The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-08
A BOMB IN TIE CLASSICS.

venerable Yale College, as pastor of the
Church of the Redeemer, New Haven, has
thrown a bomb into the ranks of the faculty.
The attack, coming, as it does, from friend
of learning, is all the more astounding. DR..
Todd seems to be friend of learning who is
not afraid to criticise a friends faults, and
s1earning,' particularly advanced learning
In these days has very many faults. The
fodder-rack of literary knowledge has contin-
uaIly been placed higher and higher. until at
last it is far beyond the reach of those for
whom it is popularity supposed to be intended,
and the opinion is gaining ground that it is
beyond even the comprehensive reach of those
who have so laboriously placed it where it is.
In the colleges of this country-of which
there are very many too many-students for
four ami six years go droning through
Caesar" and Virgil" and "L;vy,' and
s.Horace"-to what endP Not one in score
can read page off hand on the day of gradua-
ton, nor one in five hundred five years later,
converse in that tongue at any time.
What is the trouble? It will be answered
that the purpose is not to teach students to
converse in Latin. but to introduce them to
the great fields of Latin literature that lie be-
yOnd the Alps of Latin grammar. This is a
specous plea; for if it be the material that is
=.
such shape that the student can get incalcula-
bly, more than by the slow process of grammar
and dictionary The answer will then be
forthcoming that the beauty of Latin ltera-
ture lies largely in the language ITSELF that if
the idea were decorticated, the Latin stripped
off and it stand in even the most elegant En-
glish, it would lose its force and value. The
argument holds that to teach one to read
Latin at sight and to talk it freely, would be
a vast improvement over the prevailing
method that so often leaves the newly -gradu-
ated unable to decently translate the diploma
that is thrust into his hands. It can not
fairly be said in reply that such an education
cannot be given. In the six years, between
two and eight child learns to
talk English quite fuently and intel
igently, and the English language
b probably one of the most irregular and diff
6cult Of comprehension encountered The
babe will readily learn any tongue, living or
dead. and the adult, taught on the same plan,
would certainly learn even more rapidly. But
without going further into the practicability
of teaching Latin and Greek, it is enough to
know that they are not taught in a practical
manner and that the system" raised in re-
cent years is crushing the life, the force, the
excellence out Of our higher institutions of
learning
1t is encouraging to discover that imam like
DR. Todd has the hardihood to throw bit Of
the dynamite of truth into the citadel of
classical learning" Education is an excel
lent thing but there is such thing as over
doing it. In attempting to give the youth of
the land practical start in life, the entire sea
Of literature is poured over his head, and, as
fact, very little of it finds permanent lodg-
ment there 1t is like attempting to make
blacksmith of man by giving him
> skim milk knowledge of blacksmithing,
engine building, bodybuilding and fancy
irOn-work. When he goes back to the shop
that awaits him, what is he going to do about
mailing on a shoe or shrinking tire7 You
have made theorist and dreamer, and spoiled
blacksmith. There is great deal of time
expended in educating boys that results in no
education. Of the kind we have there might
we'll be great deal less. and of the practical
kind there should be much more. IF I had
my way" says the blunt DR.. Todd, ri
would merge all the colleges of the country
West The Western one I would put on the
Sandwich Islands; the Eastern one in Nova
Scotia" There is reason for the gentlemau's
sweeping disposition of the advanced institu-
tions of learning. With due appreciation of
the good that is in them, it is coming to be a
popular belief that there is too much of them.
The object of popular education is perverted
and lost sight of in the anxiety to prepare
pupils for college and to grind them
through the mill that sends out a
presumptuous parchment with each human
grist The States energies should be concen-
erated, not on the colleges, but on the common
schools The former are for the few who can
afford to attend. The latter are for the
masses. Hence it is mistake to burden the
latter with System whose Objects to make
them dovetail with the former, and without
due regard to the value of the schools to the