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

Prof NJ A. Newell, in reply toa lecture by
Mr. Charles J. Bonaparte on the defects of
che pablo school system, gives utterance to
the following sentence:
Certainly very few American boys viii
want to be tied down to the trade of THEW
fathers.
That is just one Of the drawbacks. 10 dsvet-,
opment and prosperity in the cider states of
the Union, and it may be charged in a, large
degree to The advance system Of education.
In the large cities the high schools are better
than many o6tAe institutions called colleges;
while in the larger towns and country dis
tEicts adganced studies. are taught. As Prof
Newell says, public schools are not charity,
neitherrare they rights but as the govern
Went is wise or unwise as the people are in
teligent or ignorant ii is the part Of wisdom
to provide for public educasssa as matter of
selfproteoiion and goveEsmentafp representation.
We did not read Esgsrs Of Mr.. Bonaparte's
lecture, but infe& nom Prof Newelrs com
ments thereon that he took the ground that
too much was. embraced in the system of pub
lie e4AaastiuD. If,so,. he uttered fact The
yFcsaSSatipn Of the stale and wise government
does nesreqnire a high grade ofpublic schools.
ESQ comnannity Of scholars would have the
wisest government, and the higher the educa-
tion the nearer would be perfection. Every
body knows that is not trne, for many learned
men have not as much common sense and as
,,ra akseal IDEAS a. sfxxna rho have -,,axar ID
yaneed further than the rudiments. Reading,
writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography,
history, coupled With knowledge of the state
and federal constitutions, are all that are nee
essary to be taught in the public schools. A
knowledge ofsthese is all that is necessary 10
qualify citizens for the ordinary aeAAs, Of LIE
and to enable them to discharge their politi-
cal duties intelhgently. u a. PERFECTION of
education would prodHas perfection in gov
eminent, we shoRlA favor such. education
But no one VIII contend for that.
Now as q. Prof NIewell's remark" Ger
tainly, very fewcAmerican boys will want to be
sed,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? If
not, why isit 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
education beyond the needs Of protection
and welt being of the State itself When
the boy, gets we'll advanced in his studies, he
gets too heightened to help his father on the
farm or in the workshop. He has an aver
sion to soiling his hands, and aspires lobe q
clerk, a teacher, doctor, dentist or lawyer.
These occupations he regards as an elevation
and not arduous. He tries one, IS q failure,
and ekes out a miserable existeane, 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
distastefal. 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 in some
mechanical branch of industry. They are to
be seen everywhere, nearly, and many more
are unwiIlingly working on the farm, belieS-
ing that their talents fit them for something,
to their ninds, higher and nobler.
There can be nothing higher and nObler
than honest labor, and the system Of eanea-
ton that does not teach that is deSeient-
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 OF
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 Ct their fathers. If high educa-
ton promotes that, then what is to become
of the trades? Can we do without the pro
duets 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 little as possible.
The State has no right to tax the people to
provide for 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 matter of individual
expense, the same as other Injuries. The
boy who has talents and energy will not be
dwarfed because the state does not aforC
him free facilities.