The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-19
THOMAS JEFFERSON
HIS IDEAS ON EDUCATION AND GOVERN MENT.
Eloquent Address Before Marion Military Institute by Professor Thornton of the University
 of Virginia.

of Virginia.
 Marion. April s.-(SpeciaL )--Thom- as Jefferscn's ideas on education and government was the theme of an able and eloquent address before the Coun- ell and students of the Marion Military Institute, on Jefferson's birthday, Gov ernment Day. This day has been set apart in the Institutes calendar to commemorate the Inauguration of a system of self-government by the students. The annual address this sea- son was delivered by Professor Will liam M. Thornton of the University of Virginia. His subject was The Gen. esis of the Honour Systcm;" and his address was a masterfy presentation of Jefferson's conception of the form and function of government in educa- tion within a Democracy. and. of the embodiment of this conception in the University of Virginia.
 Of the origin and development of the famous Honor System conceived by Jefferson. the distinguished speaker said in part: t"
 In the report of the commissioners appointed to fix the site of, the Uni- versity of Virginia and devise the plan of organization for it-a report drawn by Jeffersons own, hand--we find his plan of academic government
 The best mode of government for youth in large collections Is certainly a. desideratum not yet attained by us. It may be we'll questioned whether fear after certain age Is a motive to which we should have ordinary re- course. The human character is sus- ceptible of other indictments to cor rect conduct more worthy of employ and of better effect Pride of charac- ter. laudable ambition. and moral dis positions are innate correctiyes of the indtscretions of that lively age; and when strengthened by habitual appeal and exercise have a happier effect on future character than the degrading motive of fear. Hardening them to disgrace. to corporal punishments and servila ehumiliations cannot be the best process for producing erect character. The afectionate department between father and son offers in truth the best example for that of tutor and pupil; {; and the experience and practice of oth- CT countries in this respect may be worthy of inquiry and consideration with us. It will then be for the wis dom and discretion of the visitors to devise and perfect a proper system of government, which if 1t be founded in reason and comity will be more likely to. nourish In the minds of our youth the combined spirit of order and self respect, so congenial with our politi- cal institutions and so important to be woven into the American character" This famous passage is rightly re. garded as the origin and the axiom of | the honour system. Jeffersons ideal plainly was to create character; to ap- peal for the correction of abuses to the moral disposition of the young; to | establish hAtWAan 1Ifn nd attitude of mutual respect and mutual | anection; and to avoid all forms of punishment which served rather to de- grade and humiliate the offender than | to create a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him."
 It is matter of profound interest to trace out the features in Jefferson's new university which directly or indi- rectly brought about the realization of such a plan. The first of these which strikes our attention is the arrange ment of the buildings. second feature Is found in the enactments for the gov ernment of the university. drawn up 1 also by JeffersOn's own hand and le- galized by the action of the Board of
 Visitors, of which board he was rec. tor A third feature grows out of the unlimited personal freedom granted to the student. A further feature Is the ! nal code. A fifth and final feature is of peculiar interest in view of the sys- tenn of government prevalent in your own Institute. The enactment Is as follows:
 Minor offences may be referred to a board of six censors, to be named by the faculty from the most discreet of the students, whose duty 1t shall be, sitting as board. to inquire into the facts, propose the minor punishment.
 which they think proportioned to the onense, and to make report thereof to the professors for their appreciation. "r their communication of the penalty if | 1t be beyond the grade of offense." This permissive enactment has nev- l CT been put In force among us, and we are watching with deep interest and appreciation your own experience in working out a similar form of stu dent self-government.
 In tracing the gradual evolution of Jenerson's ideal of academic govern | ment into its working form we have reached strange inversion of his plan. The original enactments propos- ed to devolve upon the students the l discipline of minor offenses and to re- l serve to the professors the infiction of major punishments. Under the hon. | our system in it's actual operation the maximum punishment is imposed by l the students and all the deadly sins against gentlemanhood and decency have been placed under their jurisdic- tion. The faculty does no more than back up their verdict. To the faculty on the other hand has been left the whole class of minor sins and minor punishments. With capital crimes against academic society they have l practically never to deal. A certain | number of chronic intellectual or nor al invalids has to be dismissed each year to seek a more bracing climate. Beyond this the utmost severity of their verdicts never needs to go
 If this history of the Genesis of the Honour System in the University of Virginia shows anything. it shows that 1t has not been and never can be the result of statutory enactment the mushroom growth of a single night Neither Virginia nor Princeton nor any other University could adopt" the >.-~----------- ~---N------ -----------4~------..