The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-21

Our civilization cannot spare these
men and women No system of training
must be devised that shall in any way
close the path of intellectual endeaVor
that leads up to the very highest fields
Of thought and training. and no indi-
vidual teacher or administrator should
ever have the power to dictate the des-
tiny of any of our children.
In higher education the old type of
institution has passed away never to
complex thing than it was a decade
ago The change that has come over
it has been rapid and startling. 1t
must now be, as its name implies, q
its energies toward everything that
fairly comes within the purview of
higher education 1t must not only
provide for those who are fortunate
enough to be in residence at the insti-
tuition. but also. so far rs possible, all
others in the commonwealth who may
be able to profit by its endeavors.
1T must be the greatest exponent of
democracy that the comm OnWeaith af
fords; it must stand for the highest
ideals of life and conduct; it must in
siSt upon law and Orde~ upon intell6c-
tuaI honesty, upon true scholarship. 1t
must be the intellectual! leader of the
community. 1t must be thoroughly
Christian in its influence and life, and
vet it must conform to the true free
deavor so absolutely essential tC true
religious growth.
The college ought to assist the high
school in the maintenance of high
standards of sound scholarship and
should through its advocacy of an
honest and virile intellectual discipline
enable a high school to Withstand the
exceedingly strong tendency to entirely
commercialize public education
1T was thought some years ago
that intellectual training would of it
self radically change the moral status
of those affected, and prove a suffi-
cient instrument for cOunteracting
vice and crime. The feeling seemed
to be general that moral and religiC US
training in connection with public edu-
cation was not only impossible out
unnecessary in the American system of
schools.
THAT the problem of religious edu-
cation in public schools is a difficult
solved, and in my opinion 1t must
be solved in accordance with the gen
eral tenor of the great world religious
movement of which we are a part.
Fortunately for US, few states are so
homogeneous in thought and action
upon fundamental moral problems as
Kansas.
Religious antipathies are by no
means so strong here as elsewhere; ;
the decisions of our courts are by no
to any attempt to unite religious and
Intellectual training. Kansas is there
fore in favorable position to help
solve one of the most difficult and
important of educational questions.
THE American college is one of the
greatest bulwGrks left us against the
rising tide of commercialism and ma
terialism. It's teachings and ideals
have had much to do in stemming the
current that has run so strongly con-
life. The American college and the
American high school should in every
legitimate way respond to the de-
mands Of modern life.
But at the same time they should
be the preservers of the ideals of cul-
ture and true scholarship that have
mad so much to do with the soundness
of our civilization. They should en-
deavor to correct and not emphasize
the weaknesses of our times, for it
would be the height of unwisdom to
commercialize and materialize all our
education