nothing　is　so
  instantly　recognized　as　being　of　great　urgency；　always　and
  everywhere；　under　this　modern；　pecuniary　scheme　of　things。　So
  that；　without　reflection　and　as　a　matter　of　course；　the　first　and
  gravest　question　of　any　general　bearing　in　any　connection　has
  come　to　be　that　classic　of　worldly　wisdom：　What　profiteth　it　a
  man？　and　the　answer　is；　just　as　uncritically；　sought　in　terms　of
  pecuniary　gain。　And　the　men　to　whom　has　been　entrusted　the
  custody　of　that　cultural　heritage　of　mankind　that　can　not　be
  bought　with　a　price；　make　haste　to　play　up　to　this　snap　judgment
  of　the　vulgar；　and　so　keep　them　from　calling　to　mind；　on　second
  thought；　what　it　is　that　they；　after　all；　value　more　highly　than
  the　means　of　competitive　spending。
  Concomitant　with　this　growing　insistence　on　vocational
  training　in　the　schools；　and　with　this　restless　endeavour　of　the
  academic　authorities　to　gratify　the　demand；　there　has　also　come
  an　increasing　habitual　inclination　of　the　same　uncritical
  character　among　academic　men　to　value　all　academic　work　in　terms
  of　livelihood　or　of　earning　capacity。（3*）　The　question　has　been
  asked；　more　and　more　urgently　and　openly；　What　is　the　use　of　all
  this　knowledge？（4*）　Pushed　by　this　popular　prejudice；　and
  themselves　also　drifting　under　compulsion　of　the　same　prevalent
  bias；　even　the　seasoned　scholars　and　scientists　　Matthew
  Arnold's　〃Remnant〃　　have　taken　to　heart　this　question　of　the
  use　of　the　higher　learning　in　the　pursuit　of　gain。　Of　course　it
  has　no　such　use；　and　the　many　shrewdly　devised　solutions　of　the
  conundrum　have　necessarily　run　out　in　a　string　of　sophistical
  dialectics。　The　place　of　disinterested　knowledge　in　modern
  civilization　is　neither　that　of　a　means　to　private　gain；　nor　that
  of　an　intermediate　step　in　〃the　roundabout　process　of　the
  production　of　goods。〃
  As　a　motto　for　the　scholars'　craft；　Scientia　pecuniae
  ancillans　is　nowise　more　seemly　than　the　Schoolmen's　Philosophia
  theologiae　ancillans。（5*）　Yet　such　inroads　have　pecuniary　habits
  of　valuation　made　even　within　the　precincts　of　the　corporation　of
  learning；　that　university　men；　　and　even　the　scholarly　ones
  among　them；　　are　no　more　than　half　ashamed　of　such　a　parcel　of
  fatuity。　And　relatively　few　among　university　executives　have　not；
  within　the　past　few　years；　taken　occasion　to　plead　the　merits　of
  academic　training　as　a　business　proposition。　The　man　of　the　world
  that　is　to　say；　of　the　business　world　puts　the　question；　What
  is　the　use　of　this　learning？　and　the　men　who　speak　for　learning；
  and　even　the　scholars　occupied　with　the　〃humanities；〃　are　at
  pains　to　find　some　colourable　answer　that　shall　satisfy　the
  worldly…wise　that　this　learning　for　which　they　speak　is　in　some
  way　useful　for　pecuniary　gain。（6*）
  If　he　were　not　himself　infected　with　the　pragmatism　of　the
  market…place；　the　scholar's　answer　would　have　to　be。　Get　thee
  behind　me！
  Benjamin　Franklin　　high…bred　pragmatist　that　he　was　　once
  put　away　such　a　question　with　the　rejoinder：　What　is　the　use　of　a
  baby？　To　civilized　men　　with　the　equivocal　exception　of　the
  warlike　politicians　　this　latter　question　seems　foolish；
  criminally　foolish。　But　there　once　was　a　time；　in　the　high　days
  of　barbarism；　when　thoughtful　men　were　ready　to　canvass　that
  question　with　as　naive　a　gravity　as　this　other　question；　of　the
  use　of　learning；　is　canvassed　by　the　substantial　citizens　of　the