The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-02
THE cHAUrAUoUA IDEA.
The Plan as ExpOunded by DIR. Vincent and It's
Workings Seen by a Critic.

Inc Ran as ExpOunded by Dr. vincent and Its
Workings as Seen by a Critic.
Correspondence Philadelphia Times.
Rev. j. FL. Vincent, D. d.. who is the highest
authority on the subject, says: 1.-The Chautau-
qua idea is a protest against certain false ideas
of education which are alike injurious to the in
dividual. the community and the Nation. For
example, we glorify our schools, but we neglect
them. There is but a very small proportion of
the people who ever think of pursuing the
higher studies A large majority of the school
children leave school before they are qualified to
become students. Chautauqua opposes the idea
that man has education enough when he can
attend to his business and keep others from
cheating him. Scholarship is not the preroga
tive of the professional classes. Education
should not be thus limited The man or woman
of forty or fifty begin to acquire intellectual
strength although it is, of course better to be-
gin earlier. Finally, the Chautauqua idea pro-
tests against the notion that education is limited
to the schools Every man or woman has the
right to all the education he or she wants and
can take. Chautauqua advocates the idea that
every man needs higher education. If had
boy who expected to be a blacksmith all his life
/ should want him to be college graduate.
Every man owes it to himself, his wife and his
children to be as much of a man as he can De
When the parents are educated enough to taken
real interest in the studies and work Of their
children it is as easy again to teach the boy.
The Chautauqua idea exalts the power of matu-
rity. 1t says the woman of forty is worth more
as a student than the girl of fourteen. She is
mature and is able to give her undivided atten-
ton to any subject she may take up, while the
boy studies because he must simply Grams in
recitation and promotion. His mother at thirty.
thirty five or forty studies because she wants to
know. The Cnautauqua plan embraces college
of liberal arts, conducted entirely by correspond
ence, in which one hundred men and women are
employed in studying at their homes Greek,
Latin, mathematics physiology, etc. The Chau
tauqua Literary and Scientific Circle takes up
course of reading which occupies forty minutes
each day, nine months year; for four years.
This course of reading covers every department
in regular college course. The mother at
home and her In college pursue the same
course of study. Although she does not get the
intellectual discipline of exhaustive translation,
she gets the same outlook and she is made an
interesting companion for her boy. Fully one
half the benefit derived from college life is
social"
1t may not be generally known that the Leg
iSlature of 1883 passed a law erecting the old
Chautauqua Assembly Into a university and pro-
viding that it 'shall have power to grant and
confer diplomas and the degree of bachelor Of
arts"
The truth is that large number of the
students are school teachers when at home and
come here the close of the trying duties of the
year worn out and dispirited, in need of any
thing but more study and work. Instead of TAX
ing the rest that their system requires they re-
ligiously tackle the course and attend daily on
an average four lectures OF two hours each. be-
sides two or three classes This kept up for a
| month"; together with the necessary study
somehow does not rest one very much and the
students wax thinner and paer. instead of i'm
proving the physical condition as they should in
this locality, remarkable for purity and health
fulness OF atmosphere and beauty of surround
irgs The course of reading is no doubt good
but this is not the time of year to engage in a
literary struggle. Besides any work on English
literature marks out a course perhaps several
val Tha tuTv ~
and modern languages occupies place on the
card and brings up question which
philosophers disagree. The measure of prof
cheney obtained from thirty days application to
the study of six seven tongues cannot be
otherwise than small and it is extremely doubt
full whether the advantage derived is commensu-
rate with the labor expended. After the ad-
journment of the assembly any attempt to pur-
sue the studies without an instructor will result:
In disaster as any one knows who has made the
attempt The lectures of the assembly are un-
deniably and unqualifedy good and the speak.
ers the best in the land But what a variety
they give US. Last year we had innumerable
grand concerts scattered among "chalk talksn
by Frank Beard lectures on Burns, Charlotte
Bronte. John and Jonathan, hangings, pctur-
esque Ireland and Queen Victoria; illustrations of
the battle of Gettysburg and the Yale Glee
Club. This year We have had lectures on ants,
the oil regions heredity. Palestine, the imagina-
ton and the Mormons. the latter by Kate Field
The spelling match, too, has been revived. This
brings up memories of the charter of the uni
versity which, as it was presented to the Legis
lature for passage, contained the words "expul-
ton" and ''diaploma."
While everyone cannot agree in the methods
that are employed here. very few will feel like
criticising the ends that sought to be accom-
piished. The earnest endeavor to do is COM
mendable; even ii the machinery is not always
adapted to the work.
Sir Charles Dilke's Fever.