THE NEED OF MORE RADICALISM.

It is a favorite occupation of socialists and other "radicals" to rain abuse upon the college student for his conservatism. The Alumni Bulletin quotes, for example, the following from a recent book by John Macy '99: "Nothing could be more solidly conservative than American undergraduate youth. Many Russian students are rebels. But American universities can be trusted not to bring forth a revolutionary brat--their twilight sleep is perpetual." The Bulletin disagrees, and gives some instances to prove that there is no "lack either of professors and students with thoughts of their own, or of avenues for their self-expression."

Certainly that is true, especially among the first class mentioned. He would be very rash who would suppose that a man could attain to a professorship in a university of repute without having shown some capacity for original thought. But with the student this does not necessarily hold. There are innumerable instances to prove that a man may pass admission examinations to college without having ever experienced the sensation of having a thought of his own; he can buy the thoughts he needs at so much per hour. And there are only fewer instances to prove that he can also obtain his degree without showing an iota of originality.

That is why a greater leaven of radicalism in college teaching is desirable. The question whether a certain group of ideas be inculcated or not is of slight importance compared to the need of arousing real intellectual turmoil. A great many staid conservative students wander unsuspectingly into Economics A, and are startled to learn that protectionism is not a doctrine of certified divine origin. It worries them for a time to find that the universe of thought is not entirely plotted into straight, narrow, and exclusive paths; then they weather the crisis and return smugly to the old beliefs. But this stirring up has done some good; and more stirrings up would do more good. Recently an examination paper in politics at Columbia consisted entirely of quotations from daily newspapers. This may or may not be an effective device to induce original thinking. Strong and radical opinions, startlingly expressed, usually do have the virtue of awakening thought at least in opposition. There is no danger that the state will be overthrown by the ideas of most American collegians; but there is great danger that too many of them will become more insensible cogs in the wheels of the established machinery.