The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-07-21

they know each other well, if they
are kept asunder all through the
years when character is forming?
Men and women are to live to-
gether. Then they should have
similar tastes. and as far as practi-
cable, similar requirements. The
more q husband and wife have in
common, the closer, and stronger,
and more sweet and sacred the
UNION. But this is what is hind
cred by training them asunder.
Men and women are to live to-
gether. Then they ought to know
how to treat each other: what
confidence is due, and what cour-
tesy is due, and what Difference
is due, and what rights are due.
But these are things that are
poorly learned in cloisters. Cour-
tesy comes from courtesies shown.
We have respect for those whose
ability and character we have
found worthy of respect. And
that is reason enough why young
men and young women should be
educated together. There is moth
ing that society, and especially
Hawaiian society, needs more than
to learn to give woman here due.
And one way to learn that is to
put young men and young women
face to face in the classroom. No
man will ever think meanly Of
woman's ability who has stood side
by side with her in the schools, and
found her his equal, perhaps his
superior, in the class competition.
So l found it in my young mall
hood. That beautiful girl took the
prize right away from me us easily
rs she took my friends heart after
ward. And l never think Of it
without Z profound respect, not
only for that particular woman, but
for womanhood in general. And
this respect was not in the least
diminished by another incident that
l never forgot. We were nearing
the old brick school-house when
one Of the boys-not myself this
time, but Z boy fairly swift of foot
shouted, "Ill be there first" and
broke into a run. Quick as thought,
a fair young girl took up the chal-
lenge and sped away as light Of
foot as Diana in the chase and
she beat him, and we cheered her.
And we thought deal more Of the
girls after that. So mutual respect
comes OF mutual acquaintance.
And there is nothing more fatal to
this than to cloister our youth at
just that period in life when they
are coming into the consciousness
Of power.
Men and women are to live to-
gether. Then they ought to be
getting ready to live together by
being mutually helpful just when
they are taking on the characters
that are to determine the nature of
their homes. Then, if ever, they
need each others society. Put
them together in the school-room
and on the playground, and they
will do for each other unconscious
" what no mere school regimen
can possibly do for them. They
will inspire each other. They will
refine each other. They will be
more chaste in thought, and speech,
and behavior, for each others pres
ence. l want to emphasize this,
because l suppose the whole gist of
the objections against co-educatiOn
lies Just here, in the imagined peril
to morals. 1 know there is peril.
There is peril everywhere. But l
speak from some experience and
from long observation when 1 make
bold to say, first, that there is more
peril out of the schools than in
them; and, second, that, in the
schools, the safest safety is in those
schools IN which, under proper
regulations, young men and young
women meet as they meet in our
homes, upon terms of mutual con-
confidence and under the safeguards
of a wise and watchful guidance.
There is no surer way to foster q
false and fatal romance in the young
than to cIoister them away from
each others society.
Now, Mr.. Editor, this is not mere
theory. We all know that they
have tried the experiment of CO.
education III the home land: until
almost nobody doubts the safety
or the wisdom of it. Why shall we
not try the experiment here? We
have tried it for a few, and with
good success. Why not for more?
Why not for Hawalians? The evils
predicted have not followed IN the
home land. / do not believe they
will follow here. Human nature
is much the same everywhere. l
know the special objections urged
against co-education for Rawaiians,
drawn from certain tendencies of
this people. But instead of being
an argument against it, these very
tendencies seem to me one of the !
strongest reasons in its favor, as
being one of the surest ways OF |
helping the people out of their |
loose conceptions of courtesy and
morality into a truer refinement !