The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-06-27

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allow themselves to be drawn into contest
upon the untenable ground that the State is
to show any Partially for their peculiar reli-
gious views, they will have to retreat sooner
or later, and that retreat may be changed in
to an irretrievable rout, bringing with it the
overthrow of our common schools The
choice is simply between secular common
schools and no common schools. 1t will never
do ito abandon the principle of secular edu-
cation by the State. 1t is properly within the
sphere of the secular authorities to train the
young to the duties and responsibilities of
citizenship. Nothing else can assimilate the
multitudes of every nationality now crowd
ing in upon us. But let government con-
fine itself strictly to secular education. 1t
has nothing to do with religion or religious
sects as such except to protect them
from oppression, leaving them to fight their
own battles.
- ASSAS%A ASSCSoiOy 10 uINIuS luOIc Jul
vanced of those who advocate the reading of
the Bible in the schools to argue openly for
union of church and State. Thus Professor
Taylor Lewis in recent article in the hide
dendent virtually insists that government
should superintend the propagation of religion,
and If the secular authorities have right to
enforce the reading OF the Bible in the schools
they should not stop there. Their work is but
half done if this is part of their work at ALL
They must assess and collect taxes for the
support of religion and determine of what sort
it shall be. 1t is time to pause before adopt
ing course that will involve such principles.
The State need not and should not neglect
the training of the moral and active faculties
The education of the heart needs more not
less attention than it usually gets in our
schools, and if right methods were employed,
we might have better moral training in the
schools even without the Bible than we now
have with it. When we have the right sort of
men the true religion will command their as
sent by its own inherent power without the
aid of secular authority. .-.
College Reform.
The season of college commandments is at
hand, and it is proper for those who have the
control of those institutions to be consider
ing what new improvements can better QUAIL
lily them for their mission TO the Young men
whose destinies for better or worse tt,ou orc
so powerfully to influence. The last few
years have witnessed signal improvements in
the course of education at our larger institu-
lions, and while those less beautifully endow-
ed cannot undertake those improvements
which are possible to college with plenty of
OF funds and patronage, they can learn many
things from their more favored rivals. Our
Maine colleges cannot as yet have two full
sets Of professors, one for classical and the
other for a scientific course or provide for
system of university culture after graduating
Our colleges, too, are somewhat controlled by
the system that has been transmitted to them
from previous generation when different
idea 'f education were held. Until recently
expensive cormitories have been considered
essential to college, and when once capital
Is put into such buildings it is to late to re-
call it.
more advanced educators has been turning
strongly against the dormitory system. How
ever pleasant it may be to the student in
many OF its aspects, it isolates him too much
from the living, practical world around him,
ana 1als to cultivate those social tastes and
graces which are as much part of education
Is Latin and Geometry. Many young man
has taken the step lit is but step) from va.
Guilty to vice when he might have been saved
could the influences of respectable and REIN
cd society have been thrown around him in
season. The readiness with which combina-
lions among the students can be effected I'M
DER the dormtory system, offers the greatest
temptations to mischief, while for the same
reasons, detection is almost impossible, even
when the odious system by which professors
are compelled to act the part of spies and DO
lice at the same time is worked to its utmost
capacity. "Scrapes" would be far less COM
mon IL the combustible elements were dis
persed. Notwithstanding these objections
the greater cheapness of lodgings on the col,
iege grounds will make it necessary for many
TO avail themselves of the dormitories unless
lodgings with board in private families can be
procured at much cheaper rates than at pres
emit. However this may be, it is maniiestly
UNJUST to compel those who do not lodge in
tne dormitories to pay for the rent of them
inis is to make the innocent suffer for the
folly Of the builders.
Inc experience of Cornell and Miebican
Universities, and it may be of others. demon
.'rales the possibility of abolishng the amark-
Az. system, as-it is called, without lowering
'no s'anoard OF scholarship, 1t is acknowl-
euged ny all 10 be most imperfect method of
testing Students proficiency, while it tends
to concentrate his attention upon oottnn
good "mark," rather than upon the more solid
though often less snowy acquisitions. Hav-
ing been tolerated for want of something bet.
ter, it may as we'll now be laid aside.
There is also strong testimony in favor of
educating the sexes together and giving them
equal if not identical opportunities for i'm
provement. Rev. j. Blanchard of Knox Col
'ege tells US how Knox and Oberlin, which ed
ucate the sexes together, compared with five
other western. colleges which started undor
more favorable auspices but restrictoa 49,.
privileges to males. C have not the statistics
at hand" he saws, but the facts are 90 uol,
known to the public that hazard NOTHING i,
saying that the two last named institutions
(knox and Oberlin,) could buy out all of tn.
hrst five, and have funds enough left to endow
an institution better than either of the five is
endowed, that the last two have educated
more males and many more ministers than
tne other FIVE" He is no womap's riobtsn
anan and says that, while he resolved that he
oN Moald never be president of any but a mixed
comege ne fully recognized that fact that wo.
. hem shou'd be educated for domestic duties
thougn ne did not think that should exclI,de
he speaks from nearly twenty-five years. ;a ey.
perence and ought to know. As to t tha o tx.
upon discipline, he says the .he En- q
TOO common i'll colleges "pershes at u nnnn
Tore female contempt" We leave the 90 on Umce De-
OF this not untred innovation to show ~ th
can, why it is not demanded on the eronn .die5
justice and economy, e-'"nu Oh
LIE canvass is about to open in earnest in