The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-06

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journals
We do not believe the assertions OF Senator
John J. Ingalls,, made in the Sunday journal of
Feb. &C. about the scholar in politics. He says:
Generally speaking, however, it may be said
that college graduates, "a rule. exhibit certain
lack of practical capacity in dealing with men
and things" And this he applies to the scholarly
politician.
We de not know whether or not Mr. Ingalls,
is the college graduated Senator from Kansas;
but we rather incline to the notion that he is
not for few men who enjoy the advantages of a
college education are ready to concede that their
collegiate training is disadvantage to them, in
whatever vocation they engaged. Only
those, usually, who have not completed
''course" at college claim that collegiate educa-
ton is detrimental to a strong and vigorous
mind. Strong in their own estimate. they as
sert that the others are weak.
MIR. ingalls, says there only thirty United
States Senators who are graduates of colleges.
and forty-slx who are not; hundred and
eight esentatives who are, and two humid
red and twenty-five who are not Instead OF
being argument in favor of mis- statement,
this is against IT,
We have at least sixty millions of people in
this country; and not more than one million of
them graduates of colleges. yet this one
million furnishes one-thrd of the members
OF Congress, according to his own
figures. If his statements are true, seven should
be the number Of college men in Congress
He asserts that college men ''exhibit GER
tain lack of practical capacity in dealing with
men and things" Because man does not fol-
fow out a measure in all this petty details, is it
evidence of incapacity2 Webster, a graduate of
Dartmouth, dealt with general
measures aud left the details to Others;
yet to charge him with lack of practical ca
pacity" would be false. Exactly the same is
true of Garfield. Hamilton was college bred
and the most practical man the Treasury De-
partment ever had. John Quincy Adams was a
model college man. and held more political of
fees than any man ever held in this country
Morton. while not graduate, was 8 college
man, and a man of wonderful practicability.
Of the men who have occupied the halls of Con-
gress during the last fifty years. and whose
will be recalled hundred years hence
more than half OF them were college-breG men.
The English Parliament is a complete refuta-
tion of Mr.. Ingalls's assertion. Ali, except a
very few, of the great leaders in that legislative
assembly within the last hundred years
have been college men. Did that country ever
present a forcible and practicable leader
than Gladstonel What m aster was the younger
Pitt, and who was thorough collegiate
graduate than hef The is true of Bis
marck. the acutest mind in European politics.
In Europe the universal rule is that the col
legiate and university graduates are in the very
front of politics, the leaders; and what is so
universally true there is certainly applicable
here.
In fact (although we are not a college grad
uatel the more reflect upon the Senator's
shack woods" assertion, the moro
priSed. All honor is due those who reach high
positions in politics without the aid of college
education, but at what great labor they must
do so. If they achieve so much without it how
much would they do with it'll Would they not
be greater9 Would not Lincoln have accom-
plished what he did with less labor and fatigue,
with even more brilliancy and accuracya Who
will gainsay itl
CRAwFoRDsvILLE, Ind, March 8.