The Advocate and news., 1898-02-23

I6EOkuILCU
leader than to take their chances alone
In the wilderness of truth. Thus an
Aristotle, centuries dead, has been per-
mitted TO fetter the thought Of a liv-
Ing world; thus men are forbidden to
recognize the most helpful or obvious of
truths or enunciate the greatest Of dis
coveries. Since the fathers had held the
earth to be fiat, Columbus must have
been In error In believing 1t round; and
hence deserved no sympathy or aid In
endeaVoring to test the correctness of
his theory. Since the same authorities
had regarded the earth as fixed, Calico
was wrong in teaching that it moved,
and must recant on pain of the inquisl-
tion. Nor Is his spirit yet extinguished.
In enlightened America to-day men are
teaching absurditles in the name Of
dead authorities, and shutting their eyes
against obvious truths lest they imperil
their scientific orthodoxy.
Not only are men enslaVed by dead au-
thorities In the realm Of intellect: they
are at times In even greater bondage to
living authorities in the ranks of the
power holding classes. True, mems legal
right to freedom Of investigation and
instruction is now, save in few cases,
unquestiOned with us. Yet throughout
this free country" men instinctiyely
feel that by exercising these legal rights
and leaving the broad road travelled by
the crowd, they may be taking their pro-
fessiOnal futures, II not their lives, in
their hands. While man may not be
prosecuted, imprisoned or racked for
thinking for himself, what is easier than
to discharge him from his position and
cut off his supplies? II any still doubt
that this means Of coercion is actually
employed to-day, 1t Is but necessary to
point to the students of evolution, and
more recently to the students of eco
nomics, who at their peril have braved
the opinions Of their employers and OF
the pecuniary benefactors Of the ipsti-
tutiOns in which they have taught.
Macauley declared that "If any con-
siderable pecuniary interest were con-
cerned In denying the law of gravltation.
that law would be held in doubt among
us until this day" Now that economic
science has assumed position of tran
scendant Importance, and the fearless
Of economic truths is threat
ening vested rights and wrongs, It is
necessary to say that there can be no
doubt that one Of the most serious obsta-
cles In the way Of the cultivation OF this
science is the ever present dread of Of
Tending those powerful interests that so
largely dictate the policies of our educa-
tional institutions. So strong, in fact.
Is this fear Of giving offence that there
are not now wanting, even among those
OF liberal sentiments, some who even
argue In cold type that the study should
be banished from the curriculum! Where.
we wonder would science be IL nothing
had ever appeared in the curriculum un-
I'll the community were agreed upon it's
their methods of presentation.
and their application to life? A sad day
It VIII be for science and for national
progress when we deliberately decide to
close the doors Of our educational insti-
tutions against any department of truth
and cOnsign its study to the street cor
ners and to the hustings.
But the general education, good or bad.
demands supplementing with the spe-
cial and practical. It is a maxim once |
common among the Jews that he who |
'ails to teach his son some useful handi- |
craft teaches him to steal. Paul, whose
general scholarship was unquestIoned,
VAS taught the trade of tent maker, and
later found 1t Of great value to him.
IN our own specialized Industrial age
he man who has satisfied himself with |
merely a general education may find him
ielf helpless, as university graduates now
the railroad tracks can testify.
Further. 1t must never be forgotten
hat the liberal education is within the
each OF but a handful of our American
youth. For the tritling per cent. who
have the preparation, the money, the
packing, or the indomitable will power
and perseverance that will put them
through, the college doors swing open;
)ut against the vast multitude they are
'hut and sealed. In every classical COL
eye 1OWn thaPa oPo krOnns ~ wo,,ncr a1,AI