The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-04-05
PECUNIARY AID TO STUDENTS

How to help a young man obtain
IN education, without injuring HI,
manhood, is the broblem. Tgno
'ance is bad, but spirit Of depend
'nce is worse. Learning is gooi.
'ut manliness is better.
Without help the late A. H.
stephens. of Georgia. would never
s,ave teen lifted to the higher plane
OF power and usefulness. If tradi
lion be true, he was faithful, out of
his first earning ,s. to repay that debt
The latter act made the former bene.
fit count at its full worth.
One reason WHY so large q pro
portion of the sons Of poor widows
come to honorable manho,l is that
the habits of self-help is early devel
"ped and sternly nursed by ueces-
,ity.
The rich Churches of the North
and East, an the old and wealthy
institutions, have been extending tu
theological students too much help
In their seminaries tuition. board,
lodging, and mouey to buy hooks
and clothes, are not untrequentl,
gwen. President Elliot. of Har-
varI. in a late ldress, declared that
the clerical profession" had beer
notably injlr and deprecated from
this cause. The New York Tribune
(Feo. 25), remarking on this address
says:
The existence of the evi! is aimit
ed. How to remedy it is the pro-
olem winch has hal the earnest at
tentlon Oh our college presidents tor
lnany Years. We should hesitate to
offer advice to such competent judges.
out it seems to Us that no reforr,
Can be effective which does not ai,ol
lsh entirely the aims.giving charac-
ter OF the aid extended. The money
might be lent. not given. Let the
deserving student borrow 1t without
interest for an indefinite period
When he receives it he can sign !.
promise to repay it as soon stteI
leaving college as he is able. Ii he
Is u manly fellow. he will rejoice in
this opportunity to have his manhood
tested. ani will keep his promise.
Ii he is not manly fellow, he will
oe ma.ie no worse by failing to keel.
mis- promise. A few years ago there
was u wealthy old gentleman in h
New Eng land college town who len,
money to STUDENTS IN precisely this
way. 1t was his delighted boas,
that not in single instance did OH,
fail to repay, and all instances the
boys turned out we'll in life. Sure
lv our college system Of aid should
be constructed in such a way as to
make our boys more, rather than
less. manly.
THIS Is exactly the plan ofVander
bilt University, and has been from
the beginning. Ii we mistake not
Randolph, Macon, and some other
Methodist colleges. pursue it also.
Thus a small fund goes great way
it is a circulating and self.help
ing affair. The student of to- day is
preparing for best work on the very
fund that helped one through a few
years ago.
The young preacher who foryets
this debt, or delays its paymenr he
,ond the first opportunity, is keep
| ing some needy and worthy young
man away from the means of educa-
ion which he enjoyed, and who is
waiting for the al wllicn his pred
ecessor must replace. More than
this: the young preacher who is
neglecttul of this obligation will not
10 much gool anywhere. lie is Q
poor investment.
The plan suggested by the Trib
u,te, and already in operation
among US, will work we'll so long al
help is contihed to the right sort
The authorities who administer thu
fund must be ON their guard agains
''dead-beats." The sooner they ar
sifted out of the ministry the better
In this connection we are pleased
10 learn that the Bursar of Wander
bilt University has begun to recei.
funls from former students to hel
others through at Wesley Hal
Some in 1888 are going through Of
what helped others through in 1877
| 7S.