Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-04-14


choice. See to it, therefore, that your del
egates are the right men.
The Progress Of Common Sense In Educa-
tionRI Affairs.
We are no sticklers for the old routines
Of education. We welcome with pleasure
every indication Of more healthy feel
ing throughout the country on the meth
We are not disposed to dispsrsge the ao-
ysntsges of good classical education.
Where it is possible for young men, we
would urge upon them the invaluable i'm
pcrtance Of sn acquaintance with the desd
languages.
While with professional men, with law
yers, physicians, professors and ministers
q knowledge Of Latin and Greek will be Of
great value, with thousands Of men, en-
gagged in other svocatiOns, different kind
Of knowledge will be Of great worth.
We cannot but feel convinced, therefore,
that the colleges that are paying SO much
sttention to other departments Of educs.
tion, scientific and literary, are taking an
important step in the right direction.
This reformation is being accomplished in
New England 1881; BE Juv gvuTu5 of VVE
western life demanded innovations long
since. In the East, Brown University,
Harvard College and Columbia College,
have sll provided for separate course Of
scientific institution. 1t was at first con-
sidered difficult thing to maintain sci
entifc course Of study. 1t was feared that
many young men would hesitate attempt
ing it, because it was less venerable or
less aristocratic than q classical course.
Communion with the foolish, childish,
superstidous, and wise philosophers of the
Greeks and Romans, was for q long time
regarded ss more becoming line Of study
than the pursuit of the brilliant facts Of
science. The wonders of Geology, the en-
trancing revelations of Chemistry, the
oyeraving conceptions Of the universe fur
nished by Astronomy, all the tesming
marvellous revelations Of nature, were re-
gsrded IS Of little moment compared with
the delusions and languages Of Ancients.
For years and years, TIE numbering dog
trot Of classical pursuits has BEEN kept
up by our Seminsries and Colleges.
We have been led to these reflections by
sume Etstistics showing the increase Of
scientific studies in the University of Ann
Arbor.
During the last eighty years there has
been remarkable increase in the number
Of students in the scientific course. From
being an experiment in the beginning, it
has become splendid success.
We fear that too frequently it is the case
that young men prefer the classical to the
scientific merely for the sake Of diploma
Il, the former course. They are often
ready to fOrego 8 knowledge Of German
and French and q familiar acquaintance
with the natural sciences, for the posses
sion Of what is too often but a short-lived
knowledge of Greek roots and cOnjugs-
ticns.
While we would not discourage the study
Of the Ancient languages, we would urge
upon sll young men and women the solid
and often superior advantages of knoWl-
edge Of the startling truths Of science and
the living languages Of the present time.
II however, one Of these courses must be
taken to the sacrifice of the other, we give
it as our own experience that the lat
ter is the preferable for all who are to be
engaged in buaiuess or the more practical
pursuits Of life.
There is no better sign Of the times thsn
the steady progress of 5 reform in the ed
uCatiOnal processes Of the nation. Com
mon sense is making progress in educs-
tional affairs.