The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-03-10
University Education.

Those who place culture above all
things are by no means majority.
\ much larger number of those who
contemplate college as one alterna-
tive for their boys, regard efficiency
in life as quite as valuasle..a as culture,
and are inclined to doubt whether all
the advantages of university training
are not counterbalanced by the neces-
sary loss Of experience gained at a
time when the mind can be made to
take definite .'ply" The Bar and
the Church absorb very few lads now
compared with the toal number of
the educated, and, except when they
have decided on the woolsack or the
mitr sthers of families are still
divided, and, indeed, in an immense
number OF cases dubious, as to their
best course. They like the universe
ties, but they recognize success in
life, or it may be the actual getting
of bread, as far preferable to any
amount Of mental cultivation, or, in
deed, as absolutely indispensable.
They seek advice, and they do not
get it. In all the immense and rami-
fled branches Of occupation known as
commerce, trade, banking, engineer
| ing, agriculture, India, the colonies
and Literature" in its money getting
sense, the experts are seriously at
variance. We should say, though of
course we may be attaching too much
Importance to the experience of few
men, that at least one-third of such
experts consider university educa-
ton a clear and decided drawback
source Of unfitness instead of fitness
and this third contains a good
many persons themselves men of
unusual and varied culture. They
say that the universities produce dis
like for hard life, and in this dislike
is an ultimate and incurable cause Of
illsuccess. Another third, though
less hostile, consider the university
career ''no good,' except to give man
ners, and hold that the money and
time, though not exactly wasted, are
expended to secure probematical
gun, III VIC way Hoo ~ lHa1ll Vi ouC-
cess or Of happiness, as Of grade.
These men are never thoroughly cul-
tivated, but greatly eXaggerate the
effect Of university culture upon grade.
perhaps of all errors about the system
the one most generally prevalent. or
the remaining third large proper
ton maintain strongly and definitely
that the higher education always
pays" that no matter what mans
occupation may be he will always, if
willing, pursue it more successfully
as a man with degree. He may not
be willing, but if he is willing, he will
always, as they say, become more eff
cient, better able to give and take,
more persistent, more sensible of duty
to the work itself, and, above all, bet
ter able to manage men that first
secret Of fortune in almost all depart
ments of life. The graduates, they
declare, even if they keep shops or
supervise building yards or manage
ranches in Colorado, always try for
the biggest things, and see far better
than merely experienced men to what
their work may lead, and what is the
most reasonably probable road to sue
cess. Moreover, argue these men,
descending into slang, the graduates
afloat in the hard work of life do not
go muckcrs" in anything like the
same proportion, do not, when they
fall, 60 under so hopelessy or take to
drink or disreputablc courses SO often.
They are supposed to do SO, because
when they do they are marked men,
and their friends tell stories OF them
and lament over them, whereas their
rivals sink under the waters silently;
but, as a matter of fact, they are
ruined past hope in much smaller
proportion. Granting other things
equal, the chances of great success
these experts maintain, are greater for
the graduates, while the chances of
great failure are less; and those two
facts-which we may remark en- pdSsant
we believe to be real, especially as re-
CARDS the second-ought of themselves
to outweigh the heavy claims put in
for experience in practical life.
We have no intention of deciding
dogmatically which Of the three sets
of arguers are right though our sym
pathies go with the last and good
deal of our respect with the first, but
we want to point out fact or two.
One is that the people who, of all
others, seek efficiency most, and that
often at direct cost of culture, the
Scotch, have long since made up their
minds on the subject. They do not
want to be soft-mannered men, or re-
fined men, or reflective men, but to be
efficient men; yet they hold universe
ty training help, and not draw
back, and except when defeated by
want of means Or other special cir
cnmstances, never fail TO get it for
their sons. All Scotchmen are not
graduates, but in theory the Scotch
man-who, be it remembered, is not
led away Oh the subject either by
fiunkyism or sentiment or any strong
wish that his sons should have an
easy time-holds decidedly that they
ought to be, that it would be we'll if
they could be, and that if they were