Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-04
Kane Delivers an Address
On the State University and
The Christian Commonwealth
bonding work under changed condi-

~ illustrate the service OF the
church in education, I might cite the
work Of the Pilgrims, which has been
called to our attention especially
through the Tercensenary Ceiebra-
Dration. The Pilgrims came to this
country. enduring the greatest posi-
Bile hardships, for the sake OF re-
liEtous freedom. When they reached
this country they realized to an IN
usual degree just what was involved
and what responsibility rested on
them In taking this stand for religious
freedom and religious independence.
They realized that, among other
things. two things were essential to
the success Of their undertaking. In
first place they must have we'll
trained religious leaders.This principle
resulted in the founding. of Harvard
College, only Is years after the land
Ing Of the Pilgrims at Plymouth
Rock.
Harvard and Michigan.
We speak Of this as being the day
Of the state university and we have
almost forgotten that we have not
always had the state universities. The
Oldest Of our state universities we
think Of as the University Of Michi-
gan. 1t is not actually the Oldest Of
the state universities. but it is, we
might say. the first Of the state uni
verstty system. The present state
university idea and theory began with
Michigan. Then. we ask. when was
the University of Michigan founded?
It was founded in 1887. Harvard
University fn,., founded ~ by the church,
fore the founding Of the University
Of Michigan. Hence. for 200 years
this country was dependent for its
training beyond the academy and the
high school or the institutions of
higher learning founded by the
church primarily, or founded inde-
p~endently. We especially that are
connected with state universities must
reaAze and recognize that there Is
a debt to the church in the field Of
education that can never be- measur-
ed. Likewise, from the standpoint Of
the church., there is the precedent
and record Of the church's service in
education which should be continued
for all time.
Church and Public School
I said there were two things in an
educational way that the Pilgrims re-
garded vitality essential to religious
freedom and independence. The first,
az we have Just noted, was that they
must have thoroughly trained re-
ligious leaders. The second was that
all the children brought up In the
colonies must have a training thai
would enable them individually to
read the Scriptures for themselves.
! We do not get the importance Of this
principle until we think Of the
chained Bible. and IT, lack Of gem
eral education at that time. Due to
this purpose, the public schools Of
Massachusetts, were founded only ~
years after the landing of the Pill
grims. Hence, the church. as an es-
sential part of its work. concerned
itself with the education of the child
from the time of learning to read up
to the time OF taking up the respon.
sible work of manhood and woman
hoods EI
Change In support Of Education.
1t is very important, likewise, for
US to have the correct EXPLANATION
for the change in our educational
system to the present plan of support
by: the public and the. state. I think
a. correct analysis OF this change il
to the credit OF the church, rather
than in any way a reflection on the
church. To make clear my interpre-
tation,i 1 might use an illustration. It
very frequently happens in a given
community that certain individuals
in the community meet the need for
certain charity work, for example,
like the work Of our community
house in Grand Forks. AS the i'm
portance of this work increases, the
plans Of support have to be more
sons become Interested until finally
the community takes it over AZ a
community enterprise and all mem
bers of the community give 1t their
support through taxation. Very much
the same thing has happened in
education. h church supported the
schools as far as it could and as long
as there was need. The church was
IN a large measure responsiblej for
the general interest in education. We
are in the same way more or less
warranted in saying that the church
carried this burden until the general
public became interested and .edu-
Gated, up to the point Of taking over
the burden as an obligation and wise
: policy for the public itself. The men,
/ bers OF the church as citizens are
still doing their full share toward the
support Of education and the church
is still doing extra work as an insti-
tuition.
Time for Moral Training.
The consideration Of the theme 80
far points clearly to the need of the
moral training of the Individual. May
II observe further that this moral
training ought to be given as an in
tegral part of his education ana car
ried on at the same time. In other
words. the students faculties and
powers ought to be developed to-
gether. There is considerable dam
ger that when a student leaves his
high school for the university, leav-
ing home for the first time, he may
tend to allow his religion to lie fall
low for a season. 1t is a little difi-
cult for the; student to realize that
he is living while in college. He
thinks Of himself as getting ready to
live. The process Of moral training
! ought to be continued without inter-
ruption when the student leaves home
and enters the university.
To use q hornely illustration, we
might say that 1t IL essential to give
a horse both feed and water. It ID
ltkewtse>essential that the two be Civ
en- together, Or not too far apart. II
will not do to plan to give the horse
feed one week or one month, and
water the next. And 80 the develops
ment of all the students powers and
faculties ought to be going on at the
same time. s.:
Standards Of Moral Training.
Again, we have already Seen that
moral and religious training is a Wit
ally essential, part Of a students edu-
cation. May I suggest. without any
feeling Of criticism but only with a
view to further Improvement, that a
very limited number OF persons have
morals lind religion at all in keeping
with the importance of the training.
The Sunday school. does a great work,
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