Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-22
Misplaced Men,

Gen. Ditmar, when he left his fortune
to his executors to be used in teaching
boyswhat occupations they are best fitted
for, devoted 1t to great object; and 1t is
thousand pities that our court knocked
his will on the head because Of the in
definiteness Of the object. Doubtless
there was good reason for this Judgment,
but the pity is that there was; for surely
no greater benefaction to mankind could
be done than teaching its youth how
they may make the best use Of the ca
pacities with which they are endowed.
Somehow it seems to be a monstrously
hard thing to learn, though we would
think that 1t should be easy, and that
men would instinctively drop, after
more or less vacillation, into the holes
best suited to them. But certainly they
do not. The world is full of square
human pegs In its round holes, and
shows all degrees of variation in the
fitting Of the man to his place. If the
distress was that alone of the misplaced
man, the community would not be so
much concerned as it is, but the trouble
touches 1t all over and makes life miser-
able often for those who are properly
pleased.
And somehow it happens very fire.
quently that the community does not
know any better than the immediate
sufferer does that he is u misfit. This
we judge from the great number of men
elected to offices for which they are con-
spicuously i'll adapted. When the pub
lie do not know that the men they vote
for are fitted for their places, it is evil
IDENTIFY going to be big job to teach
them what they are themselves fitted for.
Gen. Ditmar's intention was good but, as
good intentions often are, was damned
by the crookedness of human nature.
DIR. Compton had great task assigned
him and probably was glad to be re-
lieved from it by the edict of
the court that the general had
not been sufficiently explicit in
his instructions which meant that the
court believed that teaching boys what
they were best fitted for was not a pur-
pose for which it thought itself compe-
tent TO direct the application of the gen.
erals fortune. If his scheme had been
in successful operation in the land,
1t would have resulted in giving us
judges who were competent to fill this
and all other requirements of the judicial
place; but, as things stand, the millen-
ium will need to dawn before q scheme
TO properly place all men can be set on
foot; and then ii will not be needed
The world Is in no lack of daily illus.
trations OF the beauty and peace that
would fall upon 1t If its people knew
what they We're fitted for and acted upon
the knowledge. Take our highest legis
lative body, for instance, and tell us
how many men sit in it, who are the
best fitted Of all the people to represent
them in the Senate.
There are all grades Of senators, from
grave 10 gay, talkative to silent; ant
the loquacious Blair is even bigge
misfit than our own silent senators, al
all his fellows say while he drives then
into the lobbies with his unending dis
course upon his educational scheme.
The liability Of men to get into wron,
places is 30 marked that it must be hel,
10 be . providential afliiction put upol
ths race for its trial, and hopelessl,
fastened upon 1t.