The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-15
BOTH SIDES.



Iand Girl on &c. ~
Education.
Correspondence Of the Southern churchman.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY,
MoRGANTowN, May 25, 1885,
Mr. EDIToR-In your issue of the
2lst instant, in an editorial entitled
"At the 'front.'" / see that you advo-
cate co-cducation. j am astonished
at man of your conservative views
should espouse the cause of such a
pestilent heresy in education as this
is. Have yeu forgotten that in Ohio,
where co-education exists, there are
more divorces, perhaps, than in all
the Southern States where it does not
exist? / have taken the pains to in
form myself on that subject Coed
ucation does not exist at Oxford or
Cambridge. 1t is true that "young
ladies are examined by the profess
sors" at Oxford, and perhaps Cam
bridge, land can receive the honors
of degree" But in no case do they
attend the same classes ct the same
time NTH the males, which, from
what you say, seems to be the plan
at the University of Mississippi.
The plan has been tried in the col
leges of Ohio, Michigan and many
other Northwestern States-all of
them second or third-rate colleges
and what is the result? The courts
are crowded with applications for di-
vorce, because the young men and
young women contract early and un-
suitable marriages, the result of be-
ing thrown together promiscuously
at too early an age.
believe in the higher education
of women as much as anybody; but
il they are to be put in mans
school at the same time ,cith the
men, the results will be evil, and
nothing but evil. And the himsy
rags of the Northwestern civiliza-
tion ought to be enough TO convince
any impartial mind of the truth of
what l say.
Very truly yours, B. c. B.
Editor did not urge or desire CO.
education-only wanted to show how
much better the girls studied than
the boys.
The Other Side.
MIR. EDIToR-I have read in your
issue of June 18th the letter of "R.
C. b." of the West Virginia Univers-
ity, in regard to co-education. l am
not o-educationist, or a non CO.
educationist. What struck me so
forcibly in the letter was the fact
that the writer attributed the num-
Der of divorces in the West to coed
ucation, and says: 'If women are
put in mems schools at the same
time with men the result will be evil,
and nothing but evil"
Spinoza, that grand old philoso-
pher. whose thoughts have been the
seed for later harvest of wisdom,
said: "All truth, natural, spiritual,
metaphysical, physical and poetic,
may be expressed geometrically."-
Do not let us look at this matter OBJ
liquely, but endeavor to see straight
and think clearly. First, it is not
possible that the ease in which d.
vorces can be obtained increases the
number of cases? Secondly, it is not
very probable that the advanced and
intellectual women of the West, find
ing that they are mentally superior
to their cigar smoking and whiskey
drinking husbands, despised them in
their hearts. In many instances the
wife entirely supports the family by
teaching in public school or keeping
boarding house. If her husband is
"kind spoken" and she loves him,
suppose he is worth his support. If
he is untidy and rough in his man
ner, and smells of cigars and whis-
key, Is he north supporting?
r. C. b., it is not co-education that
gives rise to all those divorces. 1t is
tobacco and ,ohiskey. These are wo-
mems successful rivals. These make
men untidy, impolite, indolent, in
competent, then wicked and cruel.
These deprive men of their hand
some faces, gentle ways, of all ambi-
ton. intellect, and of their souls.
Do not let us attribute the non
existence of divorce in the South
to the separate schools for the sexes.
Let us think clearly and see straight.
First, our gentlewomen are patient
and forbearing. Secondly, women
are often thus patient because, poor
things, they do not know of any bet
ter life than the one they are living,
and have no idea that there are bet
ter men than their own masculine
relatives. Hence they often endure
the burdens that their spirited and
highly educated western sisters cast
off with true womanly resolve.
When in Cambridge, Mass, some
time since one Of Boston's cultured"
young ladies, university graduate,
was expressing to me her admiration
for the Southern gentlemen whom
she had met, she quoted, "Venera-
ton for woman, love of right and the
fear of God' are innate in the hearts
of your Southern men. was pleas
ed; it was truth; and it is one of the
chief reasons we enjoy more domes-
tic happiness than people of other
sections. But even an our homes,
where woman is supposed to reign
supreme, her power is crippled. IT
she endeavors to teach her sous that
the use of tobacco and alcohol are
sins against God, her authority is fire.
quently rendered null by the exam
pie of her husband father
How often have we observed that the
pipe smoking fathers boys consume
forty cigarettes day, and the sons
of moderate drinkers are drunkards.
This is not altogether due to the exam
pie before them; for advanced physi-
clans and scientists agree that it is
due to an inherited taint-a protop-
plastic evil.
Tobacco and whiskey cause more
divorces than hasty marriages
brought about by co-education have
done, or ever can do. R. G. B. thinks
these unsuitable marriages the result