[Sidenote: Frank W. Gunsaulus]
A good example of a church club is that which forms a part of Plymouth
Church in Chicago. Plymouth Club was founded by Dr. Scudder and is
warmly encouraged by Dr. Frank W. Gunsaulus, the present pastor of the
church. Dr. Gunsaulus is also president of Armour Institute, where
manual training is taught side by side with letters and the sciences to
men and women alike. In these two eminently practical organizations
most of the conditions favorable to growth are already furnished. Add
to these Emancipation as the motto of the club, and as the requisite
mental accomplishment for admission to the school, and the conditions
will be perfected to the highest degree.
The word Emancipation has a very formidable sound because it is
associated with a great war; but its attainment through germ
eradication is a simple and easy accomplishment.
[Sidenote: College Presidents Responsible]
The presidents of great mental and manual training institutions know
that the depressing and dwarfing phantoms of the mind are merely bad
habits--weeds that can be rooted out--and that anger and worry are the
roots.
They have provided commodious buildings, learned professors, the most
perfect chemical and mechanical appliances, and thousands of books, to
aid mental and manual culture; and yet, they fail to apply the first
principle of all their sciences to the preparation of the pupil. In
horticulture they do not tolerate worms or weeds; in chemistry they
first examine into the purity of the ingredients; and in mechanics the
greatest care is taken to avoid friction. Anger and worry are
conditions of extreme mental friction, which, during their presence,
stop the progressive action of the mental machine.
It would impose no impossibility, neither would it entail any hardship,
to require of students that they should subscribe to the following:
_Science teaches, and experience corroborates the fact, that the
depressing or evil passions are bad habits of the mind, and not
necessary ingredients._
_Anger and worry are the roots of the evil passions and can be pulled
out._
_In order to promote the best possible growth it is required that
Emancipation should be the rule of life of the student._
[Sidenote: A Rule of Life]
Under the suggestion of the possibility of Emancipation from
undesirable mental enemies, emanating from so respected a source as the
faculty of a chosen college, the student would acquire the prerequisite
condition of "faith"; while the absorbing work of college life,
surrounded by fellows working in sympathy with him, would strengthen
the faith into a belief; and the immediate recompense of harmony would
be evidence of its value as a rule of life.
[Sidenote: Emancipation will Spread]
From the school the student would carry the rule back into the family,
and into all walks in life; and with the aid of present means of
communication the influence would spread the world over, disarm the
prodigious preparations for struggle that are being made, and
distribute the palm branch to take the place of the sword.
Will not the great educators whom the world respects so highly, and in
whom it has so much faith, try the experiment? The promised fruit is
worth the trial.