The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-10-29


to reach out for
The further tendency of the ex.
cellent facilities afforded in modern
educational systems is to crowd the
professions with men who have
underestimate the conditions of
true success in them, and whose
motives are too much of sordid
nature. While it may he true that
there is always room at the top in
the learned vocations, the top of the
tree is to u large extent made less
worthy the expenditure of great
effort TO mount to, by the plums
being brought within reach of cheap
and flashy eXpedients at the bottom.
Legal tariffs of remuneration, and
the methods of mendicants and
sycophants, are necessary to main
tain in the world Il great proportion
of the classes who undertake the
care of the health, property and mo-
rails Of their fellow-beings. 1t is on
account Of the large number of per-
sons who seek the professions, not
through devotion to their high and
noble objects but for the mere emil
nence in the world they give, that
they are often too sweepingly and
uniustly condemned as gigantic i'm
posturcs. The more education is
facilitated, the greater will these
evils become, and for the benefit of
the race. as well as for self-protec-
ton, the ruling powers of the pro-
fessions will have to raise the
standards of admittauce to their
| ranks.
1t is not the perfection of educa-
ton, but its incompleteness, that is
so much in the way of the worlds
substantial work, by hindcring the
supply of men for where they are
most wanted, and encouraging men
into walks of life where they can be
most easily spared. While the rudi-
mcnts of education taught in the
majority of schools in Chris
tendon are all right, the only
technical education in the majority
of instances is of mercantile char
acter, and pupils evincing capacity
for more than the rudiments are most
usually turned into Latin and Greek
grammars, mathematics, or geometry,
often without Il thought of their
natural bent. The rule has been, if
the child shows talent above
mediocre make him clergyman, II
lawyer or doctor. Possibly in the
operation natural mechanical
genius may be spoiled, or Il great
geographer, geologist or navigator
lost to his age, but our boasted edu-
cational systems have not yet, as
rule, comprehended anything higher
in youthful education than a smatter-
ing of the monastic lore of the
middle ages. If it were not that
natural selection. oftentimeS acciden-
tai, led the rising generation into the
life paths best adapted to them, the
world would be badly off indeed
even with all its educational progress.
1t is 4 hopeful sign of the times,
however, that technical and indus
trial education is receiving increas-
ing attention in every civilized coun-
try, not excepting our own. While
the experiment is being tried in the
schools, as member of one of the
great educational forces of the time
the press-wc would the urge desira-
bility of boys, and even girls, learn
ing trades. a good trade--by good
meaning one suited to its possessor's
talents and tastes--is better by far
than fortune surer than
profession; commands more pay
than the so much sought genteel oc-
equations of commercial life (; affords
scope for the utilization of some of
the highest branches taught in the
schools; presents to genius, clever
ness or industry the promise of sub
stantial and sometimes quick re-
wards; procures the respect and
honor due to honest labor and per-
severing effort, and is no bar to the
highest political OF social preferment
4 I. IL I