Smyrna times., 1883-03-14
For the Smyrna Times.
Two Kinds of Education.

For the Smyrna Times. "
Two Kinds of Education. al
b.
Recent investigation have disclosed
the fact that in large cities of the first cI
class like Philadelphia, the proportion Il
of foreign skilled workmen employed Il
at the different trades exceeds that of p
the native or American in the large is
ratio of to l and this becomes more d
significant when it is noted that as to h
population this proportion is reversed n
the American greatly exceeding the e
foreign. v
The pay for skilled labor in the t
trades ranges from $500 to $4,000 per f
week and with the demand, in excess /
of the supply for skill alone, not be it G
understood for labor itself, although it l
may be accompanied with high mental t
culture. Then we will say that the ,
workmen of Paris, Lyons, Geneva, {
Genoa, Vienna and Berlin can come
here in such numbers as to mOnopolize
the trades of a city like Philadelphia
to the extent of seven-eights of their
working capacity which is not only to
be deplOred, but is enough to cause the
gravest concern as to the future of
large portion of the American youth,
who by their skill should fill those
trades in the proportion as above given
and not by reason Of some grevious
fault to permit it to exist as it really is.
That such a fault does exist and has
caused this state of affairs finds no
apology whatever when each year
; they become less and less a factor in the !
skilled hand-crafts, those who are to the !
Manor born" and should be for skill
: ed labor in the majority.
!, If the danger alluded to above is the
= apparent it is by no means the real
one, for the exclusveness of the
y artisans in refusing to instruct appren-
> tices constitutes the real danger and
, discloses a selfish policy that is submit
:, ted to by the proprietors because they
:, cannot correct it. Largely, these men
German socialist type, and sustain
: each other in Trades Unions" the
!" counterparts of the clubs that have
10 from time to time convulsed Europe in
~ revolution" and the decree of the
- principal Trades Unions" composed
y as they are Of active men in the trades,
~ is clearly against the proprictors en-
- ploying apprentices at will, leaving
:! them the only alternative of taking the
" skilled labor that comes by every
steamer from the work centres of
- Europe and when will this end and
10 what will arrest it? are the weak
"' questions that we ask. The quick,
bright intelligence Of our youth would
~ answer it in the might of their skill, if
~ they but had the chance. Can it be
VI said that the mechanics of Europe have
access to higher education to form
-" them into skillful wOrkmen sufficient
~ not only for home but also to dominate
in the majority in so great a manufac-
az turing city as Philadelphia or is it safe
to insult our youth by ascribing to
them so low q place in the mental
:" scale as to bring about these figures for
=" want ofcapacity? Most assuredly not
= go We know that i'll law, medicine and
the mercantile professions our youth
adorn them with their brilliant talents
proving conclusively that in professions
thoca roCuiriNor ~, tlOxr Il n hi
tiles of the highest order they are fully
equal to all demands not only il
'E' capacity but in numbers. We find nc
en- drafts made upon the universities o
es. Europe to send us learned men to carry
tes ON our mercantile business as they de
NO. in the art-tradcs here. From the ranks
IN of those professions arc drawn the mos
Or. eloquent and able men of the country
;Ie' and where did they receive their pre-
De vious training but in the public school
'st- and colleges, and in what did tha
IN consist of, and for what did it fit then
rial for? Precisely what those profession
OF require for their administration, tn
oly mental and occult sciences Hence
al by analogy, we may ask in what d
ms the trades differ? Do they not requir
anu mental and occult training, and how
nts' it our public schools and colleges d
ceS' not or cannot train for the trades a
're- they certainly do for the professions
We; This brings us to the real cause of VIII
,lCh the skilled mechanics of Europe are i
ius- the majority in the large cities. w
Us find that from previous training an
esS' exactly in that direction, our yout
oo' drift to those professions they believ
themselves best adapted for by tn
teaching, and so find their level. Bl
the this cannot be said of occupations r
troy quiring something else besides ment
iron culture, for if this were all that was +
ID a quired, why do not the we'll taugl
the public school boys of Philadelph
,ent, dominate the trades as they do Il
ON professions, or drift to their levels
this Clearly there is cause here. BY
the sophistry of argument can it be show
that boys fitted by their education f
one or more professions should utter
)mo- be unfit for the trades unless they a
you radically different, which they are.
leso- The trades founded in great part u
you on the exact reasoning of GeometI
If so uses those principles to overcome t
still passive inertness of nature, gives fol
ly as and use to material of every kind, al
e on to do this, the hand becomes skillt
No amount of reasoning, howev
would cause the hand to become skill
will without practice, for there is recipI