The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-04
Tendency TO Be Practical Very
Often Narrows Mental
Outlook.
Elective System Doing Harm to
Great Many limo
cent People.
by W. A. Harper. LII. D., Preside ut
of Zion COLLEGE,


age, have its peculiar. its d 's,inguish-
iing tendencies. Influenced OF course. ry
rhc general character. but hav'rs
reverthcless something distinctively
Hts own. TO these general principle
.educatlon IS no exception. The con-
iception OF what Il ough, 10 DC and
No has changed from age to age and
Is different now from what IL has ov-r
before been in the worlds h'storr The
educational ideal Of to-day. mean
tho commonly accepted IDEAL. Is far
different from tina, Il nfty OF OF ono
hundred years ago The modern lead
'ers OF educational thought look vita
oomm.seration upon those who were
educated under the old regime and
hold up tho new a. worthy % all
acceptance, and Of every confidence
The old education was staid and dig
nined and thorough. II laid great
stress upon dicipln nary studies. es-
peclally Mathematics and Ancient
Languages. and honorcd them WIN
tho naitering title Of tho Humanlc's.
III regarded man as a living soul ana
.end.avored 70 enlarge the snipFe on
ih,s living Getting ready to i!e
Was the aim OF every one who sough'
education. whether In INC perpetrators
ecnool or tho college. And life was
more an art than a science--a hne art
cor1elv and symmetrical and charm
inr Culture was appreciated a. ore
OF the greatest human graces ana con
vcrsation was brilliant and engaging
The human soul siuto!ded and eN,
rounded oenisuiy under inls sys''',
,ducn;ton Great thinkers IN pull'''
ma IN new graced the age Lie was
larve and sympathetic. conduct WAS
culture and humane and there was
time no, only for making hVlhS.
In, also Tor living life- NE 'na'
was nropor,ioua,e. -impi". even grace
fui. charmius cultured.
Rut this SYSTEM q cdrcailon ana '.'
nd. I, fos,ered and fruited were ho'n
4,,.ea - receive harsh treatmen, IN
the strenuous days thai sueeeeae'
.,r,v national l.fc. Wealth neSan 20
.-,,,,n,late. and men TO decay 10Y
$50 nonuialon decreased hrt tnai
nd, became Intoxicated with the 'ptA
81 uakine money and gave less neen
10 nan-raking than IN former uiS
-rbts has been the experience ot No,
:. 49, ~ country. fertile ana Wen
favored as ours Is. but pa'''c.'"
~ o,rs because 81 the .ra 81 '"He..
~, {, mechanics that mas rsneIcu 80,
sLtrr momnotM fortunes poss'p %,
Iva catering millionlires plen" H.'s
an over the land. Tho easy
cultured HE Of the preceeins
tion fell into disrepute anp
~ oil
The education which ios'e'sH -.
diso discredited. Mechanical seDoo.s'
,,,s,,sss schools normal schoo!s. -
otools schools O: all kinds o'''.s"s
.ho~t.cu,s In the Wy OF P''i,'
al. Inc new IDEAL M" 'heN 'N'
n-ose as criticisms 81 tho o'N 49,
,lonsl method 1t became thc 49,.
10 berate and minimize inc l's 49,,
.. 10 former DAYS and many OF "a 'l
,,od ,heir ideal and MADE II ~ ,aE
-. -,ossihlo conform to tie demahNs .o'
= r1orA practical education. the comm
ca,t notes OF which are precVVt,''s'
ao,snov specialization and the cleo
hive system
ours Practical Age
There is no DENYING that ours -
nractical age. This arises from the
com mercialism which IS our nor 80
also our menace. have ~ quaTFe' WIN
Neal,h-we must have It. Industry
and life to-day both require large
wealth. II is our hope. But the sriri,
OF commercIal!sm. unless tempered
with the spiri, Of huma nifty. Will prove
direful menace 70 personal and ma
tlonal life. The practical tendency OF
our life appears in every direction.
The church interprets & to mean So
cial service through various forms OF
organized effort The statesman no
longer bushes himself with the elemen-
tai principals OF democracy. bu' de-
votes his energies to eifectinS certain
desired Legislation. No feature Of our
public life exempliies this practical ten
dency mere than the present day typi-
cal Fourth of July oraton. The rrac
teal educator would spend time on
nothing tina; does not tend directly to
the production Of more wealth. This
practical tendency narrows life. emp
ties it. make man "a machine We
forget that tho most practical man
after all may be the man who puts en-
prasis on man and not on practical
We are first OF all mon, and should
not allow ourselves TO le 50 practical
that We become cogs in industrys
wheel and cease to be men. The sys-
tom of education which introduces its
pupils TO nothing except what will con-
tribute directly and practically TO their
narrow sphere OF activity in lie is
seriously at fault. 1t will make its
graduates practical. but will limit their
horizon sap their sympathies. dwarf
their life and dsqualify them IN LIES
evening time to enjoy the fruits OF
their industry
Efficiency. too. is an outgrowth or
rnther an oxaction of cur commercial
lem. The units OF our Industrial sys-
tenn whether they be human or me-
chanical units. must be the more e.
\fcient to he had or they are to be
vigorously eliminated. The left-overs
lcf our dav are 4 sad blot upon our
fife: Inefiiciency is not to be tolerat
\ed-only the capable need hope for
permanent place in the twentieth CEN
fury ndustrialism. am persuaded
that the reason that We have so little
y efficiency in spite CT our clomor for
3and pursuit Of it is that VIC put the
Acmphasis IL the wrong place
a Tho tendency to y. practical ard
athe tendency to be cfscient come very
Jiclose to each other Just here. In his
"a ndeavor to be efficient the future left
3,ver eliminates from his life prepare
~ ion every element except the prac-
NS ical. He is without sympathy with