The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-07-10
The College Degenerate"
And Family Influence"

| cational Association in Denver, Colo
RADIO, Thursday, which body, by the
way, has honored two southern men
by selection to FIJI important offices,
Charles Fordyce, dean of the Univer-
stty OF Nebraska, delivered an ad-
dress in answer to the question:
why is it that a young man degen-
crates within six months after he
enters college?'
This question, said Dean Fordyce.
was frequently asked him by teachers,
who declared that their boys leave
them clean in mind strong in body
and fitted for a college life," yet in
six months they give way to the va
rious temptations offered at the higher
seats of learning. The doctors ex-
PLANTATION was that these degenerating
boys have been going to a secondary
school under home influence and
that, therefore, when they become
their own masters in a comparatively
unrestricted college life they fall IN
der the alluring vices constantly
Haunted before their eyes" And the
doctor deduced from this premise
that boys should be made self-re-
liant men before they enter college"
The good dean, it strikes The Jour
nal, was somewhat illogical in his
conclusions. In the first place it is
| doubtful If even a spartan discipline
would ever make a 'self-re1iaat man"
out of boy. and. besides. the his
tory Of peoples tends to show that,
after all. the safest and best plan to
instill morality in boy or girl is the
very family influence" which is
rather held I'D to scorn.
OF course, there are families and
families. The production of sneaky
little goody gGooy boys is deprecated
by every intelligent student of lie;
but there are comparatively few of
these f1accid monstrosities turned out
of American homes and American
secondary schools. Most of our fami-
lies are built along other lines and
most of our teachers, let us be thank
full to know, despise a sissy boy
worse than old Nick himself and
would never voluntarily be guilty of
manufacturing one.
While not at all ready to admit that
anything like a majority of boys en-
tering colleges become victims to
dissipation and vice and may have
the word degenerate hurled at them
after they have enjoyed six months
of college life, we are rather inclined
to believe that the better explanation
in the case of those who do fall into
the clutches of temptation is that COL
lege life usually commences at about
the period in life when mature young
blood flows with the strongest passion
and nature, the barbarian, can best
overcome the steadier, nobler, caImer
teachings of civilization.
1t is. moreover, safe to. assert that
the very home influences" referred
to will, in nine cases out of ten, be
found to act as a redemptive infiu-
ence to save these "degenerates" from
long disgrace and restore them to an
honorable and useful station among
men. And, finally, is it not true that
just as large a per cent of young men
of college age who never enter a col
Iege as Of those who do, go aStray for
awhile, forget the teachings Of family,
friends and tutors, travel the broad
road that. leads to destruction until
called back TO their senses and to
righteousness by the principles of
goodness instilled into them by fam
lily influence" and secondary schools?
1t will be quite cheering some day
to read a dispatch telling US that some
Central American republic is mot" on
the verge OF revolution.