The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-16
''The Church i'm Higher Education
the Subject of an Address of
Unusual Interest.
TALK OF A CHURCH UNIVERSITY
MIR. HICKMAN HAS GIVEN THE MAT
TER MUCH CONSIDERATION.
The Close Relation of Religion and
Education Discussed i'm a SchOI-
arIy Manner.

Chancellor Hickman, of De Pauw Uni
versity, spoke on The Church in Higher
Education" yesterday morning in Roberts
Park Church. he said in substance:
THE church should maintain her schools
for higher education in those States where
the State university is at it's best, for the
following reasons:
Il For the best interests of higher edu-
cation there should be more than one class
or universities or colleges. a university
has its atmosphere, its life current, its
personality, its molding power. There is
culture of Oxford, and a culture of Cam
bridge, Yale, Harvard, Brown, Princeton
and Wesleyan. All differ from each other
and yet all contribute 10 the best interests
of higher education.
ITO have higher education in any one
State or States centralized in one great
school, having one teaching faculty, one
governing body-to make curriculum and
confer degrees, would form a kind of uni
versity trust, that would doubtless be as
intolerant and dominating in the realm or
intellectual development as any company
guild or trust in industrialism or finance
When university, therefore, or church.
or an industrial institution, assumes the
form OF paternalism and seeks TO control
patronage or suppress competition and in
dependent enterprise, it is prejudicial and
repressive to progress.
IF we had but one university to the
State, new ideas or educational reform
would have a hard time to get hearing
Even with the number of universities we
have the natural sciences which are now
recognized as cardinal factors in higher
education have had a hard time to get a
place and be co-Ordinated in the old sys-
TENS of culture in higher education. The
principles of rivalry, of competition, of
self-reiance, of independence are funda-
mental principles In human progress and
human governments.
A democracy like ours has diversity of
opinions and character. 1t must be so.
Our progress, our stability depend upon
the conservation of these principles. No
political party can command the support
of all voters, no matter what the issue is
1t would be a menace to civil liberty II 1t
was so. No church can shepherd all the
sheep. Bullets can be nodded so 1t makes
little difference which bullet you chance
TO take. One will fit the place as well as
the other But men, to build a democratic
republic, to teach and eXemplify the prin-
ciples of civil and religious liberty till
all nations are fully and safely established
in these principles, cannot be made by
putting them through one great university
system of ideas and modes Of work. No
machine like an army, a factory or a ship
can be democratic institution. Let those
who think differently turn to history.
THE GERMAN PEOPLE.
1.-THE best educated people in the world
are the German people Prussia is the CEN
ter OF higher education of all nations. For
scholarly investigation of the Scriptures,
progress in science and philosophy. indus
trial schools, Prussia stands easily first
among many. The secret OF her progress
is found in her educational system. Prus-
STA has at least six great universities, with
many colleges, each independent Of the
other, rivaling each other upon all the
lines of scholarly debate and public recog-
milton.
But how different in France. Previous
to the French revolution France was the
seat of numerous universities. She stood
! first in higher education and held the place
among nations that Germany now holds.
| These universities were, one after another,
abolished in the days of the Commune,
| and were finally replaced under the first
| Napoleon by what is called a Great Ma
tional University which is the present
| University of France. What is the result?
| The most eminent and learned men in
| France are calling for the overthrow of
| the system. Professor Playfair says, The
/ unanimity Is surprising with which emf
| nent men ascribe the intellectual paralysis
! of the nation to the Capitalization OF adj
| ministration and examination by the Uni
| versity of France Mr.. Dumas says: If the
causes of our marasmus appear complex
| and manifold they are still reducible TO
| one Observation-Disclosures centraliZa-
! ton, which. applied TO the university, has
| enervated superior instruction Professor
| Lorain says: We demand the destruction
| of the University of France, and the ere
| alton of separate universities. That is
our programme NJ. Renan says: The
| paltry faculties created by the first en-
| pire in no way replace the great and beau
| tiful systems of rival universities with
| their separate autonomies and systems,
| which are EuTODe-DOTrOWeQ from
and which all countries but France have
| preserved. We must create in the prov
| inces five or six universities. each indie
| pendent of the other
| "2 The church university Is a necessity
| for the evolution and conservation of the
| fundamental principles of our Republic.
The American Nation was born from the
most religious and best trained people that
ever gave birth to a nation. All other ma
tons came from rude barbarians or half
civilized peoples except the Hebrews and
| 4 nTfn p
| ligious ideas and purposes.
| ut took a widespread revival of religion
| under the lead of such men as Whitefield TO
make possible this national union. Before
] 174O there was neither political, social, eth
/ biological nor religious unity among the
colonies in this country. There were but
| two things in common among them, name
/ w. old world affinities and iealouses of
| each other. 1t took the heat of a mighty
revival to break down the partition walls
| and move the colonies by one mind.
'In the ordinance of 1877 for the North
west Territory of Ohio the compact en-
/ tered into between the thirteen original
| States and the people of the Territory; now
composing thirty-two States and all the
/ Territories, declares the object of the COM
pact 10 be extending the fundamental prin-
| ciples of civil and religious liberty, which
| form the basis wherein those republics,
| their laws and constitutions are erected.
/ TO fix and establish those principles as the
| basis of all laws. constitutions and govern
/ mentS which forever hereafter shall be
/ formed in said Territory The third arti-
| Gle says: Religion. morality and knowl-
| edge being necessary to good government
! and the happiness of mankind, schools and
| the means OF education shall forever be
! encouraged.
CHRISTIAN ETHICS.
THE basis of our Republic. therefore, is
declared TO be Christian ethics. Whoever
| does not perceive this vital distinction does
not understand American history. does not
understand the vital principle of American
democracy. We must insist on Christian
| ethics, the fundamental teachings of the
| word, for right character or we are ruined.
! The government prints on its money In
/ God we trust II appoints days of fasting
and prayer. II uses a system OF Christian
| oaths Ii has at different times granted
\ subsidies to religion. Most of legis-
! latures exempt the family Bible from exc
/ cutiOn. They provide that each apprentice
/ shall be supplied with one and require that
/ Bible shall be in the hands Of every in
mate of a Jail or reform school. The halls
/ OF legislation and courts supplied with
/ copies Of the Bible. The government APP
| points Christian chaplains TO public serv-
Il ice, secures the observance of the Chris
/ tian Sabbath and Furnishes blasphemy
i against God All at public expense.
/ Here Is our dilemma. Beginning with
/ the public school system and going 10 the
] university supported by the State we face
/ the fact that the State is Obliged 10 edu-
! cate all children for her own protection
| against the dangers OF illiteracy, and the
/ State must. 50 far as her schools are sup
| ported by taxation. refuse TO allow any
| distinctive sectarian religion or formulas
/ taught at public expense. And yet we face
greater danger. namely. criminal lteracy
/ To- wi 1iCrfn N 4