The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-03-26
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SEIF-EDUCATION.
Atlanta Constitution.

. There are many boys and young men
in Georgia and all over the country to
whom the question of education presents
itself in the shape of 8 serious problem.
They lack means as we'll as opportunity.
They feel that, in order to properly,
equip themselves, they need something
more than common school education /;
but they lack the means. They feel the
necessity for adding to their requirements,
but they are compelled to face the more
pressing necessity of existence. They
must live, aud if they live they must
work. They feel that they are handi'
capped by their condition.
II is natural that ambitious young men
aud boys should feel cramped by the
misfortune which compels them to be-
come breadwinners at the age when their
more fortunate acquaintauces aud com
paninns are just beginning 10 enjoy the
advantages of those to whom all the
avenues of education are open. Their
anxiety is natural under the circum>tan-
ces, hui it is very doubtful whether their
cramped condition-their lack of oppor-
tunity-plsces them ut any disadvantage.
The most successful men--the men who
are must famous in the worlds history
are, almost without exception, men who
have overcome the obstacles and tri-
.umphed over the misfortunes that beset
them in early life.
The President of Dartmouth College,
in recent lecture in Boston, declared
that the difference between 'self educa-
rion" and school education" is merely
a asuperticial distinction. "All real edh.
cation" he il reported as saying. "al!
highest education in whatever line, ia all
self education.' THIS il suggestive.
Unquestionably inclinatinu is rarer than
opportunity; inclination is everything.
a bay or young man who is determined
to succeed in life is bound TO succeed.
a bny or young man who is determined
III reap the benefits of the highest edu
cation will find that the way is open To
him even though he should never get in
sight of u college or university. The
toy or young man who possesses all the
advantages that are to be found in our
institutions of learning will never &C
quire useful education unless he has
tne ambition to educate himself.
The system and discipline of colleges
are helpful and important. but there can
he no doubt that the advantages of col
iege education are greatly overestimated.
They are overestima,ed because the
great maturity of boys who 60 to college
are impressed with the idea-lhe super
stilion. we had almost said-that, in
order to succeed, in order to secure a
substantial education, they have only TO
ubey the rules aud follow the routine
laid down. A young man could not
make greater mistake than this Let
the sys. EN- of the college. be all hat can
he desired-let its faculty be composed
uf the foremost educators Of their time
land they will still fail to educate those
who do not educate themselves.
The moral of all this is, that young
men who are ambitious should make the
most Of the opportunities thatlie directly
at hand. They may I've small opportu
mites. TO he sure, but a small opportunity
may grow to be a very large one. Lei
those young men who imagine that they
tack opportunity, or who believe that
have conspired to place
them at disadvantage, do the best they
can. aud they will fDd that they have
done the best. The secret of success *
AN open one. Hard work, and applica
ton in given direction, will accomplish
onrthinU