Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-01-11

I his reign was at once the glory and the
ruin of United Israel" He is himself au-
| thority for saying that knowledge does
not necessarily insure happiness, for he
says, He that increaseth knowledge in
| creaseth sorrow" And increase of knowl-
| edge may operate TO increase wickedness
also. Sir Archibald Alison, author of
! THE History of Europe During the
French Revolution noting the increase
of depravity with the spread Of knowl-
edge in France during that period says.
''It is not simply knowledge, it is knowl-
I edge detached from religion, that pro-
| duces this fatal result. The reason of its
corrupting tendency in morals is evident.
when so detached it multiplies the de-
sires and passions of the heart without
, an increase to its regulating principles:
II augments the attacking forces without
strengthening the resisting powers, and
| thence the disorder and license Il spreads
| through society. The invariable charac-
teristic of a declining and corrupt state
OF society is a progressive increase in the
force of passion and progressive de-
cline in the influence OF duty If these
words of the great historian are true
] land who will dispute them pit be-
| hooves us to ask with reference to the
| education that we estimate so highly, Is
| 1t of such sort as to fire passion or to
| infiame noble sense of duty? And when
this question is raised one must be blind
| ly optimistic if he does not have many
misgivings about the answer to IL.
The passion for athletics; the habits OF
| luxury and self-indulgence among stu
dents in our weather. universities; and
the popular misconception that education
| is a selfish thing designed to promote per-
sonal standing and enable one to live
without work all these and other things
| lead one to fear that much of what Is
called education is arousing passion and
enfeeblng the sense of duty in the ris
| ing generation.
I In view of similar conditions in Ger
many few years ago Kaiser William
/ fatty affirmed that there was too much
| education among the Germans Abou,
| the same time Prof. Peck of Columbia
| University. writing upon the defects OF
| Modern Education" deprecated the idea
almost universal among our people. that
education in itself and for all human be-
! ings is a good and thoroughly desirable
| possession" Insisting that this idea is
| fraught with Social and political peril, -
he went on to say that education means
ambition. and ambition means discomfort
20 We see on every hand great
masses of men stirred by a vague dis
| satisfaction with their lot, their brains
added and confused by doctrine that Is
| only half the truth and vaguely under
| stood, vet thoroughly adapted to make
| them ripe for the agitator and the enemy
| of public order. Such education
1 as these possess can never qualify fol
any serious role; it only makes for griev-
| Gus disappointment and final heart
| break. Nor is there any moral safeguard
! in a limited degree of education. Quite
| the contrary. 1t only makes the natur-
| ally criminal person far more dangerous
converting the potential sneak-thief into
the actual forger and embszzler, and the
! bar-room brawler into the anarchist
bomb-thrower. Statistics lately sent tc
/ Congress in a veto message show the
| fact that in our prisons the proportion OF
| the fairly educated to the uneducated Is
/ far larger than among an equal number
| of ordinary citizens"