The Best Or Nothing

In ts treatinent of the Universily of Michigan, there are ouly ttvo polieies for Ihe stilte to l'ollow. The university shoukl eitht'r be kept at tho very front rank, or it shuukl eease to cxist as a state institution. To allow it to fall behiud todeny it iniy of llie Iate9t aml best improvementa In apparatus and iustrucliou, s worte than aboliBhing it; for it tlieu coutinues to be a burden on the treasury witliout maklag profiubla returns. To constantly enlarge its scope, to liicretM lts attendance, is tlie only way in wliuli the stute eau get an adequate return on its invetment, and sueh a return is the ouly justification for taxing tlie people for Us support. Wliat tlie three or four graat Kuropean steamsliip linea are to ucean navigalion; wlmt tlie tliree or four reat trunk linea are to r.iilroad Irauspurtation, Harvaid, Yale, Cornell and the Michigan Universily are to education in the United Btittef. The steamsliip coinpany tliat does n 'I iidopt even to the smallest delail, tlie veiy iatest inventions and niethods for ttie speed and comfort of thu voyagc will fall behind the rest and ccase to pay a protit ou its capitHl. Tbc rail ruad corporatlon which does not dopt the best apparatlU, trom a salety switch to a vestibule train, wlll full by the way, the others will pass it, and lts dividend cease. Tliat one of the greut iiniveisities u iiii h fails to furnish the best instruetiou and the tincst eijiiípinent to be liad will be lelt beliiud by the otliers and become so uiiirh dead rapii.-il on ihe hands of its biickers, whetlier tliey be trusti-o of private riidownientB or tlie tnxpayers of a great state. If the people of Michigan think uuiveiity a failure; if they th in k it is a burdeii which does not pay foi' itself, Uien let them aliolish it. Kor not to provide it witli wlmt it needs in order to compete wlth lts rlvals, will only make Ui ¦¦ buiden stilt heavier and waste the niouey they do give its operation.