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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index
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J. C. McMICHAEL. (Estate.)
Organ of the Baptist Ihnomination in
Georgia.
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Brother J. C. McMichael gave
the best years of his life to build
ing up the Index, and in collat
eral lines of Avork for the church
and humanity. In the prime of
his lift', the Master cahed him up
higher jus! when he was about
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For th** Index.
Dr. Gamrreil and Co-education Once
More.
I am glad to reciprocate the
kind allusions of my brother as
to my tone and spirit in this dis
mission, and beg to assure him,
and my readers, that if I press
him pretty close, at times, it
must not be mistaken for person
al feeling: for I intend to be free
from anything of that kind.
He claims that I was not accu
rately informed as to the vote ot
the trustees at the lastcommence
ment of Mercer University, stat
ing that they did not vote on the
general question of co-education,
but upon extending privileges to
women in pedagogy. I Avish to
assure him that 1 was informed
ui>on that very point, and a quo
tation from my article must make
it clear that I knew what I was
doing 1 used this language,
"In the meantime, at the com
mencement of the University, a
few* months later, he again urg
ed the trustees to open the
classes of the institution to wo
men.- ’ Had they done this, is it
not perfectly clear that Mercer
would have been co educational?
1 should like to know what is the
difference between opening the
classes of an institution to wo
men and co-education.' He says
The trustees voted as they did
because the Avhole question is to
be settled next April. - ’ Exactly,
they refused to make Mercer co
educational, at his urgent re
quest, but politely informed the
President that he must await the
action of the Convention. And
this was the understanding of the
matter, at least, by one of the
trustees who spoke to me ot this
action.
Dr. Gambrell again charges
me with a want of accurate in
formation relative to co-educa
tion in the University of Virgin
ia, making the statement, "co
education was never adopted by
that school as a policy. Some
young ladies took the examina
tions without matriculation. ■’
That is just what I said, and to
prove it I quote from the article
he is reviewing, "The Universi
ty of Virginia, the leading insti
tution in the South, if not in
America, admitted women, a few
years ago, so far as allowing one
or tw’o to stand examinations in
some of the classes. But after
careful study of the subject the
faculty reversed this decision,
and utterly refused to admit wo
men in any shape or form.’ I
then quoted extensively from the
report of the faculty, giving their
resolutions upon the subject, and
some reasons for the change. I
not only gave my authority but
cited the page whence I obtained
it. I must leave my readers to
decide Avho is wanting in accu
rate information Dr Gambrell or
myself. Well do I remember
when those w-omen were admit
ted to the classes in the Univers
ity of Virginia Avhat a parade the
advocates of co-education made
of it, but when a change takes
place and it no longer serves
them, they raise the cry, "Co
education was never adopted as
a policy by that school.” O, con
sistency thou art a jewel!
I must express surprise that
Dr. Gambrell did not go to the
heart of the question of co-edu
cation as he promised, but con
tents himself with claiming that
co-education is in possession of
TH® Cl 1 LUST LA N INI )EX.
the field, ami makes a circle
around the globe to prove this
assertion. Grant that hisassump
tion is correct, is this any reason
for adopting co education in Mer
cer University or does it proA’e
co education to be right? This is
an utterly false, ami untenable
position. The world is going
after satan; he is largely in pos
session of the field, shall Ave fol
low him? Romanists are said to
exceed all denominations in
strength, aggressiveness and
growth, practically they are in
possession of the field. Is this
any reason Avhy Baptists and oth
er Christians should give up and
let them have the world? He
quotes Dr Broadus as being
correct when he said of co-edu
cation "It is inevitable." Dr.
Gambrell must excuse me if Isay.
I can not accept that statement
as coming from Dr. Broadus as
he has made so many grave mis
takes. as I have already shown,
about the position ol this honor
ed servant of God. 1 must think
that he is mistaken. Well does
the faculty of the University ol
Virginia say. in their last annual
report, page 18. of the Universi
ty, "Let it not surrender to the
Avild schem -?sof outside agitators
Avho hold change to be progress,
nor be bullied into a false posi
tion by the insatiate clamor of a
noisy minority of the public,
thereby breaking irrevocably
with and condemning its honor
able past." And so I say of
Mercer, be these agitators feAv
or many. Dr. Gambrell tells us
that his facts have been elicited
by a series of questions address
ed to some tAVo dozen presidents
of co educational institutions in
the South. He admits that the
testimonials are not absolutely
unanimous. 1 believe Dr. Gam
brell truthful and honest, but as
he is so liable to make blunders,
I must insist upon his naming
his witnesses and letting them
speak for themselves. I pur
pose letting some Avho know of
the work of co-education in these
schools tell, in their oavu words,
what they think of it. Possibly
1 may use some of the very men
avho are now being claimed by-
Dr. Gambrell. Ido not want to
make promises I can not fulfill,
so I say possibly.
But again Dr. Gambrell
changes his position in tAvo or
more instances. He says "Near
ly- all the high schools and acad
emies are co educational. The
man Avho AA-ould noAv oppose co
education in these schools Avould
be an anarchronism.” Noav,
Doctor, come back to the ques
tion. You knoAA- that we are not
discussing co-education in acad
emies and high schools, but in
colleges such as Mercer I niver
sify, which is another and a very
different question. lam no more
opposed toco-education in such
schools than you are. You may
deceive the unsuspecting by
such artful dodges, but the peo
ple, you desire to influence, will
not be deceived bysuch methods.
Under this head, 1 desire to
place Keachi and Mount Leban
on, Ouchita, (’arson and Newman
Avhich are nothing more than
high schools bearing the name
of colleges. Possibly there are
others named by Dr. Gambrell
which belong to this class. Co
education may be the very best
that they can do under the cir
cumstances.
1 am forced tocharge Dr. Gam
brell with reasoning in a circle
or begging the question, and the
larger the circle the more diffi
cult it is to detect fallacies. His
is a large circle, taking in the
North and the south, and Eng
land and Germany and France.
Thus he goes round and round,
and comes back to the point
whence he started. I have neith
er the time nor inclination to
follow him, nor can I afford to
tax the patience of my readers
with such a performance. So I
must enter his circle again and
seek the center while he plays
around the circumference.
He mentions Cambridge and
Oxford as being coeducational:
but Dr. Gambrell is not accurate
ly informed as to co education in
these Universities. Does he
knoAA that they have the annex
system? Well, it is even so.
"These annexes are homes, col
leges, under the charge of mat
rons at the distance at Cambridge
of one mile and a half from the
other colleges of the Universi
ty.” lam not sure, but I think
that the University of Chicago
and Brown University have the
annex system, and this is prac
tically true of Georgetown Col
lege in Kentucky-. This is far
different from the plan urged by-
Dr. Gambrell. Besides, in many
of the Northern schools, where
co-education prevails, and which
schools Dr. Gambrell holds up
to the people of Georgia as mod
els for us to pattern after negroes
are admitted upon the same
terms as Avhites. Columbian
University, Washington, D. C ,
has recently been called upon to
open its doors to negroes. Who
I SUBSCRIPT!©. w t *R, ...*2.00.
ITO MINISTERS. V LOO. I
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 21,1895.
knows Avith the rapid changes,
and Avonderful progress avo are
making hoAV far ahead the day is
when some reformers in the
South will raise the clamor that
it is unjust to close the doors of
our colleges to negroes? The
whole North is doing it, and it
has passed beyond theory into
the clear light of demonstration.
Such demonstration may suit the
North, but it will never demon
strate anything to our Southern
people, but a want of respect for
a people who practice social
equality.
But in some of the very insti
tutions which Dr. Gambrell
names as co educational in tnis
country, "In which co educa
tion, on the plan of promiscuous
association of the sexes in the
lecture rooms and laboratories,
has been alloAved grave troubles
have arisen. A record of these
troubles has been given with
much candor by a NorthAvestern
man at the meeting of the Edu
cational Association of the Unit
ed States which was held in
Detroit in 1*74.” 1 understand
that the institutions referred to
are Antioch, Oberlin, and other
coeducational institutions in
< )hio.
Another question raised by Dr.
Gambrell aviis as to Avhether wo
men ought to have the advan
tages of higher education. Here
again he changes his position.
This question is not up, and if
it were, no one would deny it.
We all believe that they should,
and ample opportunities are of
fered them for higher culture.
In conclusion let me ask Dr.
Gambrell to do as he has prom
ised, go right to tin' heart of co
education, and demonstrate, as
lit' claims hi' can the advantages
which it will bo to Mercer and
th<' generaPeducational interests
of Georgia. Noav Doctor come
down to business. Either you
can or can not. So far, you have
reminded me of what Arch-bishop
Whatley says of the skillful
sophist. He says: “He will
often by the promise of a trium
phant refutation gain attention
to his own statement; which if it
be made plausablo, will so draw
off the hearer’s attention from
the objections that a very inad
equate fulfillment of that prom
isewill pass unnoticed and due
weight Avill not be allowed the
objections.” If you do not do
some demonstrating in your next,
I shall be forced to bid you
adieu, and in one or two articles
present my objections to co-edu
cation. Besides you are going
to disappoint many who have
been led by your threatening at
titude to expect that you would
make it as clear as daylight that
the only mistake that our fath
ers made in founding Mercer
was that they did not make it
co-educational.
G. W. Gardner.
Jackson, Ga.
Speaking of Pastor Coalson of
Chapel Hill the New’ South says:
Rev. A. J. Coalson, the pastor of
the Baptist church has been with
us for four years and the rela
tionship of pastor and people
lias been one of the pleasantest.
He is a brave and faithful de
fender of the principles held by
Baptists, and has won the con
confidence and co operation of
his church and his appreciation
of this is evidenced in the fact
that he has decided to purchase
a home and reside in our com
munity.
The associations are now over
for this year and in summing up
what has been done we find that
nearly S3OOO or more has been
paid in than at this time last
year. The Board is still a little
behind in its finances. Many
of the churches are taking regu
lar monthly collections for mis
sions. This is the only safe an
proper way. Remember we need
money every month.
A meeting of the State Board
of Mission is called for next
Thursday afternoon at 2:30 sharp
in Dr. Hawthorne’s study at the
first church, Atlanta. AU Bap
tist preachers and laymen inter
ested in colportage work, for
Georgia,are affectionately invit
ed to attend this meeting of the
Board.
J. G. Gibson, Cor. Sec.
Dear Bro. Ward.—l am glad
to note increased interest in Sun
day-school ard church work.
We have not yet organized a
“ Young Men’s Prayermeeting;”
but hope that the interest now
manifested may increase and
ripen in it before very long, as
you know it takes no little inter
est to run a young men’s meet
ing successfully. There is suf
ficient material here and I hope
soon will be utilized in the pro
mulgation of Christ’s kingdom.
Pray that the church may be
alive to the work. May the In
dex, as it has already done,
brighten the hearts of those who
are weak and shine where there
has never been any light.
W. H. All.
For the Inpex,
From Beirut to D :mascus.
If you will look oZ the map in
your Oxford BTGIe. you will
notice a toAvnabout 2btniles north
of Sidon, called Berytus. This
tow’n was probably mentioned by
another name in the Old Testa
ment, but its mode m name is
Beirut. It is the principal sea
port town in Syria, and has a
population of about 150,000. The
city in some respects, is truly
oriental, but in othbr ways is
European.
We came into the town on Sun
day morning and saw the people
as they appear in public places
on that day. Here is seen diver
sity of costume, many of the men
wearing* garments that look
more like a lady's dress than of
a man. It is Sunday but the
Moslem cares nothing for that,
for Friday is the day his religion
requires him to observe. The
Christian cannot do much work
on this day for fear of the Mos
lem, and he cannot do much on
Sunday because of his conscience.
In this way he is kept from work
two days each week.
The Americans have a consid
erable mission work atthis place
and appear to be doing fairly
Avell, under the circumstances.
But they are subject to many
petty annoyances, and all of this
because the American minister
at Constantinople is a Turk
rather than a Christian. The
Turk is not friendly to Ameri
can missions because there is an
air of freedom about their teach
ing that he does not relish. Mis I
sionaries from other nations do
very well, because their inter
ests are looked after by their
consuls. It is just to say that
our consul at Beirut, Mr. Gib
son, of Georgia, is in no way re
sponsible for this as he holds a,
position inferior to Mr. Terrell
and cannot do anything without
his help. In all that 1 have
heard of Mr. Gibson, there has
been nothing but to his praise.
All our Georgia people may feel
proud of him as a representative
of our great country, hailing
from our own commonwealth.
Some of our party went to the
home ot Mr. Gibson, but while'
he was away, they were shown
through the w’ell ordered apart
ments, andexpressed themselves
as being well pleased r--- finding
there a large portrait Guihe Hou.
Hoke Smith. An item of inter
est to our Baptist people is found
in the fact that an encouraging
Baptist mission has recently
sprung up in one of the nourish
ing suburbs of Beirut. This is
due to the influence of a young
man who Avent from here to the
United States to be educated.
While there he was converted
and since his return he is full of
zeal for the Master’s cause.
There are several converts, and
atari early day, there will be a
church organized. A number of
preachers went out to see this
young man and learn something
of his work. By the authority*
of the Third Baptist church, St.
Louis, Mo., to which church the
young brother belongs, he was li
censed to baptize. It seems that
this was the best that could be
done under the circumstances, as
it was not thought prudent to or
dain him at this time.
Passing Beirut, we go up the
Lebanon Mountains until we
reach an altitude of .‘>ooofeet. It
is about 90 miles to Damascus,
by rail, and about the same dis
tance by diligence. Here is one of
the very best macademized roads
in the world. This road was not
built by the Turks, but by the
French, who seem to be getting
a strong hold in Syria. The
company which built the pike
has also built a railroad and this
was put into operation last July.
So the cars are now running
regularly to Damascus: Much
of interest appears as you cross
the mountains, but you will see
no trees. The country has long
since been bereft of its forest
and the olive is almost the only
tree you will see. The plain of
Cele-Syria is very beautiful and
fertile, its fields being watered
by the head waters of the Leon
tes. Passing over the water-shed
you begin to descend and direct
ly find yourself on the banks of
the Abana Its waters are clear
and beautiful and no one is sur
prised that Naaman, the leper
said: “ Are not Abana and Phar
par better than all the waters of
Israel?” Passing through the
great waste you comeinto a Avide
plain Avhich would be a desert, if
it were not for this river, but as
it is the green foliage would
make you think of Paradise. But
if you should think so, as you
look from a distance, you will
certainly change your mind when
you walk along the streets. This
is the oldest city in the world,
and it has a population of more
than 200,000 souls. The houses
are all of stone, or mud, and the
streets are so narrow that one,
at times, can hardly make his
way, on account of the people,
j camels, mules,donkey s and dogs.
I The latter belongs tone-body and
I lies in the streets for every one
to get around him without doing
his dogship any harm.
In this city Abraham's servant
lived, and its streets have not
been changed from that day to
! this. Consequently you can re
ly more fully in the tradition
I which locates objects of interest,
here or there. 1 stood by the
Avell on the outside, where Paul
was let doAvn in a basket 'hat he
might escape his persecutors,and
felt pretty sure I was standing
near the exact spot. Then I
stood by the reputed home of
Ananias, who was sent to
Paul by the Lord. Others went
to the reputed home of Judas,
who entertained the apostle at
that time. But the people of
Damascus are in sin, squalor
and shame. They need the gos
pel of Christ, Avhich neither the
Greek church nor the Moslems
Avill give G H. Carter.
' Rev. John Guion Polhill, M D
ON LA’ A FEAV LEFT.
The Aviso man said, "One gen
eration passeth UAvay. and anoth
er generation cometh. ’ Yester
day it was McCall, today it is
Polhill, tomorroAV which one of
ns it shall be, God only knows:
but the last one of the genera
tion will soon be gone. May we
be also ready when the Master
calls.
In 1*39, Avhen I was but a small
I boy, the above named brother
came over on a social visit to ray
fathers house Jin Richmond coun
ty. We Avert' neighbors. He
was then a student ot' the "Mer
cer Institute - ’ at Penfield,- just
changing into "Mercer Universi
ty" —a bright young Christian
enjoying his vacation. He had
much to say about tiie "Insti
tute” and Billington Sanders, t he
president, and the young minis
ters. and the twilight prayer
meeting and the baptism of some
of our neighbors sons there at
school; he was ! nil of the subject.
I kneAV him intimately till he
Avas far past his three score and
ten, and he was still talking about
the brethren and the churches
and the Masters cause. It is a
year since I last met him, but I
feel sure that until his lips were
sealed in death, he did not change
his subject:—What is in the heart
Avill be sure to find a place on the
lips.
But then this is not strange.
Ho came of a line of men who
were very much given to the
same thing: his father was a
preacher, his grand lather was a
preacher, and so likewise was
his great grand-father. As far
back as 1 ever heard of the fam
ily there was a preacher: the
prophets mantle rested upon Na
thaniel Polhill, and as lie passed
up it fell upon Thomas Polhill,
and as he passed up also it fell
upon Joseph Polhill. and when
lie was called up it fell upon John
Guion Polhill. He has departed,
but the mantle rests upon the
shoulders of none of his sons.
Yet this is not the only case,
alas, where the line of succession
is broken. God knows Avhat is
best, but if left to us one Avould
order it otherwise.
I have been told that our
brother was born in Twiggs
county, but I know that he was
reared in Richmond and Burke.
His father and my father work
ed side by side in the Master’s
cause for many long years, and
now their ashes rest only two or
three miles apart. In early man
hood he engaged in the practice
of medicine and after he was or
dained to the work of the minis
try, the want of proper thought
on the part of country churches,
compelled him to rely for the
support of his family upon his
knowledge of medicine; first as a
practitioner, and afterwards as
a druggist. His first wife was a
Miss Sharp, the mother of the
children he has left behind him;
his second w’as a Miss Moore,
and she with these children now
mourn his departure.
Brother Polhill was an educa
ted man, affable in his manners,
social in his disposition, gener
ous in his nature; Avith a kind
word and a friendly deed for
every one. As a Christian, he
lived mostly in the sunshine, and
died at three score and sixteen
in the full triumph of the faith.
It Avould almost seem as if the
eye of Eliphaz, the Temanite,
Avas resting upon such a man
when he said, “Thou shalt come
to the grave in a full rge, like as
a shuck of corn cometh in his
season ”
W. L. Kilpatrick,
Hephzibah, Ga.
I want to begin work
in our church and and comunity
for the Orphans Home. Will
some one favor me with informa
tion concerning it through the
Index, or by letter?
Chas. Sikes.
Gardi, Ga.
Co-Eduecation and Other Schools.
Once more I insist that facts
in the discussion of any question
must take rank above theories.
In this article, a large number
of facts bearing on several phas
es of the subject is given. We
naturally want to have answers
to such questions as these: Is Co-
Education good for Colleges and
Universities? Does it further ed
! ucation in general? Does it hurt
I or help female Colleges? What do
I the men Avho give liberally to
education think on the subject?
I All those are pertinent question.
We begin with Texas. More
than forty years Baylor Univer
sity has been co-educational.
Baylor had between seven
hundred and eight hundred
students last year. The Tex
as Baptist Convention also
owns Baylor Female College,
Avith property Avorth s!'><),eOO.
That school now has 25( • students.
I would like to see things big
that Avay in Georgia. Gov. Hub
bard, an Alumnus of Mercer,
helped to organize the great Tex
as University. It Avaa done
while he Avas governor.
It Avas made co-education
al, and is a great success
Avithout a doubt. The Universi
ty of Georgia is a baby by it.
Ouachita College, Arkansas,
our Baptist school for that state,
is less than fifteen years old. and
last year had about four-hundred
students.
There were two schools at
Georgetown, Ky., male and fe
male. Three or four years ago,
the female school merged into
(ieorgetoAvn College. Last ses
sion they bad 39b students; 25(i
males. Fri< nds are building an
elegant dormitory for girls on
the Campus and everything is
up grade.
Stetson University in Florida,
is less than fifteen years old. In
equipments and nieney it stands
in the front rank of South
ern Baptist Institutions, with
an attendance in excess of
Mercer, Wake Forest. Richmond
College or any male Baptist in
stitution in the South. If it be
said that one man, John B. Stet
son gave most of the money,l re
ply that there is hardly any large
money given now to any’ but co
educational schools. Mr. Rocke
feller, Avho has just given an ad
ditional $3,(100,09!Ho the Univer
sity of Chicago, conditioned h s
original gift on t he school’s being
co educational. I Avas present
and heard his offer read. Leland
Stanford gave *20,000,00i> to a
school and made it coeducation
al.
Columbian University, Baptist
Washington, D. C., struggled
along much as other institutions,
for ti long time. About the year
I**4 women Avere admitted, Last
year more than a thousand stud
ents were matriculated.
A great many people think co
education originated in Noav Eng
land. where it is reputed all isms
are hatched. This is not true at
all. Twenty-live years ago the
young Michigan Uni versify,after
a bitter tight, admitted Avomen,
following Oberlin in the North
and Baylor in the South. All the
New England Universities were
closed against Avomen It was
not long till Michigan led every
thing. Last year there Avere six
hundred Avomen and about tAven
ty-iive-hundred men. Theold in
stitutions began to come in,but it
was not till 1891 that Brown-Uni-
V( r sity Rhode Island, the oldest of
our Baptist schools,admitted Avo
men. President Andrews writes
me that it was with great diffi
culty that he could get Brown
open. Many of the Professors
took the same view that a major
ity of the Professors in the Uni
versity of Virginia did. But Dr.
Andrews says they all are of one
mind now. He testifies that Brown
has been greatly beaetitted. The
highest number matriculated be
foi e women were admitted was 4< >4
This Fall he writes,in answer to
an inquiry, that9(i(l have matric
ulated and still they are coming.
They have a Freshman class of
2(H). There are 770 men and 130
women.
In answer to the question: How
has co education affected the fe
male Colleges? President An
drews replies “Good every Avay. -
It has elevated their standards,
created a stronger and healthier
educational sentiment and the
result is that "not one of the fe
male Colleges can find room for
the women who Avish to attend
them.”
To assure myself on this point,
I addressed the following letter
to President Taylor, of Vassar,
the greatest female College on
this continent: “President J.
M. Taylor, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
Dear Sir and Brother: The ques
tion of co-education is very
much discussed among our peo
ple now, and I am anxious to get
all the light on it that expe
rience has brought to those Avho
are in the midst of its Avorking.
Will you have the kindness to
answer, on this sheet, the ques
tions below?”
VOL. 75-NO. 16
Question 1. From your obser
vation, has co education helped
orhinderel female education?
Answer. "It has helped it by
increasing the number of the
educated, and so the interest in
education. - ’
Question 2. "Has co-education,
in the great Universities of the
North hurt the female Colleges?”
Answer. “Notin the least.
The growth of the woman’s Col
leges has been remarkable. Not
one of them can meet the demand*
on it for rooms: Would it might
be so in Georgia.
I should hat’e been great y as
stonished if these answers had
been different.
Nothing better could happen
for our female colleges than to
open the Univerisities to women.
Competition. A dozen men fish
ing in Atlantic ocean are not i®
competition. What we want is a
free play of educational forces,,
with proper co-ordination.
It is certainly true that coed
ucational schools are everyw here
leading the male schools of the
same class, and they are getting'
nearly ah the money. I offer no
explanation of this, though I
think 1 could explain it.
Let is come to Nashville.
Tenn. There is Vanderbilt, the
great Methodist University of
the South, and University of
Nashville. Both admit women
and they have the latter,bet wtjen
joi! and I>oo students and the
former probably as many. But
tins is not all: there is a brilliant
cluster of female schools in
Nashville thriving on the ro
liust educational sentiment,large
ly made by the Universities..
There' is a nearer and very
practical question for us t< de
cide: Will Georgia people patro
nize coeducational institu"’.n ’.w*.
Here again Ave need not theor
ize. Facts speak and settle the
matter. While little lias been said,
practical educators all over the
state and practical parents have
built scores of co educational
schools Avhere males and females?
from five to tAventy tive years of
age go to school together. The
largest schools are co-educational
They’ take the boys and girls at
the trying age and carry them
right along Avithout any trouble.
And these students, hundreds of
theni, board in private families.
Capt. Bradwell says that in one
year 41<* students left Georgia to
go to schools out of the State It
is certain that approximately
300 of these were women
and half of these were Baptist
Avomen. They all went to co ed
ucational schools.
Again, the State Normal Col
lege has more than 150 students.
It is in its first year and is co-ed
ucational. The Alhambra Nor
mal College, according to the pa
pers,opened with nearly' 20<> stu
dents. It is located at Griffin
and is co educational. This is
its first year.
We need not shut our eyes to
facts. There is a new educatk n.
I am clear in my mind that we
must graft the ucaa’ onto the old
or be hurt by the new and left
in the shallows as the tide (tows
away from us.
There is hardly an indoirwjeil
man who Avill care to dispute- she
conclusion reached by' th®- Na
tional Educational Association
in I*9o. The report of the- com
mittee says: "We thiivk we
should be safe in saying that the
question of co-education
grade of schools in this
in its practical aspects is* settled.
Individuals may denyOthe sound
ness of the theory, but i*>u.t>-
lic mind is made up and fe
likely to be skaken in ite corcrie
tions.” This is the off the
greatest body of edacaCon’ sb
America. It speaks* a; troth
Avhich Ave will be very uaw’ise to
disregard.
I have not undertaken to dis
cuss or elucidate these- fa«ts.: I
could do it with success I think;
but the explanations are- to.be
found in tw’o great central Ideas;
the naturalness of co-education
and the tine spirit of economy,
exhibiting itself in all the activi
ties of life, a spirit which is rul
ing the age.
Now because I especcially wish
our Baptist schools to grow and
because I wish to put Mercer in
touch with the strongest,health
iest and most progressive spirit
of education, and because I fore
see that if others give our peo
ple Avhat Mercer Avill not, we
must suffer in all our interests—
for these reasons I wish Mercer
opened to Avomen on the plan set
out heretofore. If, however, the
Brotherhood disagree with me,
I have no pride of opinion to*
make me unhappy.
Let us all be thoughtful and
whatever is done let us do it
unitedly.
J. B. Gambreix.
Dr. B. F. Riley’ has been elect
ed one of the Board of managers
of the Baptist Historical Society
of Georgia. Dr. Riley will
the position Avith honor, to hina
self ami the Baptist denomin
tion