Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-11-05
TEACH MANHOOD.
President Thomas Address at Al
bany. N. r., Friday Niqht.

bany. N. r., Friday Nisht.
That the school or the college is an
instrum ent for the daily medication of
moral lessons, was pointed out by DR..
John M. Thomas, president of Middle
bury college in an address at ALBANY.
before the University convocation of
New York state on "Moral Education
in High Schools and Colleges" DR..
Thomas said, in part
ut has become commonplace that
schools and colleges do not exist for the
importation of given quantity of
knowledge, without regard to the quail
ity of manhood which is to apply that
knowledge in daily life, but they per-
form their functions only when they
send forth young men aud women of
character sufficient to withstand life s
temptations and discharge its RESPONSE
bilities.
1T is urged upon school men that if
they really accept this high sentiment
they will show their faith by introduc-
ing morals as subject of the school
curriculum. 1t is certainly more i'm
portant that boy talk clean and speak
the truth than that he possess the abil-
ity to solve aproblemin quadratic equa-
ton. 1t is of vastly more consequence
that he learn to respect the rights of
others and exercise self-control than that
he master the principles of physics or
even that he acquire the ability of clear
and effective speech.
MANHOOD THE FIRST NEED.
''Then should not the school. and the
college, also, undertake to impart a
connected body of moral precepts, treat
ing the principal virtues in order, as the
prophets of righteousness have brought
them to light, and as the world TODAY
has need of them? Why not prepare
the boy for the pitfalls that are surely
ahead of him by conveying to his mind
an articulated system of ethics, with
clear statement of the ground of moral
obligation and definate portrayal of all
and sundry moral virtues of their con-
trary vices ? If as much thought and
patience as are now expended in leading
students to some little acquaintance
with the Latin language were devoted
to exhibiting the manner of manhood
which ought to be in this world, in
which heroic and sanity souls have
pushed far upward the ideals and
notions of what it is to be man, would
not something worthy, and something
practically helpful be the result %
DIR. Thomas continued
STUDENTS TEN COMMANDMENTS.
AS indicative of the spirit which
should animate our work, and the tenn
per which should pervade an institution
of learning" he concluded, Il have
ventured to compass the learner ideal
in series of propositions, which have
dared trust not irreverently-to call
the students ten commandments
!. Thou shalt set the service of God
and man before thine heart as the end
of all thy work.
2. Thou shalt inquire of each study
what it has for thee as worker for a
better world, not relinquishing thy per
suit of 1T until thou hast gained its
profit unto this end
| .. lHOu SId!t love the truth and only
the truth, and welcome all truth gladly.
whether it bring thee or the world iov
or suffering, pleasure or hardship, ease
or toll.
a. Thou shalt meet each task at the
moment assigned for it with a willing
heart
8. Thou shalt work each day to the
limit of thy strength, consistently with
the yet harder work which shall be thv
duty on the morrow.
3. Thou shalt respect the rights and
pleasures of others, claiming no privi-
eye for thyself but the privilege of ser
vice, and alloying myself no JOY which
does not increase the joy of thy fellow
men.
7. Thou shalt love thy friends more
than myself, thy college more than thy
friends, thy country more than thy col
lege, God more than all else.
8. Thou shalt rejoice in the excellence
of others, and despse all rewards saving
the gratitude of thy fellows and the ap-
prevail of God.
9. Thou shalt live by the best, hold
ing relentlessly to those ideals thou dost
most admire in other men.
10. Thou shalt make for thvself
commandments harder than another can
make for thee, and each new day com
mandments more rigorous than thine
own laws of the day before