Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-05
EDUCATORS Defend
COLLEGIATE ETHICS
u.v.rford and swarthmore
lads Declare Honor sys-
tenn ls Success
s.YIT FAILS IN BIG SCHOOLS

s.,,ood Eddy. the evangelist, to the
-. 80 Tint abandonment of the honor
..,.m BY several of the larger univer'
~. roints to a lower level OF COL
ktate ethics.
.rbe honor system has been a sue.
w;th u.s." said DR.. William Wist9r
C.r,fort. president Of Haverford Col.
~ ut has proved so succsssiul IN
~ That we are now considering an
.,snsion of the idea to include the
sl s.nnal conduct of the students.
s'sThe honor system Of conducting, cx-
,..t;ons has been successful wher-
therc Is a organized student
- with a clearly defined sense or
ssrssonal ~ responsibility.
| ,1bis state Of affairs is more easily
g..,.inabIe in an institution OF limited
u.,I,ment which not only provides
~. onportunity for the Development
~. ~. snirit Of undergraduate unity and
W.ns;bility but attracts students who
is;pS sor themselves instead of drifting
s.n tho majority to the larger and
.rs widely known universities and
colleges. -,
Svk ig no QOuUt uuN ~ s.'>
~ onnditions that the honor sys-
nI,. Sss NOT proved itself practicable
n some Of the larger institutions.
Success at Swarthmore
Tho honor system has been success
:. swarthmorc College also. said DR..
r,.nk Aydelottc. its president.
1--WE have watched the development
\. .he honor system here with great
s..;.foction," he said. ''and We would
~. consider a return to the old proctor
.r.tem. .u. In the eight years since the
iSsur,,ration of the system 1t has been
nniformly successful
1.aI'bc honor system cannot be intro
A,ced where the ground Is not prepared
a. r., said DR.. Raymond Walters.
Ss.n Of the college. "but where certain
sonditions have been established 1t can
~ fail of being a distinct success.
an the first place. It Is necessary
A,t all the students affected shall know
one another. They must have certain
lesree of acquaintanceship.
'7'In the second place. the students
must have had some previous experience
N prpparatOry school. IL not of an honor
wstem, at least of intelligent instruc-
iion in matters of honor. which will en-
sble them to understand and respect the
RESPONSIBILITIES which 1t places upon
them.
"And in the third place. the student
Aody must have degree Of organization
through which 1t may provide the me-
thanics, as it were. of the system. some
means of actually putting into effect its
mandates and at the same time knitting
the undergraduates together into re-
iponsiblc whole.
~ Proctor System Also Failed
V I'm, discussing the merits Of the
honor system it Is also necessary to con-
hder the many failures of the proctor
system. which have been legion in the
past Both systems have their imper-
fections. but of the two the honor sys-
tenn Is far the BETTER
The operation of the honor system at
Princeton. as described by a. promlnen,
llumnus here. is particularly effective.
Those, he said, who violate the written
pledge. Upon my honor as a gentle
man. are considered so far below any
title to consideration that no one has
any hesitancy IN denouncing them to
the proper authorities.
Princeton, he added. nlso has the nd =
vantage Of limited enrolment, to-
lether with that Of attracting high
type Of student. whose ideas Of honor
and personal conduct are inherited for
ihe most part from line of ancestors
brought up within its halls.
Examinations, not the collapse of
honor system. are the great danger to
modern education. both in schools and
colleges. Such is the opinion of DR..
Robert Ellis Thompson, for twenty.
M years principal OF Central High
school. DR.. Thompson, who was re-.
ured as principal because of age in
tSD, but who recently took up q
ctureship on ethics Mt the school, to.
0y Is celebrating quietly his seventy.
eighth birthday.
Consider Cheating q Game
Examinations are only a lesson in
Tamming,' declared DR.. Thompson
am, in regard to examinations, like
Colerldge, who, when questioned as to
whether or not he believed in ghosts,
nplled, II do not; have seen too
many OF EN- 1t is the examination
Mat "a leads to cheating. The teacher is in
%e room to watch and to prevent
e.eatlng, and students, believing it sort
"a "a game, continue to cheat whenever
He chuckled over the suggestion thu,
,Soys and college youths Of today arc
youth. " "'S
No difference at ALL" he said with
ilaa1ty. Honor systems have never
osea os success. with the possible ex.
ih.ptoh OF that at Princeton, which
ts. .neVe Is still in existence. Once VIC
S'sa an honor system at the high schoo
sm.,.u.oh'piiahcc with the wishes of n com.
H'uee u OF college graduates. Before long
IA was dropped and even tle committe,
Wv nCt ask tor its reinstatement. J.
80 dlmcnlt thing to make boys a.
Suas as that see the significance OF
s~ou s~o OF ., a code OF honor in the school
na5 Sr. Thompson outlined the steps ir
aSIuerh ,SsNI,h education that had led TO th,
ssS ssSp''oh OF examinations as a necessar,
:, sgrees Brought Crowdlng
Formerly it was customary. he so,d
W, grant degrees only by dispensotion
spoh the presentation of a thesis i,
M, s VI more subjects. If the work di,
tso,tme ttome up to the standards tbat th,
Nf,,ass tfuaes mad set, then the degree wa,
4 sra. S.s' Furthermore. no man wanted
SIm.slsee unless he had mapped out fol
iinssS iiSet a career along educationa
SsS.'r, S', ~ was later that great number
erova,no I 10 study for degrees, and tn,
As,n;nng that resulted In the seats O
Sninsnt..i Siat led to the standardized ex,
wall. aaaed that at one time It was .
inst.."In fact that Oxford students
turss vi attending classes and lee
tas Il, spent their time outside prepar
AiS,tios e.ffaminations. IT was in tn,
IN .IAes .Ies mat Huxley and others hirl