The sun., 1909-12-08
DO SCHOOLS TEACH HONORq
He wishes There Were Something Akin 60
tho Catechlsm 20 Teach @tuaentB
what ID Right and wreaH-Ashletics
Manned at the Graduates Clun

tho Catechlsm 90 Teach @tuaentu
what ID night and wreng-Ashletics
Biamed at the Graduates CIub.
At the Graduates Club just back OF
Deimonico's there was discussion last
evening Of the question do our systems
OF public education prepare children and
youth to enter life with principles of
honorf' The participants were DR.. Gus
tav Straubenmuller. associate City Super
inteudent Of Schools: DR.. William L.
Felther. principal OF the Brooklyn Girls
High School; Prof. John Dewey OF Column
bia University and Dr. William II. Max
well. Superintendent OF Schools.
DR.. Straubenmuller said that nothing
tended more to destroy q boys ideals
and to give him the idea that nen were
mt all that he had thought them than un-
just pUnishment.
Il believe" said Or. StraubenmulIer,
that We should try to develop personality
In teacher. to give him ideals. and" he
added. 'to give him enough to live on
Said DR.. Feltner: There are schools
whore boys 60 into athletics with the
sordid motive Of politicians. What am
to get out of itY and work their way
into college with that same idea and aim.
Prof. Dewey was optimistic. although
he mentioned some discouraging factors.
There has been.- said he. "a marked
relaxation in the tutelary supervision
OF college students.' And he gave a
personal illustration.
Il was for many years" he said.- con-
nected with q Western college where IL
was said that there were only two rules.
One was that student should not shoot
professor. and the other that student
should not burn down a college building.
There In now he said later. "a movement
for some closer supervision. think that
there In now less boisterousness. Iess
rowdyism. less drunkenness and less
Sexual immortality in the colleges than
there used to be.
Il think it is scarcely realized to-day
the degree OF moral degradation that has
come from the introduction OF the pro-
fessional element into college athletics.
Our colleges and young men are suffer-
ing to-day from a lack OF ideals. a want
OF great ideas outside OF themselves,
outside OF personal success.
Il asked a young man in college why
this was, what was the cause OF the lack
OF interest in the intellectual life for its
own sake. He said-to use his words
Well. suppose that John D. is the cause.
He meant the idea OF material SUCCESS
AS compared with the schools and
colleges OF years ago. Mr.. Maxwell
said. those OF to-day are rendering good
service in support OF the right. the Just,
the true. Talking with a Scotch pro-
fessor the other day who had made a
tour Of study in this country. i asked
him how the behavior Of the students
here compared with that OF those in his
country.
There is no comparison he said.
i attended meeting at a Western col
lege to speak to an audience OF 1900
students. Why, II 1000 students were
assembled in Glasgow nobody could
speak, The band quit the stage and left
their instruments there. In Glasgow
that would have been tempting Provi-
dencei There when it's a students
night at the theatre nobody else goes
10 the theatre. n
yet said DR.. Maxwell, Il am one OF
those who believe that the schools do
not do enough in instruction i'm ethics
He said that he was thankful that in
his youth he had had TO learn the shorter
catechism Of the Westminster confession.
He wished tn at some one might incor-
porate In such a form some OF the ele-
mental and profound principles OF what
10 everiastinRY right and everlsstingly
wrong for use in schools.