The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-07-02

SHALL Greek and Latin go is still an
undecided question. Since Charles Fran
els Adams opened the question few
years ago, it has been vigorously discuss
ed by the leading educators of this and
other countries. Spencer and Baine long
ago attempted to relegate the classics
from the common schools of England
and Macaulay questioned their value as
taught in one college. The advocates of
science and modern languages have the
best of the argument. While they see
what benefit might come from proper
and protracted study of the dead Ian
guages, they recognize the insuperable
barrier in the way of such study and
know that their pursuit to the exclusion
of other things leaves knowledge OF
words and gives paucity of ideas. The
advocates of classics would wish to be
classed as hberal-minded men, but from
tie dogmatic manner in which they as
sert their old arguments they make them
selves appear as narrow as monk of the
middle ages. Their whole stock in trade
argument now is that study of the clas-
sizes affords mental discipline unparall-
eled by any other studies. What mental
faculties are peculiarly developed by
study of dead language they, of course,
never think of considering. Why math-
ematics is not better to train the reason
and the judgment, why English litera-
ture is not capable of nourishing the
imagination, why science cannot train
the observing faculties and why history
can not store the mind with the knowl-
edge of the past with greater facility
than the study of paradigms it is diff
cult to concede. In days when modern
languages were in their infancy, all
knowledge was locked up in the treasure
houses of Greece and Rome. To be con-
sidered educated, to avail ourself of the
rich legacy, it was indispensable to give
years to the study of the classics. Were
this not done ignorance was the newt
able result. Science had not then reveal
ed the work of nature, evolutiof had not
shown the granduer and unfolding of
the mighty plan. But the charge of ig-
norance can no more be made on these
grounds. The greatest of modern scien
fists are not classically educated, and yet
4 hn of a
race. A man with a knowledge of his
mother tongue, an acquaintance with
German and French and we'll grounded
in the natural sciences can not be consld-
cred uueducated though he never read
Cicero or looked at Homer in the origi-
nal. Though deploring the devotion
often given to classics we are not uncon-
scious of the fact that science has not
only to prove itself superior, but must be
taught so that its claims will be fully
recognized. Science is purely an in
ductive and experimental study. Taken
at second hand it is as barren of good
results as little Latin and less Greek.
The laboratory is indispensable and
where used and students are intelligently
directed, there is nothing that affords
more pleasure and is so well fitted to de-
velop the spirit of patient investigation
so essential in all fields of labor. A hope
full sign of the times is the increased at
tention given TO science and the Ian
guages that embody the scientific thought
of the world and a marked evidence of
the growing liberality of American COL
leees is furnished by the fact that presi-
dent Eliot has declared almost entirely
in favor Of elective studies.