Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-11
THE POOR MANS FRIEND.


The Oro9and Monthly remarks upon the
fact that a few voices, and some Of them
not entirely without influence, from whim
sr conviction, are loud against our high
schools ard university. As regards the
high schools, the complaint is not confined
to California There is prejudice afoat
among good many Though it is far from
affecting the great multitude Of our peo-
pie, on whose support the high school sys-
TEN firmly rests, to the effect that high
school training units for humble work,
without fitting for better" The Orcriaod
suggests as an antidote to their prejudice
the submission of list of the graduates
and their occupations
1t is = matter of regret that, so far rs
the high schools are concerned, these lists
are seldom prepared. 1t should be part
Of the plan OF municipal statistics to pro
vide for the keeping of such registers,
Soma wear, ago a gentleman then con
nected with the REcoRD-UNIoN undertook
To trace out the past membership OF our
bicb school. The result was most salts
factory. 1t established the fact that the
vast majority of pupils had entered upon
aractical and useful yocations in life, re-
fleeing credit upon society and the high
school system. and that instead Of the
course turning them from pursuits OF IN
dustrv. it had rather fitted them for yoea-
fions demanding the very best, both of
muscular and intellectual activity At
the same time, and on several subsequent
occasions. the RECORD UNION analysed the
list. Of the classe, in the Sacramento High
School-admittedly 4 representative one
Of tbi, class Of educational institutes-and
found that the scholars are by vast pre-
tssnderanee members of families poor IN
worldly goods. In fact the high school is
essentially the poor mans school. 1t Is the
opportunity for his child to take some ad-
ranrel educational steps which he could
mn, otherwise enjoy. The rich may COM
pf:ml these, the poor cannot.
\ wilder, more absurdly foolish and SUI
,.idal raid was never made than that n few
wear ago organized among the hard-work-
~ classes by few assumed leaders
against the high school system. UniortU-
raiciy quite Il number Of people were led
a-irav by it. but fortunately the good sense
al the people disclosed the folly and cruelty
ef The raid, and it died suddenly. We can
scarcely believe that il will he rcsurrected
IA the present generation. Let the poor
n,an reflect that it will not be the rich who
will I've affected by the closing of these
schools There is nothing more discour-
aging in our whole social system than the
tact that the poorer people are so easily
yeh off by demogogue5 and radical and
saortsighted leaders into assaults upon
everything educational that by mere no
s,cnelature appears to be removed from
chem
The truth is that intelligence, the cult
vation of the mental powers, and the &C
guirement of knowledge, is pre-empted by
90 class in this day. The poor man who'll,
dependent upon his daily wage, should
and fortunately the mass Of them do-re
.alize that every scheme to add TO the sun
Of human knowledge, every plan to dissem
mate information every effort to educate
he youth of the day, is in the interest o
ali people, and all classes of people. Th'
day has utterly and foreverpassed in which
the belief had any considerable footholc