The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-02

gooo alsclphne, but In producing ma
men, and womanly women, fitted to
the work of life in their Venerati
President Eliot, for the Faculty of 81
'od ward College, frankly says that they
MI net prepared to assume this respor
ere bility.
E0- at is right that time should co
IL when the boy shall leave home. a
be learn" 20 rely on himself, leaving
ne hind him the constant and watch
as control of his parents, and having
Ill place of it, only the indirect and Q,
an eral influence of the college. This
est Just what he needs and at the RIGHT Il,
nS The boy goes from home, passes fo
od years in the comparative freedom
N, college life and leaves the college wa
ly 4 man-mature. Are we prepared
g have our girls do the same thing 5Ia
a,bOy Is wrecked in his course, many
er one stumbles anhmay recover himse
n but girl cannot retrace a false step
O. her brother can; tor h+r, once 10 JdN
T, TJtia."
P In the circulars issued by the Nation
as Bureau of Education, in regard TO c
education of the Sexes in the c0mmc
st schools of the United States. some tow
/ favor eo-education for the followir
reasons: Because it is
= lst. NATURAL, following the ordin4Y
: structure of the family and society.
r I'd. CUSTOMARY.
: Sd. IMPARTIAL, afording each sex th
q same opportunity for culture
: 4th. ECONOMICAL.
: 5th. CONVENIENT.
9th. BENEFICIAL.
In considering these reasons it shoulC
be remembered that the schools from
which these answers come are the com
r com schools. In these, the pupils return
/ each night and some of them lin cite:
: and tOwns) at noon to their home, and
| are under the protecting care of parents
and guardians. This, as has been before
remarked, is Co-education under the
most favorable circumstances, and up to
a certain age, it may be tolerated.
/ When We come to consider Co-educa-
tion IN our Colleges and Universities-
where the pupils are older, and where
they are for the most part, away from
home, the above reasons for Co-educa-
tion do not apply.
lst. 1t may be remarked that what is
| NATURAL is not always right 1t may
be eminently proper for my sons, and
my daughters, to be educated together,
/ but it does not follow that it would be
right OF proper to educate my daughters
with the sons of everybody else.
2. Neither Is custom an infallible rule
of right. 1t is Customary in China to
bind the feet of females, but that does
not prove either the beauty or utility of
the practice. We are sometimes con-
fronted by Aodry errors, which it is our
duty to correct.
Sd. As to the impartiality of Co -edu-
cation -affording each sex the same OPP
portunity for culture, does not always
mean that each has equal advantages.
Where girls are placed in boys schools,
especially at the critical period of ma
turity, it may be to their detriment,
physically, mentally, and morally, as
will be shown hereafter.
4th and 9th. Economy and convenience
are not to be considered in favor of n
system where there are weightier rea-
sons against it. THE greatest good to
the greatest number" is true economy,
even if obtained at greater inconven-
fence and pecuniary cost. If Co-educa-
ton is detrimental to female health and
character, it is the coSfFest system in
which State can indulge.
Is Co-Education Beneficial?
Reasoning from cause to effect, it is
plain that in our Colleges and Univer-
sites, in no sense is Co-education benefi-
cial. How can it benefit our daughters
to send them from home and its restrain
ing influences, at this most susceptible
period of life, before the Judgment has
matured sufficiently to control the emo.
tions, ito be associated with youths and
young men, from all parts Of the coun-
try? The average young man, it must
be admitted, is not irreproachable either
in manners or morals. The greatest
libertine may have the most polished
and courteous demeanor, and girls even
in later years are scarcely able to dis
criminate
One suggests restrdints-the girls are
to have their dOimitories and the bows
their respective boarding-houses, and
the sexes meet only in the classroom
That appears very well upon paper
but ''lOve laughs at locksmiths" and re-
straints but provoke a spirit of adyen- |
ture.
st. Paul, in speaking of the Christian
race advises, "Let US lay aside every
weight, and the sin that doth so easily |
beset US Adopting this in regard to a |
system of education we should avoid |
everything likely to hinderthe progress
of either sex. 1t is very besettiaq to |
young men and young women to be |
thrown at this impossible age stately |
and constantly together. Feelings are |
awakened which draw off the mind from |
the consideration of textbooks to the !
contemplation of each other, and at |
tachments are likely to be formed which |
might be more judiciously made at |
later period. A prominent Baptist min |
lister of this State, once remarked to the |
writer: "Women have spoiled the in |
tellectual career of very many men. II
have warned my sons not to look at
woman with thought of marriage until |
they have completed their professional
course" All will agree that hindrances /
like these may be best avoided bv sepa- |
rating the sexes in cur Universities.
President Fairchild, in giving the ex-
perience at
oBERLIS COLLEGE,
says "But Git is asked will not the young
people form such acquaintance as will
result during their course of study, or
after they leave school, in matrimonial
engagements. Undoubtedly they will. |
and if this is fatal objection, the sys-
tenn must be pronounced a failure. 1t
would be a most unnatural state of
things if such acquaintance should
not be made in a school where young
men and women are gathered in large
numbers; nor is it to be expected that
marriage engagements will nst be formed
more or less frequently. Now and then
it may occur that parties will seem to
have left school for the purpose of con-
sumimating such an engagement"
In Mississippi, we send our sons and
daughters to College to complete their
education, aad not to form matrimonial
engagements. Should this latter object,
however, commend itself to our people,
by all means let us have the "Annex"
to the State University and change the
name to the Mississippi Matrimonial As-
socidtion.
As to Oberlin, which is regarded as by
far the most successful Mixed College.
it is shown that the proportion of girls
in the college classes has steadily de-
creased from one-fourth to one fifteenth; !;
that Of thenine present members (from
the Nation, No. 244) against one hun
dred and thirty-fiye men-thrse belong
to Ohio, all of them residents of Oberlin
itself; while separate Ladies' depart
ment contains one hundred and seventy;
and eight Ohio girls are members of the
college classes in the Instant and ex-
pensiye Vassar College. These remark
able figures certainly seem to show a
falling off Of the demand for education
in Mixed Colleges, from whatever cause
it may be. President Elliot (before the
Social Science Convention in 1879 re-
ferred 10 the personal testimony of
teachers, citing the matron of OberIin
College, who told him that on no ac-
count would she allow her daughter
or any girls in whom she was in
terested to 60 through the College
IL