The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10
A LIBERAL EDUCATION.
An AII-Around knowledge, Even for
the Specialist.


Edward Everett Hale, in Christian Reg
John Adams says somewhere, in a pass
age which Mr.. Bancroft cited with ad-
miration, that he proposed that every child
in Massachusetts should receive a liberal
education. His intention has been well car
ried out. l learned two years ago that there
were nearly twenty high school buildings in
Massachusetts recently erected, each one
of which is a finer building than any build
ing which Harvard College possessed when
L graduated and each of these buildings
has apparatus for the higher education Of
its boys and girls, better than existed in
Harvard College in 1899.
In the course of the years which have
passed since 1899, it has been my privi-
lege to speak twenty or thirty times at
the commencement anniversaries of diff
ferent high schools and colleges. 1 am al
ways trying to renew the memory of what
John Adams said. And, as 1 apply it, his
intention wish is not for Massachusetts
only; it is for the United States Of America,
that every boy girl may have the privi-
lege of a liberal education.
1t goes almost without saying that in
the plea for liberal education one means
that that education shall not be confined
very closely to specialties. The European
writer's are so far advanced that they are
willing to say that public education should
be given to every one born into the State,
so far that every boy girl shall be master
of the three RS, reading, riting and
rithmetic. l found in Spain that many in
telligent men were distressed because at
that time only one in eight of the popula-
ton of Spain could reao or write. have
had a porter in Madrid say 10 me. when
the cavalier comes who can read, he Will
read TO US the tickets on your trunks and
will take the trunks TO your hotel The
man who spoke was himself a caballero;
but he could not read, and the other pOr-
tiers could not read, and they were walt
ing for a caoman who could read. The
inconvenience OF this affects the classes
of people who direct education in Europe;
and they mean now that everybody shall
read, and shall know that ten times one is
ten, and shall be able TO write their names.
But John Adams meant, and America
means, a great deal more than this. Amer
lea means that a voter shall know what he
is voting about. He shall know where the
Philippine islands are, what they are and
what they were he shall know what yell
low fever is and what IL Is not, and what
people mean when they talk of malaria
and bacteria, and when they use such
words as propagation and evolution.
America means, and John Adams meant,
that the people OF America shall under
stand the language of their times. This
is my definition or the magic words lib
eral education. l say that a liberal educa-
ton means that a man shall understand
the language of his time. 1t does not
mean that he shall read Greek badly or
write Latin badly or know the genders of
German nouns or the infections Of the
French verbs. 1t need not take him out of
the range of the English language. On the
other hand, ii means that he shall under
stand the language OF his time. l am
afraid it is necessary to say this again
and again, because there has arisen up in
America heresy quite alien from the
snobbish heresy of Europe. The snobbish
heresy of Europe would conflne the average
pupil TO knowledge Of the three RS. The
snobbish heresy of America confines what
it calls the educated student 10 the knowl-
edge of this speciality or that. One of
your sons is to be educated TO know what
| the Oxines of Nitromalonic Adelhyde are.
| and another son IS to be educated to know
! who wrote the Song of the Violet" which
| was crowned in the year I'LL. But the
Violet son is not TO know what the OK
lines is. and the OXimes man is never 70
/ read of the literature OF Provence. Now
think this is as bad snobbishness as the
snobbishness of feudal countries.
The question of what is a liberal educa-
/ ton becomes more than an academic ques-
ton 1t will be discussed in the academies
and by the church first: but the public will
/ choose to take its own in education. and
/ the question will be settled by the sensible
! people OF America.
l have myself in the two months Just
/ passed lNeQ WITHIN the quadrangle an
! officer in the University Of Chicago /
! have also had the great pleasure OF cele-
/ brating commencement with the girls OF
/ Smith College. which reproduces the col
lege In Tennysons Princess" and | have
/ assisted" lin the French fashion, at Rad
cliffe and Harvard and their commence
ments. l have. therefore. heard much dis
/ cussion and contributed TO IL in my modest
/ way as 10 the modern curriculum in the
/ new university or college. For man what
/ for woman What?' The old standards are
/ shaken, not only by the iconOcasts who
I call Greek a fetch. nor by the leaders OF
/ women. who say very truly, We are as
/ good as YOU" but by the specialists who
/ think or pretend to think that there should
i be one nursing bottle for lawyers. one for
poets and another for secretaries Of the
/ navy.
In all such discussions I stand out with
/ flint obduracy. 10 protest against this varied
nursing bottle theory. 1 say, Put off the
/ speciality as long as you can / say that
| there are certain things which everybody
must be trained in To tell the truth is
one. To know certain fundamentals is one.
DIT. Eliot in an admirable address at Rad
cliffe. called attention 10 the slowness
| which women colleges have SHOWN thus Tar
/ in adapting their courses 10 women.
/ wish he would print that address. l wish.
/ also. some central board OF men and wo-
men, presidents all of them, would study
and proclaim what are the central necessi-
must attend 10 willy-nilly. l have named
! two. Let US add:
| l. Every woman graduate must use the
lower register or her voice and not -sAah