be done. If you do not, it will not be done the whole thing will fall to the ground. We say to you, gentlemen, take hold of this work and see that it is done, and yonr schools will take a high stand, and become what the law conteinplates they should be.

W. B. C.

THE MORAL INFLUENCE OF OUR EDUCATIONAL

INSTITUTIONS.

BY T. W. FIELDS, POWERS, IND.

Prominent among the many influences that direct the moral sentiment, and give it expression and vitality, is that influence that is exerted by our educational systems and institutions of learning. There is no need of arguing the matter to prove that these institutions of society and State do give a certain moral tone, as well as an intellectual shaping to the thousands of young men and women who place themselves, or are placed by their parents, under the tuition of our many colleges, normal schools and universities. The fact that society is morally influenced thereby is as plain as that it is elevated in an intellectual and aesthetical point. The only question needing investigation is: What kind of an influence, morally, do they exert? Every institution of any power, in the land, has other influence which it exerts aside from what, even, may seem its special mission. No close observer can deny that our political parties, whose special object seems to be the carrying out of cer- . tain great questions of polity, wield a wonderful moral influence upon the people of our great Commonwealth. The secret orders of the present day exert no small influence in the direction of morality, either for or against. The home, the church and the school all contribute their share to the sum of moral influences that give tinal shape to the character of our State and nation.

When we give the matter the close consideration that its importance deserves, we are led to believe that there is no institution of a secular character, whatever may be its nominal aim, but what has something to with the moral status of affairs, whether that something be declared or otherwise. Every association that has for its ultimatum the good of its votaries, should study closely its relations, its bearings, to the one great question of all-morality. Who is there that can pretend to predict what might be the deplorable condition of our people, if all our greatest institutions of

learning were presided over and controlled by such minds and such spirits as an Ingersoll? The question of ethics might never be discussed in any manner other than on the orthodox principle; but yet these same students would know that their President was a disbeliever in the very teachings which he was insincerely trying to declare to them. Experience has demonstrated that it is with institutions as it is with individuals: The action speaks louder than the word.

Our personal observation, during the last few months, has convinced us that there is a class of schools growing up over our land, that while they do, and are doing a large number of the young a great benefit, there are a few among the number that more than offset this good by the harm they do, and by the manner in which the business of the school is managed. We refer to the Normal schools. Any one who desires to investigate the subject to his satisfaction has only to go to the trouble of examining their circulars and catalogues. While we do not disapprove of a lively com petition in the matter of building up a large and paying Normal school, we do disapprove of some of the methods by which they endeavor to accomplish this purpose. Of course our remarks do not apply to all, but only to those who have practiced methods certainly not sanctioned by the most sacred principles of our great Moral Code.

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We have before us five catalogues for the year 1880, in which may be found the declaration to the world that This school is the best normal school in the land," or the best school in the West." "The attendance this year is larger than that of any other school." Or, This is the most practical school known. The cheapest school in the United States." "Will do more for the student in the same time than any other school.” Now certainly such extravagant language by the heads of educational institutions has a demoralizing effect upon the pliant character of the young. Το such extremes has the head of one of these Normal schools gone, that in reply to a query of ours in regard to his actual attendance, when urged by him to accept a position in his faculty, that he. wrote that they had over six hundred." Imagine our surprise, after we had accepted the position tendered us to find an attendance less than two hundred, and which was reduced to less than eighty before our retirement from the school. In explanation, this moral head of the institution told us that 600 meant the total at

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tendance for the year." Yet he knew that it was told in a manner to lead one to infer that the actual attendance each term would average the sum of 600.

Again, these Normal schools, that is a few in our own State, tell students that they can accomplish so much for them in such short time. It is very much like medical quacks who used to flood the country with circulars of the wonderful cures they had effected, and by this means influenced many ignorant persons to send them money for medicine and treatment which never did them but little good. The same medicine would have cost them less at home and the treatment by their home physician given them greater benefit. But people have outgrown medical quacks, and only the most ignorant pretend to offer them patronage. So it is with these Normai schools. The young will get their eyes open at last that the school which offers to do so much for them in brain development in such a short time are quack institutions, and their principals are educational quacks. Such development of the mental powers, such rapid advancement in study, are not consistent with the nor mal growth of the mind, and no student should be deceived thereby.

It is certainly not quite possible that a small inland village, with no State or private endowment, can maintain a first class musical department, law department, etc. Yet there are some schools which persist in dignifying some special exercises, which are maintained in the school, with the appellation of commercia!, law and musical departments. This has a bad influence morally upon those who are instructed in the schools. Because they finish these courses in the Institution, get a diploma, they are made to believe that they have thoroughly mastered about all there is to be learned relating to the subjects. It makes a class of egotists of them. Yet this is not the term by which it is known and denominated by wise principals. No, no, it is called normal enthusiasm."

..

It must be conceded that there are many good things about Normal schools that the colleges would do well to imitate. Among the most important is the mental discipline developed by their methods of independent investigation of subjects. This course of individual investigation, if pursued by the colleges, and the same time given to the courses as are now given by them, would no doubt work out glorious results. Where it is only claimed by the Normal school to disciple the mind in the right methods of study,

like the National Normal at Lebanon, Ohio, claims, then there is no deception about it. Mr. Holbrook has made an entire success of his school, and because of this fact there are others who try to imitate him, but lack the ability to carry out the plan of teaching which is pursued with such gratifying results by Professor Holbrook. In some cases not only the ability but the honesty is lacking, when we consider with what unfairness they keep up the attendance of their schools. Let us hope that the schools will cease to make such extravagant statements, but do more thorough work, and do more good for the common cause of morality.

TALKS ON PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

NO. V--BY W. B. C.

In our former article we promised to say something about Mountains and Table Lands. We are apt to think that mountains consist of long, narrow ridges, with steep ascent and descent. But such is not the case, as a general thing. The tops of mountains are often perfectly flat, forming broad table lands on which the traveler may go in a straight line more than a thousand miles before reaching the level at which he began the ascent. Table-lands are not always flat; but are often the foundation from which rise hills, and even lofty mountains, higher above the top of the tableland than the table-land is above the level of the sea. For instance, the traveler on reaching the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and having ascended them will have to travel more than a thousand miles before he reaches, on the Pacific side, the level at which he commenced his ascent. In Asia, if you go from the south up the slope of the Himalyas you will come to tablelands upon which are piled mountain upon mountain, up which you must go, and travel hundreds of miles before you come to the slope that leads down to the Arctic Ocean, and when you reach the level upon which you began the ascent from the south you will find that a distance of 2000 miles have been traveled. A tableland or plateau is a broad elevated area which rises above the level of the surrounding surface, as low plains rise above the sea. The Llano Estacado of Texas is a level plateau, like one of our Western prairies, yet most plateaus are highly diversified. The table-land of Thibet is, on a large scale, a vast valley filled with mountains; the Great Basin between the Rocky and Pacific mountain system

is crossed by numerous mountain ranges, and presents every variety of scenery from plain to mountain peak. The table-land of Lake Titicaca in South America is a vast valley in the mountains with wonderful variety of surface. It is over 1200 feet above sealevel. Passing from the Poles to the Equator we find the highest plateaus nearest the latter. This is a wise arrangement of the Dispenser of all Good, for if this were not the case the habitable belt of the globe would be much narrower than it is if the reverse were true. The lofty mountains and table-lands have been placed by an All-Wise Providence, where, instead of hindering the spread of population and detracting from the advantages of agriculture, they contribute to these beneficial ends, giving almost every kind of climate, even under the equator. If these high elevations of tableland and mountain were toward the Poles instead of the Equator then all of the Frigid Zones and a great part of the Temperate Zones would be entirely uninhabitable; and the cold, waste places. of the earth would be largely increased. The limits of the great Plateaus of the earth are not very well defined, yet the area and height of the six great plateaus of the world may be given as fol lows:

150,000

4,000 to 5,000

Great Basin of North America.... It is a singular fact that the loftiest ranges of mountains, and the loftiest mountians, face the largest oceans. We find in the Eastern Hemisphere the Himalayas with their parallel ranges, the Karakorum and Kuenlun, face the broad expanse of the Indian Ocean, while the various ranges of China, mountains of less elevation, face the smaller North Pacific; and the Altai, only about half the height of the Himalyas face the Arctic Ocean. In Africa the highest ranges of mountains are on the east side, facing the Indian Ocean; so, in Australia, the highest mountains face the South Pacific.

The grandest mountain system of the Western Hemisphere is the Andes. This system is only second to the Himalayan system. Some fifty of the peaks are volcanoes. Twenty of its peaks attain