The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-21
Education and Trades.


Prof. NJ. A. Newell, in reply to lecture by
Mr.. Charles J. Bonaparte on the defects of
the public school system, gives utterance to
the following sentence:
Certainly very few American boys will
want TO be tied down to the trade of their
fathers"
That is Just one of the drawbacks to devel-
opment and prosperity in the older states of
the Union, and it may be charged in large
degree to the advance system of education.
In the large cities the high schools are better
than many of the institutions called colleges;
while in the larger towns and country dis
tricts advanced studies are taught. As Prof.
Newell says, public schools are not charity,
neither are they right; but as the govern
ment is wise or unwise as the people are in
telligent or ignorant, it is the part of wisdom
to provide for public education as matter OF
self protection and governmental preservation.
We did not read report of Mr.. Bonaparte S
lecture, but infer from Prof. Newells COM
ments thereon, that he took the ground that
too much was embraced in the system of pub
lie education. IF so, he uttered fact. The
preservation of the state and wise government
does not require high grade ofpublic schools.
If so a community of scholars would have the
wisest government, and the higher the educa-
ton the nearer would be perfection. Every
body knows that is not true, for many learned
men have not as much common sense and as
practical ideas as some who have never ad-
vanced further than the rudiments. Reading,
writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography,
history, coupled with a knowledge OF the state
and federal constitutions, are all that are nee
essary to be taught in the public schools. A
knowledge of these is all that is necessary to
qualify citizens for the ordinary affairs OF life
and to enable them to discharge their politi-
cal duties intelligently. If perfection OF
education would produce perfection in gov
eminent, we should favor such education.
But no one will contend for that.
Now as to Prof NewelTs remark-"Cer-
tainly very few American boys will want to be
tied down to the trade oftheir fathers" Why
not? Are not tailoring, blacksmithing, wheel
wrighting, plastering, timing, &C., respecta-
BILE? Is it a disgrace to work on farm? II
not, why is it that very few American boys will
want to be tied down to the trades of their faith
ers? It's because of the high grade of public
education for which Prof. Newell contends-the
education beyond the needs of protection
and we'll being of the State itself" When
the boy gets well advanced in his studies, he
l. II 70 ha1 of the
farm or in the workshop. He has an aver
sion to soiling his hands, and aspires to be
clerk, a teacher, doctor, dentist or lawyer.
These occupations he regards as an elevator
and not arduous He tries one, is future,
and ekes out a miserable existence, for the
remuneration is not enough to maintain his
advanced ideas of living. So with the girl
graduate of the high schools. She paints,
draws, and is well up in English and French.
Her parents are not able to support her in
idleness while she INDUCES her cultivated
tastes. The grammatical mistakes of her par
ents disgust her, and her social position is
distasteful. The avenues of occupation are
very limited, and folly and ruin often follow.
This is not true of all boys and girls who
are highly educated at the public schools.
But it is true of many. All the professions
are crowded with young men who are fail
ures, who would have been successful i'll some
mechanical branch of industry. They are to
be seen everywhere, nearly, and many more
are unwillingly working on the farm, believ-
ing that their talents fit them for something,
to their minds, higher and nobler
There can be nothing higher and nobler
than honest labor, and the system of educa-
ton that does not teach that is deficient.
Labor is the basis of health, happiness and
prosperity. The boy who expects to live in
elegant idleness because he is educated will
find himself mistaken. In every vocation,
professional as well as mechanical, education
and industry are essential to success. The
upright skilled mechanic is just as respecta-
BILE and deserves as high an appreciation as
the most learned doctor, editor, lawyer or
scientist.
Prof Newell, one would suppose, believes
in the high grade of schools, because very few
American boys will want to be tied down to
the trades of their fathers. If high educa-
ton promotes that, then what is to become
of the trades? Can we do without the pro
ducts of mechanical labor? If the American
boys desire to avoid mechanical pursuits, and
are enabled to do so by an advanced public
school system, what is to become of the
country? The State, Mr.. Newell should also
remember, should interfere with the property
and rights of the people as E:sle as possible.
The State has no r;gnt'to tax the people to
provide e. a higher education than is neces-
sary for the protection and well being of the
state itself"
To do so is to Cypress the people. The
government should teach its citizens self-re-
lance, not encourage dependence. High
education should be a matter Of individual
expense, the same as other luxuries. The
boy who has talents and energy will not be
dwarfed because the state does not afford
him free facilities.