The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-26
AN EDUCATIONAL MEETING.
MIR. Hickman Opposes the State Sup
port of Colleges.

port OF COIIeSes.
The conference last night resolved itself
into an educational meeting in the interest
of De PAW University and Moore's Hill
College, the two Metho dist schools of the
State The Rev. w. Fl. Hickman, vice
chancellor of De PAW University, was the
principal speaker. He compared the state
and sectarian schools. The former, he
said, offered advantages from a paternal
restraint and discipline such as is had in
the Christian family. The state school, he
said, was in charge of teachers some of
whom were orthodox, some of whom We're
infidel-all of whom met the students on a
common ground. The church says: Touch
not, taste not, handle not" The church
says: Cursed is he who puts the bottle to
his brothers lips" The State taxes the sa-
loon to get money to pay expenses.
Mr.. Hickman declared that the principle
that the State should provide higher edu-
cation is un-American and wrong. ut is
not right" he declared, ito levy a special
tax to provide professional school unless
the State Normal School be excepted" The
speaker went on to show that in some
school districts only two and a half months
of schooling are provided for by the state
tax. Under such a system thousands of il
iterates would grow up annually. And at
the same time these illiterates would be
paying taxes to support a class of profess
sional men. The average cost of instruct
ing pupil at the State University he said,
was $500, while it did not cost half that
amount in the best sectarian schools. Dr.
Hickman argued that if there should be
collected special tax for schools it should
be applied for the Improvement of
the common schools. He declared
that the State had no right TO give a pro-
fessional education to the few who seek it
than to give property to the Individual He
said that the state University was not
American and was undemocTatlc. lie said
further that the higher education as a con-
tribution belonged 10 the church, and that
the church could not afford TO give up It's
higher education Speaking OF De Paw
University, he said tnat a great mistake
had been made by the management of the
schooI in stopping with the De Fauw en-
dowment. 1t was believed at the time that
the school had enough and more was re-
fused. But other schools had sprung up
and in a financial way had passed De Paw.
1t was now conceded that the small Offer
ings ought to have been accepted all along
and encouraged for the future for the time
would never come when the university would
not need money. 1t was necessary to keep
abreast of the times and to Keep the uni
versity in line with other sectarian schools.
DIR. j. II. Martin, ex-president of Moore s
Hin College, spoke in behalf of that school,
He said that every nation which had made
a mark on the civilization OF the world had
had an idea which dominated its existence.
With the Hebrews it was purity, with the
Greeks it was beauty, and with the Romans
it was law. With the American public, he
said. it is civil liberty and a pure spiritual
Christianity. Civil and religious liberty. he
declared. was the foundation of the Nation
and it was also the foundation of the public
schools, for it was the idea of the founders
OF the Republic that every man should be
fitted to exercise the right of franchise.
mo education is complete" he declared.
that does not include the moral and re-
ngious side Of the students life. !" He add