EDITOR'S TABLE. 



849 



and humanize it, otherwise Reason 

 on her throne may act not much 

 more wisely than other monarchs 

 have done. The classic example of 

 the worship of reason is not reassur- 

 ing as to the infallibility of the god- 

 dess. The question, then, as to how 

 intellectual education and the edu- 

 cation of the moral sentiments may 

 go hand in hand is one that comes 

 home to every member of the com- 

 munity. We all help to make the 

 moral atmosphere and create the 

 moral ideals of our time; and there 

 is no use in looking for high stand- 

 ards in our colleges and other insti- 

 tutions of learning if we have low 

 standards in our homes. The youth 

 who hears nothing talked of at home 

 but money is not likely to take 

 much interest in instruction that 

 does not bear directly on the ques- 

 tion of making money. The youth 

 who hears money spoken of in the 

 home circle simply as a means of 

 personal enjoyment and glorifica- 

 tion will need something more than 

 a few lectures on political or social 

 economy to make him take a differ- 

 ent view of it. We may employ ex- 

 cellent men and women as teachers, 

 but their success from a moral point 

 of view will always be limited by the 

 general tone of the community. 



It is evident, then, that no very 

 special directions can be given for 

 solving the problem with which we 

 are concerned. Still, the posing of 

 the problem and the indication of 

 the conditions on which its solution 

 depends may awaken in a few minds 

 a new sense of their responsibility 

 in the matter, and it is a gain for 

 even one to go over to the right side. 

 It would be quite as easy for the 

 whole of society to live on a some- 

 what higher plane as it is for it to 

 live on its present plane. It would 

 simply mean that the average man 

 would treat the average man a little 

 better than he does now : whatever 

 one gave he would thus get in return, 

 and the burdens which are always as- 



TdL. LV. — 58 



sociated with mutual distrust would 

 be proportionately lightened. 



The philosopher whom we began 

 by quoting has indicated ways in 

 which the craze for legislative short- 

 cuts is working against the moral 

 improvement of society. He holds 

 that parental responsibility has been 

 seriously impaired by legislative en- 

 croachments in the matter of educa- 

 tion and otherwise. Book learning 

 has become to the modern world a 

 kind of fetich; and minds that ought 

 to be in contact with the facts of 

 life are stupefied, and so far pre- 

 vented from getting their normal 

 moral growth by being drilled in 

 studies that bring no real profit. 

 We can not bear the idea that one 

 of our human brethren should not 

 be able to read and write; but, pro- 

 vided he possesses these accomplish- 

 ments, we ask no questions as to 

 what use he makes of them. We 

 have before us a police description 

 of a criminal who graduated at one 

 of the most celebrated universities 

 on the Continent, who studied after- 

 ward for the Church, who was for 

 several years an elder, and who pos- 

 sesses — so we are distinctly informed 

 — fine literary tastes. The gentle- 

 man with all these advantages is 

 a fugitive from justice. With all 

 his knowledge and accomplishments 

 he got no hold of the principles of 

 right conduct, and — there are not a 

 few like him. We need not only a 

 science of education, but a science 

 of government, the most valuable 

 part of which will probably be that 

 which shows us with demonstrative 

 force what things government ought 

 to leave alone. It is quite possible 

 we should find the moral atmosphere 

 materially improving if only the 

 natural reactions between the indi- 

 vidual and his environment were not 

 interfered with. The course of Na- 

 ture, we may feel assured, provides 

 ■not less for moral than for mental 

 growth, and if either process is de- 

 fectively carried on we may safely at- 



