Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-06-20

The American College and Education So
ciety held its anniversary in fremont Tenn
pie, Boston, May 2Sth. The secretary, the
Rev. Increase n Tarbox, d. D., made Il
statement Of the work of the society during
the year, SAYING that the result was highly
satisfactory. The receipts had been S63,
S05 49, the expenses SG4, As. So, and there
remained on hand $40. Four hundred
and seven students received aid amounting
to SEQ, Ss5 81 The expenses of the society
were about $1,000 President Buckham
made the main address on
THE NEED OF EDUCATED MEN IN SOCIETY.
President Buckham said that rs the time
allotted him was short he should simply at
tempt to establish two or three propositions,
the first of which is that the best welfare of
society requires that highly educated men be
scattered all through its ranks. General in
teligence is the only secure basis of pros
perity, but it is only basis. Take away
the higher schools and the lower schools are
degraded. Put one highly educated man
into every school district, one into each
trade or employment in every town, and
how would the tone of everything be raised.
Some are afraid that we are getting too
many educated men in proportion TO the
handicraftsmen. The answer is we want
them in the handicrafts. Many employments
are suffering for the lack of such men
farming for example, pharmacy, the ve,erin-
airy art. Society also needs highly educated
men TO be its defenders against dangerous
hereses in finance, politics, morals, religion.
Good common sense is no match for trained
and subtle heresy. The astute Jesuit, the
learned German free thinker, must be met
at the West by something more than untu
tored common sense. Well trained men are
needed in all the churches to keep out super
stition and priest-craft to uphold and defend
truths which are profound, not plausible.
The second proposition is that this educa-
ton does not come of itself by the mere law
of supply and demand The cost is so great,
the time required is so long, that ordinary
human nature shrinks from the task. Unen-
downed education is for the rich alone. But
the rich as a class do not want it, have not
the ambition to obtain it. All the profess
sons are indebted to the poor boys who got
their education by heroic struggles But
heroes are few. II society depends on the
few rich who care for education and the few
poor heroes who conquer it for themselves,
il will 70 without the requisite number OF
well trained servants. Ii must either suffer
great loss from the deficiency, or must ease
the burden and so increase the number OF
those who educate themselves. The public
endowment of higher education is opposed
on the ground that the many should not be
taxed to educate the few. But suppose the
few were educated for the good OF the
many.
But even suppose every State should en-
dow literally one State university to be the
head Of its educational system, and TO keep
before the people the idea that the State ~ II
of power with intelligence and
virtue, still there is place for the distinct
lively Christian institution Experience |
proves that young men can he educated |
most effectively when gathered into II Chris |
lian family There is no real freedom for |
discussing the greater questions and cniorc-
ing the greatest truths save in institutions
under Christian auspices. The Western
colleges have done much Ia evangeliZe W est
nrn society. Without them Jcsuitism and
would have Ind the chance To
preoccupv immature Western thought They
may not he all that II college should he;
some of them may hereafter he merged in
strong and permanent institutions. But
hey have done noble work for education
md for Christianity this work is by no
means done.
We cannot say we will educate om boys
md not help other peoples boys, any more
han we will not build light house 10 save
,thers mems ships, or roads for other mems
'arriagcs, or judges and courts TO try roughs
# whom we have no fears. The speaker
cgrcttfd any jarring between state inslitu-
ions which were % often called G"dless,
md Christian organizations. Both were
needed.
Educational endowmenis ARE the most Sc
nre and the most faithfully administered
# all eBdowmcnts. Look at the ancient col
eyes and schools Of England! These invcs-
nonts combine the three conditions rarely !