The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-12-20
INDUs4RIAL EDUCATION.
Two of Series of Articles ON Subject of
Large Interest to Jersey Men.

becomes interested, and gets its attention
focused upon subject requiring intelli-
gent action, great point is gained. Indus
trial education is reform, and, like every
other reform, must be content to work its
way slowly. The waking up of a commu-
nifty to an intelligent appreciation of its
own interests is more of work than most
people are prepared to acknowledge.
The American people are intensely prac-
teal and utilitarian. That they have not
much sooner become aware that something
in the line of industrial or technical educa-
ton was absolutely necessary to their well
fare, is something quite phenomenal. They
are beginning to see that the skilled labor
of the country is being done, in large
measure, by foreigners who have settled
among them and that their own boys
to the manor born-are trying to exc out
precarious livelihood at the so-called ele-
CANT employments, where their hands ara
never soiled nor their backs bent. This
should, perhaps, be qualified by saving
that the young men from the rural districts
are not afraid to work. 1t is Notifying to
walk around the streets and see how many
young men incline to fraternize with the
genus hoodlum, and who think it dis
grace to do an honest days work.
1t would not be just to say that our Young
men should bear the whole of the RESPONSE
bility for this vicious state of things. One
way and another the foolish notion that
labor is degrading has obtained an alarming
hold in the community. Assuming that it
is degrading to work OF any of the useful
trades, we desire our sons to be lawyers.
doctors, clergymen, clerks, etc. Those
honorable professions are, in consequence.
so crowded that, as a necessary result.
they are weighted down below the com
handing position which they should oc
cupy in any well-regulated community. If
our lawyers become in large measure
"shysters, some of our doctors squacks. y
and many of our clergymen "charlatans.
we must charge it to the crowding into
their ranks of so much ill-assorted and
crudely prepared material. Every profes.
sion and trade requires special aptitude
and preparation. If this is neglected. we
will find men posing as miserable and half
starved clergymen, who might have made
respectable aud efficient shoemakers or
men vociferating at the bar,-a kind of
mild scourge to the community ia which
they live,- who would have handled a
trowel or stone cutters mallet with dig
nifty and dexterity; or men trying to scratch
out a livelihood as doctors who would have
made successful and scientific farmers or
noted specialists as stock-raisers. Until
these things are thoroughly digested and
appreciated, we will go on in the old ruts.
1t will be the "survival of the fittest." if
fittest is tho proper word to use. Some
times the g fittest' is the strongest and
o1ck Ions Al =
nifty. The grand doctrines which come
under the general head 'fThe brotherhood
of man" are ignored when we come down
to this savage maxim, s'Sarvival of the
fttest." There is no Christianity there.
nothing that is ennobling, nothing that
lifts men up, no charity. 1t is merely dogs
fighting for bone. 1t must be admitted.
however, that to large extent we have
modelled society upon that vicious plan.
Root hog or die" seems to be Natures
mandate. Among intelligent human be-
ings the curse, "In the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread" can be considerably
mitigated by foresight ana wisdom.
A proper preparation, or, in Other words.
proper education, is what is needed
There is a great deal comprehended in the
term "a proper education" It is the KEY
to the whole business. When we send our
children to school. and they become pro-
ieient in reading, writing and arithmetic,
SO far SO good but it is not a complete
education. It is only good as far as it
goes. 1t is elementary and relative in its
character. Suppose that our boys are
smart in the above studies, and that their
moral and religious education is neglected,
the chances are that we shall have brood
of inscriptions adventurers who will live
by their wits and be scourge, insteld of
blessing, to the community in which they
may live. In our public schools the ele.
ments of morality may be taught to linn
tied extent. Our people have become so
sensitive on religious questions that the
teachers must be exceedingly careful not
to get the least morsel of religion into the
medley, or they will find themselves on
the ragged edge of discipline, with IA
natlcism tearing away at their vitals. Most
of them have, wisely, we must admit, con-
cluded that it is safest for them to not
touch even tho morality, but attend solely
to the reading, writing and arithmetic.
This state of things is partially rectified by
work done in the Church, the Sunday
school and in the family. If it is not done
at all, God help the community upon
which such q spawn is launched
The progress of the age, and the conii-
ton in which we find the industrial inter-
ests of the community. and the world COM
pels, whether we like it or not, to consider
carefully the problem of industrial educa-
ton. Most people will readily admit that
it is good thing, and should be encouraged.
How why? where and to what extent
are practical questions in this connection,
which should be carefully considered We
want 1t discussed. We want to know all
about it before we commence. We want
plan and specifications before we begin to
build the house. We want to know ali about
it that is movable. We want to hear the
views of the practical men and women, who
usually do the thinking for the community
in which they live. industrial education
has been tried in several communities, very
largely in Europe, would it not be exceed
ingly profitable to know what their expert
ence has been. In all experiments of this
character, the means needed is liable to be
anything but intelligently used. Tt would
indeed be wonderful if an inexperienced
community would use their money as intel
ligently as Peter Cooper or Edwin A.
Stevens, when directed to point like this.
We read from time to tlEe that England
has been to enormous expense building
navy, which, for lack of intelligent con-
struction and on account of change is COM
PpAalifCiJ uoCAcoo LUZ SA0 purposes lOA
which it was intended The old maxim.
abe sure you are right then go ahead"
comes into play here with conspicuous
effect. We must first have an intelligent
idea what we intend to teach; we must
study about the cost, then about the appli-
cation.
How much industrial education do we
intend to give? Some CT the promoters of
this moveme have said, Z" If you teach
boy to drive nail properly or solder
pipe, be is more useful around a house
than before" No doubt at all about all
that, but if industrial education is to stop
there, or near there, we had better never
begin. We don't need nation filled with
botches-we need nation filled with
intelligent, scientific workmen. Other coun-
tries have felt their needs in this direction
long since, and are far advanced upon the
road we are about to travel on. If indus
trial education is to be anything worth
while as applied, say, to machinist's trade.
the nuDil uust he kaucht not only how tn