The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-08-16
Standing Room for Young Men.
The following inquiry comes to us
from a city clergyman:
t. tba Eagtor.

The following inquiry comes to us
from city clergyman:
To the Editor:
sra: How can our young men hnd employ
1 know not what to advis. our young men To
do To make their living. Particularly am
Interested In young who has been To
college. l. willing 10 take hold OF any kind Of
work, ana IN withal of fine personal appear
will i've MIN his brad. m H. os,ght 10 emf
CRATE To the West or south, would gladly pay
his expenses and give him an outfit. venture
To ask you fnr light on matter beset. as far as
know, with some difficulty. ! am, sir, re-
New York, March 6, 1871.
Our reply to this letter must needs be
general, Tor our correspondent does not
tell us whether his young friend has
natural aptitude for any special calling
Success in life depends upon other con
ditions than a fine personal appearance
and college education. and these are
the only facts which in this instance are
brought TO our attention. What may be
the best occupation Tor one handsome
cull~gian may be the worst Tor anothar
and one may succeed under social condi-
tioDs and ia a srctinn of the country
where another would fail; so much de-
p' nds upon natural capacity and the it
nes. Of things. We take il that our cor
respondents friend is n type of a very
large class OF young men. who. after leav
ing college, are compelled to earn their
living and make their own way in the
world They have culture sometimes
deep often superficial; they have no
special training for business or profess
ional life; their available capital is their
education-a security on which money.
lenders will make no advances They
are willing to work but what shall they
do2 Where shall they begin2 "Educa.
tion. they reason. lis powerful lever,
nd we know how TO handle it. Only
give W. a place TO stand, and we can
move the world.
Ay if the lever be- long enough Our
colleges lny the foundations OF general
culture. aud upon these a. a base th.
structure OF professional or business sue
cess can he raised c"ll~gian may
quote Greek verse about IIrbe'r sandal.
tut he cannot make shoes The col
leges teach many things that widen =
mans int. lligencr. discipline hi- force.
aud rai-'- hi intellectual tone. but they
do not teach hun how To earn hts living
A college graduate can teach school.
snmstiHrs we'll. sometimes not so we'll
hut without supplemental training that
j. all H. can do la every other occupa-
ton he must b-gin AT tbs. bottom ard
serve an appr' ntic' snip We Il not di-
parars the advantages of an academic
education IL has brconIe the essential
condition Of good workmanship in the
highest sph-r. oi human activity Butt
men cannot do as we'll without il as they
could years ago, neither can they do n
much with il. Owing to the rprrad o.
popular intelligence. the value OF n col
lrge educatInn as n working capital for a
young man is less than il was tity years
ago, simply because il gives him less
vantage ground The educational lever
is tool IN common use.
Only give US ioothold." plead the
handsome collrgians The lever may b..
short, but we shall bring to bear the
power OF earnest purpose Only give u
"A place to stand" All this cry Tor stand
ing room comes from every quarter OF
the land Never b-fore have there been
so many educated men out of work, out
Of courage. The lower tiers of every
profession and calling are overcrowded
with workmen and idl~rs. who have little
to do and have to fight hard TO keep the
wolf from the door Valedictorians are
becoming bartenders. aud their class
mates are taking fares in the street cars
There is gluJ of literary labor OF the
lower grades. From the West "a well as
the Eat, from San francisco and Omaha
as we'll a. N,.w York. comes the same
CRY. standing rOom-only give us that
When Mr. Gi ieelry used TO advise young
men To go West. there was a steady
movement of immigration, settlement
aud internal development. VIII ch mad
succezs reasonably Gel tain tn all who de
served il and to many who did not A
a
was borne along on the wave Of material
| prugrrss The rapid expansion Of bu-i-
ness and the growth OF population OF the
town gave momentum tO his own for
tunes. lie lett behind him ranks that
were ovrrcrowded and got footbold
somewhere else before the crowd came
| Education and energy were forces that
came into play at once. While young
men abroad were hobling along in wood
en- shoes our young men wore winged
/ sandals. But the tran-atlhntic tide OF
| immigration has ebbed and the currents
of Interstate migration are running low.
1 There was a temporary suspension of i'm
migration after 1887 and 1857. hut il did
not have the d--dsning eff,-ct of the
panic of 1873 Hard times and hi2h
taxes are o res that frghten away immi-
grants the surplus population oi Ireland
has bren drained off; Germans are con
tent to remain in n united G.rmany.
The country is still growing, but il is the
! growth Of the oak and not Of the mu-h
room Railroad construction has been
susp, ndad in all the Western States ax
c~pt California; agriculture i be-et with
terrible contingencies tn" population j.
stationary save in lew Inc ,lit.-~ lik-. the
| Black Hills wh.r" thrr. = -pprsslic 4
y-lopnrnt; and industrial rnt~rpris,. has
lot much of its elasticity. Young m.-n
cannot settle tn day in u new town with
the prosuect Of winning reputation IN
forIun- ia a tew years They mu-t
struggle through deep wit'.'s: thy II
not b.. borne along on thu rr,st- at the
waves. Nor i the Ir"sp. Ct much bright
er ia the South. la rrnnrssrr there ID
slight development OF manufacturing