The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-04-14
THE CLASSICAL EDUCATIONAL CUES
TON.

The advocates Of soisnc, IN education as
opposed to the study Of ce'.4ct languages
VIII ind some sound arguments In support
OF their views ia the recently published
statement OF the scientific department OF
Dartmouth College, one OF the Oldest sclen-
tific schools In the country, showing what
the graduates OF that institution have been
doing in the world The graduates mum.
Der 800 OF these 20 are regular OWL en-.
gineers, while % more are engaged in
other departments of engineering. Some,
also, are chemists, mschiniets, drRu ghis-
men, etc but the entire number OF those
employed In the practical scientific work for
which they were trained, and could no,
have been properly fitted except 10 scien.
tihc school, il only nbou, 40 per cent. of the
entire number while, law. medicine AND
theology, professions FOR which classical
education wGs once thought essential. claim
IS per cent. The remaining ~ per cent.
teachers, railroad men, bankers, journalists,
merchants, manufacturers aud literary
men. This is the record OF but a single eel
entiGc school. The statistics, however, 80
far as obtained, Of like institutions estsb.
lshed at Ysls, Harvard and other noted
colleges, show that their graduates have
been distributed among the various profess
sions and other occupations in about the
same proportions.
These figures are significant, and force
the conclusion that for the demand OF the
busy working world of to-day, 10
professional pursuits. strictly so-cAlled,
modern scientific training will predicate
euccsss with quite ss much certainty as the
old system OF education for these calings.
II would, o. course, be impossible 30 ss,er-
tain by staiisilos how lawyers, clergymen
or physicians, educated in the modern
method. compare. as regards actual success,
with their brethren, who spent some OF the
best years Of their lives, before entering up
on their professional studies, la pursuit OF
dead letter knowledge, which could at best
furnish them with only OCCASION
al and eight assistance in the
real business of their professions.
Common sense, however, ia the absence Of
statistics furnishes some unavoidable In
ferences.
For example, in the endless variety III
case, In which successful lawyer may be
engaged, his Latin and Greek, or the little he
chances TO remember Of the tmsttering he
once acquired Of them, will be OF no service,
while affair Knowledge OF physical science
mi zht be, and often Is, owing to the sudden
erigencles OF o case, OF the utmost sdvan-
t.ge. In fact in some branches OF law
scientific knowledge 10 absolutely indispen-
biz. In the conduct Of patent cases, for ex-
ample, the possession OF the most thor
ough information on slmot ev-
cry branch OF physical s1ieuce
10 requisite for sucosss, and IL iss very
q gniflcant fact that the business for this
part CT the profession, which is In these
days perhaps it, most lucrative branch, Is
confined 10 o mere handful OF the bar. The
average attorney will not touch an intri-
cate patent case. or II he does. must find
some scientific lawyer to do the real work.
Instances OF the advantages, in the other
OF the modern system OF educs-
ton over the one now fortunately fast go
ing out OF vogue might be multiplied. In
medicine, the most that can be
claimed for Q classical training 10
that It enables the practitioner
to write his prescriptions In dead Ian
rusee. and comprshspd the shsurd systen
Of nomsnclsturs which the medieol pro
Sssion lsen Tine innsnosIa' be- 80 ~