The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-16
THE HONOR SYSTEM.

Academic department of Yale Univer- sity have gone about the considera- tion of the honor system of conduct ing examinations indicates, we regret to say, lack of understanding of the principle involved. The honor system, 1t may be at once explained, consists in leaving students to pass their exam nations without the presence of a member of the faculty to either en- force order or watch the conduct of the students. It is system which has been working admirably. if all reports be true, at the University of Virginia for many years but it seems not to have gained foothold in any of the other large institutions of learning in the country.
 This year the faculty of Yale Col lege offered the members of the sem for class the opportunity to try the honor system but upon an original basis. The boys themselves shrank from being held responsible for viola tions of the rule or agreement and the faculty could think of no better way to detect the violators than by being admitted to the examination room from time to time and thus be given the chance to catch the unwary. The students have properly declared this to be revival, even if only in part, of the spy system and on that account unworthy of consideration. The stud- ents were led, too, to the conclusion, probably because of the confusing manner in which the proposition to establish the honor system was made, that there Is something in the large classes to make It's enforcement im- possible. Manifestly the faculty lack faith In a real honor system since 1t would deprive It's members of making detections should violations of it oc- cur. In other words, while the student body Is more or less saturated with the ldebilitating idea that human nature in mass is insensltive to the appeals of the honor system, the faculty cannot get over the traditional idea that all youngsters will bear watching and that to train them as they should grow the vigilance of the spy system Is to a greater or lesser degree absolutely necessary. In still other words there is | lacking from the faith of both the sav- ing grace of confidence in themselves and each other.
 It Is quite unnecessary to say that
 the honor system at Yale or any other American seat of education will never be established so long as it Is made a matter of debate and speculation. Hon- or is a thing which will not bear dis cussing. It either is or 1t Is not. If 1t Is then 1t can be left to go It's own way; If it is not then all the watching that alert eyes are capable of will accom- plish nothing. Nor has the size of a
 class anything to do with it. A crowd of one hundred is no more apt to con- ceal It's dishonest members than a group of ten, nor can group of ten
 be more safely trusted than a. crowd of one hundred. There are classes in Yale to-day which hold their examina- tions free from the presence of their instructors, and 1t is the testimony of the students thus trusted that a stand ard of conduct is established the mo- Iment the door closes on the retreating form of the instructor which automat- ically puts to confusion those who
 would otherwise be only too glad to take advantage of the situation. The great majority feel keenly the confl-
 dence reposed in them and by sugges- ton convey to the unprepared the ut
 ter futility of attempting to do the
 mean thing with their approval But suppose, on the other hand, that the honor system is established without barley and left to work out it's own
 salvation. Very likely small percent
 age of the students in the examination
 hall would take advantage of the chance to skin" but the harm would fall on them and not on the honest lstudent or the faculty. As for the large percentage of the students examined,
 they would come out of the test strengthened and uplifted. They would
 if there is any uplifting grace in per-
 sonal honor, which Is pretty poor stuff
 when it has to be kept under lock and
 key.
 We hope at some time in the future ito hear that Yale University has adopt
 ed the honor system without explana-
 ton of any kind and without any at-
 tempt to control it's enforcement. Our
 faith in the average student is such
 that we should confidently expect
 within four years to learn that its
 principles were so far respected that
 the men who undertook to ignore them
 would be run out of college under
 stress of undergraduate contempt