The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-17
COLLEGE HEADS VIEW
WAKEFIELD ON "EDUCATI0N
FOR CITIZENSHIP"
Before Newark Club Lays Stress on
Power of Thought-Poltics Detri-
ment to Schools.

Education for Citizenship was the sub
1ect of an address delivered by DIR. Ethel
bert d. Warf1eld, president of Lafayette
College, at the monthly dinner of the
Wednesday Club at Davis's last night.
| ese thai two score members had turned
out, and at the close of the formal talk
there were pertinent remarks by several
of the members, including Rabbi solomon
Foster.
Dir. Addison b. Poland, the city superln-
tepdent of public schools, introduced the
speaker of the evening in a way that
readily prepared the members for the
highly intellectual treat that followed. AS
in plant or animal life, DR.. Warfeld said.
there was marked differentiation, so there
are marked differences in ideals. Such diff
ferences are due to the parent stem and
to the environment to which they are after
ward subject. 1t is i'm the colleges, snid
he, that progress is to be looked to, but
rot the encoura cement of variation.
After setting forth that the common
school system had been first claimed by
the Dutch, then the English and finally The
Germans, he said: ut is essential in the
education for citizenship that the power
of thought be not obscured. 1t is this
power of thought that gave to the word
the results Of such men as Copernicus.
Kepler and Newton, men of pure intel
lect whose power of thought left an III
delible impression upon the actualities Of
the world. II was the power of pure in
tellect. too, that gave us a new world
through Columbus.
at Is necessary to train men to hin
so that they may become the servants Of
the state, but underneath all this lies the
question OF moral quality, that attitude
toward things. perhaps, which the French
81 ----I A. H. III.
country is so wondrously mixed the morci
question becomes one of serious import.
We naturally turn to the school for the
proper incubation Of the moral principle.
One thing we have secured In the public
schools and that Is to keep the teacher out
Of politics. but where Is the ommuni
that has kept the school board out Of poi
tics?
"And what is the result? The school
board is looked at by the pupils as the
representative of true civic life. This
is one of the things that has been crit
icised by German and English educators"
DR.. War6eld added that the mastery Of
English speech as a vehicle of expression
was one Of the things needed to enhance
education In this country, and then turned
to the religious questions as of Immediate
Importance.
In conclusion the speaker said that II
would be well for the educator to hold
fast to high ideals in the teachings Of
the history Of the country, and paid a
high tribute TO the educational value Of
properly directed athletics.
In his presentation of the subject Rabbi
Foster dwelt upon its moral and religious
phases. He said that all great movements
Of the world from the days of Israel TO
the present had their foundation deep in
the moral and religious sense of the. people
and that the great ages Of history have
been religious ages.
''Iddals Of religion should be inculcated
in the rising generation said the rabbi,
But how can religion be taught2 That
is the question. Religion cannot be de-
fined or enforced by laws and regulations.
1t is folly to hold religion down to laws
and regulations. To the home and church
belongs the incubation of religious ideas,
No other institution in modern times has
any right TO inculcate any distinct char
acterlzatiop OF religion.
'sThe public school is not the place for
the motivation of the spiritual dogmatlc
Interpretation of religion"
At tie November meeting The Con
trasts of a Century will be discussed by
Cyrus q. Shepard. Professor Frank @.
Gilman. Frederick T. Johnson, Dr.. Wilson
Farrand. the Rev. Or. William II. Morgan.