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responsibility comes to rest on the faculty； while the control
remains with the executive。 But； after all； this particular run
of ambiguity and evasions has reached such settled forms and is
so well understood that it no longer implies an appreciable
strain on the executive's veracity or on his diplomatic skill。 It
belongs under the category of legal fiction； rather than that of
effectual prevarication。
So also as regards the businesslike； or bureaucratic；
organization and control of the administrative machinery； and its
utilization for vocational ends and statistical showing。 All that
has been worked out in its general features； and calls； in any
concrete case； for nothing much beyond an adaptation of general
practices to the detail requirements of the special case。 It
devolves； properly； on the clerical force； and especially on
those chiefs of clerical bureau called 〃deans；〃 together with the
many committees…for…the…sifting…of…sawdust into which the faculty
of a well…administered university is organized。 These committees
being； in effect if not in intention； designed chiefly to keep
the faculty talking while the bureaucratic machine goes on its
way under the guidance of the executive and his personal
counsellors and lieutenants。 These matters； then； are also well
understood； standardized； and accepted； and no longer require a
vigilant personal surveillance from the side of the executive。
As is well and seemly for any head of a great concern； these
matters of routine and current circumlocution are presently
delegated to the oversight of trusted subalterns； in a manner
analogous to the delegation of the somewhat parallel duties of
the caretakers of the material equipment。 Both of these
hierarchical corps of subordinates are in a somewhat similar
case； in that their duties are of a mechanically standardized
nature； and in that it is incumbent on both alike to deal in a
dispassionate； not to say impersonal； way each with the
particular segment of apparatus and process entrusted to his
care； as is right and good for any official entrusted with given
details of bureaucratic routine。
The exacting duties that remain personally incumbent on the
academic executive； and claiming his ordinary and continued
attention； therefore； are those of his own official prestige on
the one hand； and the selection； preferment； rejection and
proscription of members of the academic staff。 These two lines of
executive duty are closely correlated； not only in that the staff
is necessarily to be selected with a view to their furthering the
prestige of their chief and his university； but also in that the
executive's experience in the course of this enterprise in
publicity goes far to shape his ideals of scholarly endeavour and
to establish his standards of expediency and efficiency in the
affairs of learning。
By usage； guided； no doubt； by a shrewd sense of expediency
in the choice of means； it has； in the typical case； come to be
the settled policy of these incumbents of executive office to
seek the competitively requisite measure of public prestige
chiefly by way of public oratory。 Now and again his academic
rank； backed by the slow…dying tradition that his office should
be filled by a man of scholarly capacity； will bring the
incumbent before some scientific body or other； where he commonly
avoids offence。 But； as has been remarked above； it is the laity
that is to be impressed and kept propitiously in mind of the
executive and his establishment； and it is therefore the laity
that is to be conciliated with presidential addresses； it is also
to the laity that the typical academic executive is competent to
speak without stultification。 Hence the many edifying addresses
before popular audiences； at commencements； inaugurations；
dedications； club meetings； church festivals； and the like。 So
that an executive who aspires to do his whole duty in these
premises will become in some sort an itinerant dispensary of
salutary verbiage； and university presidents have so come to be
conventionally indispensable for the effusion of graceful speech
at all gatherings of the well…to…do for convivial deliberation on
the state of mankind at large。（7*）
Throughout this elocutionary enterprise there runs the
rigorous prescription that the speaker must avoid offence； that
his utterances must be of a salutary order； since the purpose of
it all is such conciliation of goodwill as will procure at least
the passive good offices of those who are reached by the
presidential run of language。 But； by and large； it is only
platitudes and racy anecdotes that may be counted on to estrange
none of the audiences before which it is worth while for the
captains of erudition to make their plea for sanity and renown。
Hence the peculiarly； not to say exuberantly； inane character of
this branch of oratory； coupled with an indefatigable optimism
and good…nature。 This outcome is due neither to a lack of
application nor of reflection on the part of the speakers； it is；
indeed； a finished product of the homiletical art and makes up
something of a class of its own among the artistic achievements
of the race。 At the same time it is a means to an end。（8*）
However； the clay sticks to the sculptor's thumb； as the
meal…dust powders the miller's hair and the cobbler carries
sensible traces of the pitch that goes into his day's work； and
as the able…bodied seaman 〃walks with a rolling gait。〃 So also
the university executive； who by pressure of competitive
enterprise comes to be all things to all audiences； will come
also to take on the colour of his own philandropic
pronouncements； to believe； more or less conveniently； in his own
blameless utterances。 They necessarily commit him to a pro forma
observance of their tenor； they may； of course； be desired as
perfunctory conciliation； simply； but in carrying conviction to
the audience the speaker's eloquence unavoidably bends his own
convictions in some degree。 And not only does the temper of the
audience sympathetically affect that of the speaker； as does also
his familiar contact with the same range of persons； such as goes
with and takes a chief place in this itinerant edification； but
there is also the opportunity which all this wide…ranging
itinerary of public addresses affords for feeling out the state
of popular sentiment； as to what ends the university is expected
to serve and how it is expected best to serve them。 Particularly
do the solemn amenities of social intercourse associated with
this pr