The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-16
IS IT WORTH WHILE?

frequently discussed question OF the ad
vantages and disadvantages of a col
leglate education. From his own point
OF view Mr.. Andrew Carnegie argued
and settled the matter not long ago. and
the result of his investigations and con
illusions was far from fattering to the
college bred man and his attalnments.
IL may have been felt, however, by the
victims of his censure that the critic in
question was not the fairest Judge that
could be found, and that his pride in his
own success as self made man laid his
verdict open to charge of prejudice.
The same objection cannot DO offered to
the conclusions of the principal of a
European university, man of inter-
national reputation, who took advantage
the other day of graduation ceremonial
to utter words of warning on this sub
ject. Whether the occasion was fitting
and the man, depends largely on the
view that is taken. That college dis
| tlnction affords any sure or even prob
able augury Of future success in life,
this distinguished educational authority
ls inclined to answer for the most part
in the negative. Instead of congratulate
ing the assembled graduates on their
success he warned them against sup
posing that because they had won dis
tinction at college they were therefore
likely to be distinguished or even sue
cessful in the world. After the hot
vapor of college competition and aspira-
ton came cold douche of sober sense
and wise caution. He did not tell them
merely that there was u risk of that re-
suit. He told them that experience had
made it but too certain, and so far his
deductions and those of Carnegie agree.
But he was careful to point out that
there was encouragement in his words
for the failures at college. They had no
need to be cast down. The men most
successful in life have been for the most
part backward at school and at college,
What weight we are to attach to
these conclusions depends largely, of
course, upon what is to be understood
by success in life. If it means making
money and nothing else, it is within the
limits of probability that men of
thought and learning will declare them
selves content to leave it for those whom
they consider of lower aims and coarser
fiber. But the term is capable of
higher Interpretation. 1t may mean the
exercise of natural abilities in such a
way as to benefit both the possessor and
his fellow creatures. 1t may mean the
successful living of such man as
WORDSWORTH "Happy Warrior" Even
in the nobler and purer sense its attain
ment is not always correctly measured
or anticipated by college honors and
education. Most persons can recall
instances within their own experience of
men whose achievements have utterly
failed to realize the promise OF their
early career; and of others-these, per-
haps, the majority-who at school and
college were regarded as billiards, but
who turned out successful and even
brilliant men. In professional life such
cases are met with every day.
1t would be wrong to infer that col
lego education must be very useless
thing. knowledge comes, but wisdom
fingers" The knowledge that pays in
examinations is comparatively easily &C
CURED, easily reproduced and easily for.
gotten. The wisdom which makes for
permanent success, but which cannot be
easily tested by the examiner, develops
slowly with the help of the solvent of
experience. The results obtained by
our present system of examinations do
not probe each man to the foundation.
There is the average student who plods
his way steadily through the college
course and who plods through life in the
same laborious and unobtrusive way,
and there are the brilliant men who
flash out like comets on the college hor-
lion and are soon lost sight Of Our
test system gives us no right to con
clude that the co nets are the men of
genius and that tho plodder is at best
only a man of talent. There are many
things that contribute to success in life
which have no space in the earlier and
narrower sphere of college work.
| The fair conclusion would seem to be,
not that such an education is useless,
only that it does not count for every
thing and that other factors must he
taken into the reckoning. Very often
the successful college man is SO by rea-
son of his faculty of bringing to the sur
face on demand everything he knows,
like the merchant who puts all his
goods in the window and has no stock
behind. When such thing is possible,
we have every reason to believe
that there is something amiss
either in the system of teaching
or in the method of examining.
If our colleges more fully adapted their
teaching to the development of various
kinds Of ability and character this
respect it is but fair to say We lead the
old woodland their examinations to
the discovery of capacity rather than to
the eliciting of knowledge, they would
cease to lay themselves open to the oft
repeated charge of filing their most
brilliant men with vain and delusive
hopes.