Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-15
ALEXANDRIA,.
TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 10.

Tax srBJPCT OF industrial euue"''oN -
attracting much attention at present. NOV
.n,y in school circles, but in the community
.ana,slly Its advocates claim for it that II
will entirely silence the oo]ec'ion often
made to our higher educational system thsV
;s,,G,s those trained under it for the battle
ofi;fe or. at least, does not give them ire
mcsns Of sustaining themselves 10 it, whiie
is oppopeuts contend, with equal earnest
ncse that it tends, msnifestly. to mere ma
t,ris;ism. and prevents that tue culture
which is the soul of our civilization. WIN
out entering into the question whether In
dustrial education ought to be given at puo'
liz exnepse. we incline to the opinion that
If il good thing. The great trouble IN our
dav and generation is that everybody wants
to live without wotk-jnst what nooooS
oucbt 10 do. OF course there must be pro-
faasional men and merchants, but there
must. also. be mechanics and laboring men,
and in far greater Numbers. The tendency
of our educational system, as SHOWN cy It's
resuIts is to recruit the ranks of the former,
leaving fer the latter the dull or idle boys
who either cannot, or will not, make proper
nrocress in their studies. This is lament
able state of affair, for not only do many
seek prof ssional employment who have no
macmillan fitness for it and, therefore, fail, but
there is deatth of properly educated and
trained workmen, which has led to the
Importation of skilled labor from abroad
1t REQUIRES Just as much brains to MAKE a
good mechanic as good lawyer, and just as
much training, though the quality of mind
and the character CT training may diifer.
In the little of industrial education we nave
seen. attention was paid to the capacity OF
the BOYS under instruction, and no attempt
was made to force them into particular
grooves. Those VINO showed natural sKlii
in mechanics were encouraged TO exercise
and improve that skill while those who did
not were remanded 10 the school room.
The testimony Of these in charge is that the
former stand rs high in studies as the latter,
showing that Investigation of employ
ments. if to the taste of the employed, does
not involve less of time in any. boy
capable Of making fine joints in carpenters
work, or nice fitting in metallic, is undoubt-
eddy better equipped FOR the battle OF lie
than ono who cannot saw board straight
even though he should become profession
al man, and the fact that he is SO prepared
will probably induce him to enter the ranks
of hand labor, by taking from him the
foolish idea that there i; something degrad
ing in such labor, or that man who does
his part iu the world with either his hapd'
or his head is not the superior of the idle
fool who wastes his time and the money hi
hardworking father made, but which hi
never could have acquired-in foolish tri
fling and worse than foolish dissipation. II
sum up our views on the subj we REGARD
anything calculated to increase respect TO
manual labor aud add to the number OF in
telligent and skilful handworllers as
..ne.fs to the community, and so judg
Ing lnous1,i~t aducaiion. Ua cordially up
nrovo IL