The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-10
Ilessrnger.
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY ON UN.
lvkIksITY EDUCATION

AVE1kS1IY EDUCATION
There has been so much said in the
Nast two or three years relative to un-
1versity education tina 1t Is In order
On give n statistics that will show
what it has done in the way Of moral
NeAching and moral results. We lately
ship OF both the TN. yersities Of North
Carolina and Georgia When a south
&rn state university can report 20 per
cent OF it's students members OF Chris
fiAn bodies, 1t Is indeed a fine showing,
one full Of encouragement and hope
Hor the future. A paper in the Atlantic
Monthly for December offers an occa-
sion for farther illustrative facts of
which we propose to avail ourselves.
There is marked increase all around in
<he state universities. Those in the
west have more than trebled in ten
years This is for the universities in
eight states-California, Illinois, Iowa.
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebras-
kz- and Wisconsin. In 1885 the number
OK students was 4,230; in 1895, 13,500.
NOW AXE In contrast the denomina-
t1ional colleges, under church control.
Hin eight in the west, the increase In
the ten years was less than Is per cent.
In New England the increase for the
xzsne years in universities and colleges
not under either state or churches,
W1s 20 per cent. AT all state universe
f1es in 1896 there wer about 20, 900
students attending. The author of the
paper. Mr.. Francis w. Kelsey, thinks
the state universities will continue to
grow and enlarge their usefulness. Mr..
Kelsey says very correctly:
The moral and religious atmosphere
OF every university is determined to a
great degree by it's students. The char
Rcter n convictions of the student
body play the most important part in
giving tone to the religious life Of any
allege."
Il is true Of all schools and colleges,
a,sd applies to all church colleges or to
state or independent seats Of learning.
In five state universities (West Virginia
Eseing one) it has been ascertained that
vi 1scOA "UOSe cCClCSldCllCdl SidlOS was
ascertained, 4,4O7 placed themselves as
initiated, by membership or attendance,
with some religious body; and 2,851
Cifty-five per cent. Of the whole num-
Der enrolled) were church members.
Among them, the Methodist Episcopal
church had 1,O9S members and adher-
ents; the Presbyterian church S54; the
Congregational church, 612; the Epis-
copal church, 4S4; the Baptist church,
552; the Church of Christ, or Disciples,
TT; the Unitarian church, 166; and the
Roman Catholic church, 165. There are
rhine or more others with a smaller rep
resentation. This Is at least very hope
fnl. But in sixteen state universities
IN which ID, 637 students are enrolled
G,517 are members of churches, or
something above 70 per cent. These
numbers are distributed as follows
emitting the smaller memberships: The
Methodist Episcopal church was cred
He'd with 1853 members and adherents,
the Presbyterian with 1884, the Con-
gregational with 1,73O, the Episcopal
Will I,AIo, lhS. DdpllSl "lUl 1,OoO, liz
-Church Of Christ with GOT, the Roman
Catholic with 52s. and the Unitarian
with 431."
1t Is noticeable that the Methodist
and Baptist students are very numer-
GUS in state universities and help pro-
dagiously to give moral tone and direc-
tion to the religious life. The Presby-
tsrian students are very strong also.
Every sixth student is a Methodist.
We can not follow the statistics that
I'LL pages. Mr.. Kelsey gives this state
ment:
AT the University of Michigan alone,
Ems ear. there were more than three
xourths as many Presbyterian students
zs at Princeton, n exactly fifteen
times as many as in the Presbyterian
college in Michigan. At the state uni
versities of indian and Illinois there
~ere more h twice as many Pres
hyterian students as at the four Pres
byterian colleges in the two states"
IT is very evident that outside of two
Gr three southern states there is no
marrow view as to higher and Christian
education. The great Methodist, Pres
ayterian and Baptist families all over
the land believe that their children can
receive moral influences and be led out
Ento genuine Christian fields Of scholar
ship and development in the state uni
rersities where from so to 20 per cent.
al the students profess to be Christians
and are members of the various Chris
fian bodies. Princeton university is a
distinguished Presbyterian institution
of learning and is under the control of
the. Presbyterians. Mr.. Kelsey states
that the percentage of Princeton stu
dents who are church members is
about the same as that of the Univer-