Towanda daily review. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1879-1921, 1881-07-07
The Best Education.


cses having already been held in
most Of them it may not be inopportune
to say something on the important qucs-
tion. There are reported to be in the
United States some $50 colleges to which
can be added several hundred seminaries,
academies and institutes, lesser lights in
the educational armament This is
state of things Of which we all are proud
as we know that education is one of the
corner stones of our Republic, one Of the
levers Of our power and leading cause
Of our greatness among the nations OF the
world. Of late years there has been
.'big rum with ''our boys for an educa-
tion at these institutions and to take
course, graduate and receive sheep skin
is commendable enterprise, worthy
accomplishment for which we honor
them, Notwithstanding the side show at
tachments in way Of base ball, rowing
matches and an occasional play spell at
hazing, one Of which the public has con-
demned more or less. In view OF this
u
real benefits and practical usefulness de-
rived by the student in the course. A
mong the objections raised is that the
tendancy is to drift the mind into new
and foreign channels, drawing it from
natural grooves, thus WarpinS those in
born tast, traits and propensites which
when properly developed, make the great
ceniuses of the day and the master intel
lects of the world.
1t is further urged that the training
not only draws the mental faculties into
new grooves, bunting those natural in
clinations with which the student is gift
ed. but often leading him to choose Il pur-
suit in practicing which he encounters
friction and thus pegs away through life,
out of gear and pulling against the tide
of reaction 1t is also said that the
many books, lectures and the general
paraphernalia surrounding him over-taX,
befoc and bewilder the mind, cramming
it with theory, stimulating it beyond its
natural strength and capacity, thus max
ing wreck Of what might have made a
brilliant intellect if properly developed.
And last it is claimed that the studies are
of no practical use to the masses, being
adapted to those occupying high posi-
tions in the literary and scientific world.
These are a few Of the objections raisedS
Others could be given but we deem it un-
necessary.
BY girng these objections we would
not have the reader infer that we sub
scribe fully to them nor that we are OPP
posed to colleges or the boys taking a
course. What we would specially say is,
that too much of the matter obtained
during the course is of but little practi-
cal use in the general pursuits Of the day,
particularly to the business class who
figure so largely in all the leading enter
prises and who need vigorous minds.
nodded in natural channels or practical
and experimental training in early life fit
ting them for the pursuit they follow.
This is business age and the United
States a business land, all enterprises
moving off at electric speed, affording no
delay to unearth fossils nor time to pur-
sue.
The masses have no appetite for dead
languages nor abstruse sciences they
choose the rough and ready, and useful
matters of life, cutting off all superhuities
in science, art and literature. We have
no snail pace and fogy systems, such as
prevails in Europe. Here our air is
charged with electricity, it permeates