Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-03-07
DR.. Taylor Lewis remarks with great

DIR. Taylor Lewis remarks with great
| force:
Experience has abundantly shown that
| no amount of men, fact, knowledge, or of
| scientific knowledge in the restricted sense
| of the tenn can give security that the man
possessing it may not turn out monster
| of crime, and deadly scourge to society.
OF itself we mean, or in its direct effects,
for as an aid to a higher position among
men, and thus as furnishing a worldly mo-
tive to correct outward behavior, it might,
undoubtedly, operate as a salutary check.
The same may be said of the pursuit and
acquisition of wealth, or of anything else
that gives rise to a worldly prudence TAX
ing the place, for time, of moral princi
pie. When this, however, is not the case, OF
such an education gives less distinction
by being more and more diffused, then
instead of check, it may become direct
incentive to crime by creating increased
facilities for its commission.
Evidence is constantly accomplishing
that the processes of the burglar, of the in
cendiary, of the cOunte-feiter, of the
poisoner, of the railroad destroyer, of the
prison-breaker, OF the abortionist, etc,
are actually making progress with the pro-
gress of crime. They are becoming arts,
whether we rank them among the elegant
or the useful.
There is reason to believe that before
long books may be written upon them and
that there may be such thing as felOns
library. The same may be maintained in
respect to what may be called the mere
speculative knowledge. When wholly des-
titute, as 1t may be, OF moral truth and
moral tuition, it may only wake up
tho dormant faculties of the soul for the
discovery of evil and make them all the
more accute for its preparation.
AS if to show DR.. Lewis true prophet,
telegram of November I'd, states that
the police, in breaking up an organized
band of hOuse-breakers, near ChiIIicOthe,
Ohio, found among other articles a num-
Der of books for the instruction OfnOVices
in the art 0fburglary.
In connection with the opinions of Pro
fesSOr Lewis, another distinguished edu-
GATORS testimony to the practical lmpOr-
tancc of the moral element in intellectual
ence, and labOrs of President McCOsh, of
the college of New Jersey, have given him
peculiar opportunities for judging its
practical value.
In his address at the one hundred and
tWentY-fOurth commencement at Prince
ton, speaking Ofthe system of examination
for political appointments in Great
Britain, while admitting THAT the system
IA not absolutely perfect" he claims that
those appointed by that method ''must,
from the very fact that they stand such
scrutiny, be possessed of good abilities; :"
that ''in order to acquire the necessary at
tainmentS they must be possessed of in
dustry and applications" and that no one
who has spent his youth in idleness or
vice can succeed at such an examination.
which secures that the person appointed
is usually of good moral character"
Gen. Eaton adds:
Thus, not only does dceD and thorough
moral training on the one hand, tend to
correct the abnormalities of men like
m Ion nFt on inc fo otgFi II S4Epe47 anu
lie GOOD tho noIinotiom Of Tho infnindtnoI
faculties.
And this case of Rulloff has been to
some an enigma and Encouragement.
But in the light of this part of our sub
jeot, it becomes a confirmation of our
position and a loud toned warning. In
his Young life. as reported by himself.
there are no traces Of any moral or re-
liriOus instruction. 1t may be said that
he was early educated to evil Every
thing moral and RELIGIOUS shut out, there
was no restraint of conscience, none
of reason none even that could be
referred to, what is sometimes denot-
cd an enlightened sclf-mtprcst, for all
this is cut off by that low view of hu-
manity which inevitably comes from
such a system of thinking. Rull0f' was,
in short. specimen of that awful thing
an animal with arc2s0n. vet remaining
an animal still.
Dr. Lewis adds: 1T may well make us
shuddcr when we think how many more
of the same kind, perhaps are now in
training, through similar course of ed
ucatiOn, or (by) that system which. not
content with ncglccting. openly TO
scribcs all religion and all morals ground /.
ed on religion, as wholly alien to the .
earliest culture of the human soul
Much, very much more might be add
ed on this subject. In view of it what .
all powerful stimulus should nerve the /
t44sl HOP h MI hot