College Government.

Education and educational institutions are of quite recent origin, compared with the other elements and institutions of the world at large. Similarly, then, we may say that educational government is quite recent compared with political government. Political government has had a long history, and has passed through so many changes that it is almost as hard to identify the present with the old system as it is to see the connection between man and monkey. The evolution has been slow but certain. No government at all, Monarchic communities, Monarchic states, oligarchies, kingdoms, empires, limited Monarchic governments, and republics, present to us all the stages of governmental evolution; and they are of interest to us, inasmuch as they afford a certain standard or scale with which we can compare the past and present, and whereby we can determine the future development of college or educational, government.

That college government has grown, is growing, and will grow, very much as political government, can hardly be doubted. We can but see that in the past, tyrannical or monarchic government was quite as prevalent in colleges as it had been in political institutions. We see, too, that college government has grown slowly from the purely tyrannical stage or period, until at last it has reached the oligarchic. "Government of the students, by the faculty, for the faculty," is a phrase that will, perhaps, convey a slightly exaggerated idea of the old time system of college government. To-day the phrase has become, "Government of the students, by the faculty, for the students," To-morrow-and by this is not meant the geologic to-morrow, of which we hear so much, but a to-morrow that is not far distant-it is to be hoped that the phrase with all that it means and implies will have evolved into "Government of faculty and students, for faculty and students," and all that this means and implies. And is not this hoped-for result to be certainly brought about? Does not the past sufficiently justify our judging of the future? College government has evolved from quite tyrannic to solely oligarchic and from solely oligarchic to limited oligarchic, and is to-day plainly evolving from limited oligarchic to representative and at least semi-republican. Will the evolution go any further? Most assuredly it will. Of course, whether or not it does go further, depends largely on whether the capabilities of students continue to evolve from good to better, and from better to best,- an evolution which now, at least, they are undergoing.

The two movements, both of students'increasing capabilities and of evolution of collegiate government, have already attained great momentum; and a very strong resistance is all than can stop them. The rocks are too heavy and have been moving too long, and the hill is too steep to admit of any but very large and heavy barriers proving at all effectual.

What does the college student want? Are his views communistic, socialistic, nihilistic? Does he claim that he can and should teach as well as learn, and that he and his instructor should be equal? Is he rapid in his ideas, and does he believe in the effectiveness of dynamite? To all these questions, no. The poor man, the laborer, the ignorant and idle citizen, may cry out for common living, for community of money, property, government, and even brains; but the college student is able to realize that two classes are the law of nature; that the instructor and the instructed are both necessary to life and progress; and he demands only that he may be allowed some share in the government of all that directly concerns and interests himself. He does not ask for an equal share; all that he wants is some share where now he has none at all.

The student to-day asks only for recognition and the right of conference. Let these be granted him, and undoubtedly he will be quieted for some time; but sooner or later he must again arouse himself and seek for something more that shall give him legislative and executive power. Indeed, he would ask for this power to-day, did he not know that he who is greedy often loses all. His hopes are that what now to may seems so ideal may, in the end, become quite real and present, that the existing college government may evolve into a government by faculty and students, conducted in unity and harmony, and attended-as he believes it would be-by vigorous life and unquestionable prosperity.