Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-08-01
Educating TOO much.


Prof. MOnier Williams, in his book on
:.sModern India and the Indians" gives a
hint in regard to popular education that
we in the United States might take, if it
be not too late. He cautions against too
much education, as tending to render
young men unwilling, if not unfit, to pur-
sue the trades of their fathers. He holds
that offering to all children an advanced
education tempts them to seek their live
lihood by some other than manual employ
ments, and SO disturbs the working of the
natural law of supply and demand. You
force upon the labor market a host of ed |
ucated men for whom there is nothing to
do, and you deprive the country of work
men greatly needed.
| In this country we see the influence of
this system in such results. Our public |
schools now gtUe to the children of the
poor, and to the great middle class, an
education that includes ornamental and
many other branches. Children who have
had a course of lessons in these studies
are not willing to go from school to max
ing basket, or brogans. And they can
find nothing to do in the line of business
for which they are not fitted. They want
situations in stores, banks or professions.
These places are filled. There is no de-
mand for clerks or lawyers. The supply
is greater than the demand. If an adver-
tisement calls for young man to fill
situation in an Office, or store, troop an
swers the call. But in vain is the search
for apprentices to trade. No one wants
/ h &c. TSxSr=r hrrh Ia
, wits. If parents educate children at their
own expense, and they cannot find con-
genial employment for them, the fault is
with the parents But If the State, at
, the expense of the taxpayers, supports
system of education that destroys the
balance of the social system by produc-
: ing more of one class of laborers than is
called for, and diminishing the produc-
ton of another, the consequences is disor-
der. disappointment and misery. The
State itself trains its children for de-
partment of service in which only a
small part of them can be employed. It
disquali1es large part of its children
for that service in which they are largely
required. This makes misery.
There is no sphere of honest labor that
is not respectable. And if the children
- of the people are not forced by hot-house
!, education into seeking employment in
= spheres which are thought to be more
genteeI than such as are called menial
thousands who are now struggling ol
. starving for want of adequate employ
a ment would be earning a sure and res
h. pectable support in an honest employ
az ment.
a. It is probably too late for us in thi
n country to go back upon our system. w
n shall continue to teach music and mathe
. matics and score of other branches 0
~ fashionable or popular education, to tn
If children of the people, making the tax
6 payers pay the enormous cost, and thu
ar we shall do positive injury to the many
is greatly benefit few, and by turning uI
he on society an innumerable number Q
-. young people who will not now go int
# meniaI or manual labor, and who cannc
Ia obtain anything else to do, we shall, q
we do now, force the supply of educate
lv labor beyond the demand, and SO injul
ire those whom we seek to benefit.
i'll The easy reply to this statement is th'
of an educated young man is just as able
a go out to days. work as if he were n,
I'm educated, which is very true. But giN
w. him education and he will not take
re such employment, nor be happy in it
til he does. A 1aundress sends her daughte
as to the public school, and they learn a
of thesciences and add the accomplishment
ew Neither they wish, nor their mother Fl
or them, to take in washing, after they ha'
he had this advanced education. If thu
he could obtain something hetter to do, al
of in which their education would be us
full, we would by all means give them Il
led education. But if they are now rais
lite above the calling of their mother, al
er, have no other in which they can be us
ed. ful, their education has done them ha1
md and not good.