The Portland daily press., 1899-12-08
CHURLS WITH DIPLOMAS.
A Little Chapter ON Instruction That
Doesn't Educate.
Edward Everetti Hale in Christian
Register.)

happen to know o man who has taken
pleasure for many years past In lending
through the women's colleges young
women selected from the public schools
by their teachers as being specially ft for
"the higher eduoation." My friend has
paid the whole expenses OF fthess young
women through their college courses. at
charge Of 10 not know how many
thousands of dollars. This year dozen
OF them. more or less, were graduated at
different colleges OF that number one
wrote to him TO thank him for his gsner-
osity and to invite him to her commence
ment. All the others took their diplomas
without one word to him or any express
ion In any form Of gratitude.
Again, a disting uishsd leader Of this
community, who died a fsw years since,
cautioned me with the caution which his
father had given to him when he came
70 manhood. The father said: ~ think
you will like to help young men In their
education. Take care never to accept
from them any written obligation. Here
are NO or three thick files Of such obliga-
lions which l have taken. aud which the
writer's bavp forgotten. 1t always makes
me cynical to look at them."
Once more, tbs treasurer OF q large
educati onal fund who hi,d for many years
sent annually dozen or twenty checks
to students who received benefits Of that
fund, told me- that in ten years time be
had never one had u rec eipt In acknowl-
edgement Of his payment. In the annual
audit Of his accounts he always had to
present bis checks which these young
had hoe ahl i.aH IN ird
put In print these three disagreeabls
a ne odotes because think they illustrate
q remark which heard made BY the late
MIR. MemD,ineer of Jen Dsvis's
Cabinet 1t was at a club In Charles
ton, 5. T.. In ls4s that MIR. AemminGer
uttered remarkable protest against
public education. He said, virtually.
that IL cut the tap-root Of gratitude. He
said that, II the children received this
priceless gift from the state, 1t would
wenn them from the love Of their fathers
and mothers. He said that public eduoa-
ton was destructive to the tender ness of
home. What was pathetic In this was
that 1t was sud that he himself had been
brought up In an orphan asylum. and
knew nothing OF that tenderness for
whose defense he was contsnding.
May it not be fairly asked II some of
pudent selt.oonoeit, Dursed and bred by
our determinations about public educationf
Fools, speaking to them on anniversaries.
tell them that they are the most import
ant beings In the world. They know that
tire state ia xes itself for their training,
No it does not for armiss and navfes.
nd the danger Is that these littlesgentle-
men and ladies shall come to think that
thsy belong ut the hea OF the board, and
that these unfortunates who teach them,
who feed them, who cloths them. are
sort OF Helots, quite unworthy OF any
respect beyond what a supercilious
patronage may express.
The whole discussion of Manners II II
is to be of any use, Will bring us back
to the central truth-these colleges and
thsse s.hools exist for education. and not
simply for this petty details Of Instruction.
10 make OF thsm mere Information
bureaus Is to degrade than. We have
no use for than unlesI thew can make
men out of bows and wome. al OF girls
This means character. It " ans that,
first of all, boys and girls, Young men
ana young women, shall know uho they
are, why tn v are, aud what they are to
live for. Ihsy are to know that thy are
In the world whsre each lives for all and
all for each
II thsy can grow to this knowledge un
der ths oontagion OF this teachers to
VII I'm such training 10 intrusted. or BY
ths dignified and noble spirit OF the body
Of young people among whom they live,
good manners are secured. II msy be.
though IL will probably not he. that a
pill may direct letter upside down, but
tbs letter will say tina right thing. IL
may be that chs will use thu wrong fork
ut the dinner tablo. but she will be sure
Al u IL.