Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-09
An Evil IA Re Cured.

An Evil 10 De OuEtu-
Accepting the truism that the diffu-
sion of education is the bulwark of our
liberties. and granting that commend
able efforts are being made in every State
in the Union to enable every child of
school age to secure the advantages of
enlightenment, it cannot be doubted that
there is much that is radically wrong
in the educational systems of the day,
Tom Brown has gone through the cur
riculum of school and college and has
''crammed" in all that could be put in
his head during the allotted time. He
comes home imbued with the notion
that he is destined to shine at the bar,
when, in reality, he is better fitted to
handle the spade or follow the pillow.
Dick Jones has gone through a similar
course of treatment, and deludes himself
with the idea that he would make an
eminent evangelist, though as a matter
of fact he would make a far better gro
Ger. John Smith is versed in the elias
sizes and what not, and fatters himself
that the laurels of a Richie or For
sythe are within his grasp, when, if the
deluded young man but knew it, he
might serve his country to better pur-
pose as a bookkeeper or a pedagogue.
There are legions of young men turned
out of our colleges year by year, who
sigh for distinction in the learned pro-
fessions, who would be far more useful
citizens as mechanics or filling other
honorable and useful callings.
But when we come to remark upon
the sweet girl graduate the moral is
more striking. The Miss Gussies and
Miss Effies and Miss Myrtles are adopts
at the piano, can paint PLAQUES lever
so beautifully" sing delightfully."-, etch,
sketch, paint, embroider and what not,
but are novices in the simplest details of
household economy. 1t must be said
that this latter defect is less marked here
than at the North, but it is growing year
by year.
The chief cause of this defect in both
sexes is the fact that the dignity of labor
is not impressed upon the young. The
manly farmer working away from morn
to night is far higher character in the
drama of life than the struggling lawyer,
whose goal at best is but meagre medi-
ocrity. The mechanic toiling for his
daily stipend is of far more SER
vice to the community than the
young man struggling for success
in a profession already overcrowded,
and for which he has not the necessary
qualifications. Education can harm no
man, but its possession should never
lead any man to abandon his common
sense. A cultured and well informed
young woman is an ornament to the social
circle; but her culture should not exempt
her from that necessary and useful
knowledge of home matters that every
woman should possess.
The main trouble even with those who
have just appreciation of the meritori-
business of all labor, is that the young
man entering upon life knows not which
way to turn and too often takes the
wrong path in life, and travels too far
upon it to return. 1t would appear that
the first duty of teachers should be to
impress upon those with whose training
they are entrusted the responsibility of
labor in general. AID convince them that,
Il the iTGlles to fame are few, those to
cOntentment are many. 1t should then
be the duty of the parents and the friends
of the young to give them the benefit of
their counsel and experience il making
choice of their future calling. .
1t may be that the evil has grown too
fashionable to be cured. Certain it is
that it is being fostered either by the
neglect of teachers or indifference of
parents, or both. The sooner steps are
taken to root it out the better. We may
have fewer Indifferent doctors, lawyers,
preachers, journalists and business
men, but we will have more farmers,
blacksmiths, carpenters and machinists,
who will be all the better for the educa
ton they have received.