The sun., 1884-11-30
Compulsory Prayers at Harvard.

Many of the undergraduates OF Harvard
College have signed petition asking tho
college authorities that attendance at tho
morning religious service which Is held In
the college chapel shall bo made voluntary
to certain extent. At present every under
graduate who cannot present somo sufficient
excuse Is required to go to these religious ex-
crcises. In consequence the number OF hearty
and athletic young fellows who. according to
their indulgent physicians, are unable to
breathe without danger tho morning air OF
Cambridge has long been alarmingly great.
The proposition OF tho petitioning under
graduates Is By no means q violent ono
They ask that undergraduates twenty-one
years Of age or upward shall be allowed TO
choose for themselves whether they will go
to prayers or not, and that the choice shall
bo mado for undergraduates under age by
their parents or guardians. 1t does not secm
to be expected that this petition will be
granted. Many OF tho signers intend to take
measures to induce the graduates OF the col
lese to favor tho proposed change. and to
vote for ovcrsecrs who will try and bring 1t
about The petition. then, Is not the result
OF any boyish freak or sudden enthusiasm or
revoted lazincss, but tho programme OF
wcll.considcrcd and deliberate plan OF action
which must ultimately bo rcckoned with.
Tho discussion which 1t must sooner or
later bring on among the graduates Of the col
leges will fortunately be simple. The old
dispute rs to the merits and demcrits OF n
strictly secular system OF education has
nothing TO do with tho question to be settled
Mt Cambridge. Nor will 1t be necessary to
determine, ii il were possible to do so, how
much good or how much harm morning
prayers may do to ten lcr undergraduates
That i'll hunor profanity. and lying may bo
some OF the immediate effects OF forcing
young men to u formal observance OF rclig-
ion may be truo enough, and they may
| some of them derive a permanent disgust
with religion from tho samo cause. These
matters might be important IL the general
question OF tho advisubility OF having COM
pulsory religious exercises In colleges We're
to DO considered, but are not necessary in
forming an opinion "a to whether compul-
sorry religious exercises are desirable and
! proper at Harvard College or not.
That college has for tho last fifteen years
| pursued policy which must logically lead
| it in tho end to giving the largest liberty in
every direction to all its students. Tho mar
gin of compulsory guidance by the college
of the studies OF the undergraduates Is al
| ready narrowed almost to nothing. Practi-
caly the free choice OF the student already
| determines for him what studies shall occupy
| his attention during his residence at Cam
bridge. The college tends moro and moro to
| become merely a teaching and examining
| body. 1t offers various opportunities to tho
students. and to such limits it's legitimate
function must ultimately bo confined.
Unless the so-called elective system Is q
| sham, the old in loco PARENTS theory Of odu-
cation should now have no place In Cam
| bridge. The qualification OF an undergrad
uate to pass his examinations in his progress
toward degree, and his intellectual and not
| his moral welfare. should be looked after by
| the college government. There is no more
| propriety In its requiring him to go to pray
| ers in tho morning than there would be In
| its requiring him to go to bed at o'clock.
| With exterior discipline and regulation it
| should have as little rs possible to do.
Wo are not now called upon to consider
whether the system which has been growing
up al Cambridge is good or bad. At least, it
ought to ba consistent, and it isn't. The Gus
| tom OF compulsory prayers does not jump
with tho custom OF voluntary recitations and
elective studies. The former Is a survival
| from tho Harvard College of hundred years
| ago. Compulsory prayers nro out OF place
In scheme OF college education which seeks
| TO give us much freedom as possible 10 the
student. Considered In connection with the
rest Of tho Harvard programme they must
appear an unnecessary Interference and an
| uuwarrautable restriction, an incongruous
medieval detail in a very modern building.
| A timid regard OF what Is supposed to
be tho wish Of religious people Is probably
at the bottom Of the slowness OF the Har-
ward College authorities to abolish compul-