The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-10-10

Thoughtfully Discussed For Careful
Renders

"t " htess Piospei'us tSoi ~ euNSS
institutions.
Indeed, it seems without exception,
that each one announces the matric-
ulation of the largest class in its
history.
1t is an agreeable realization that
liberal education is within the
reach of any one who has the perse-
verance to work for it. The man
who desires culture will attain to it
even though circumstances may shut
him out from collegiate training.
But it is only here and there that
circumstances interpose between a
man and the fulfillment of a genuine
desire for college education. 1t most
frequently resolves itself into ques-
ton of an energy and earnestness
that refuse to succumb to discour-
agements.
remember an instance of two men,
whose lives have indeed been as diff
ferent as their methods of beginning
them.
They are the sons of Presbyter-
ian minister, who aside from his H.
brary and little home, had scarcely
any of this worlds goods. The older
of the two went away with only five
dollars in his pocket as a gift from
his father. He made his way on foot
to his State University. He told the
President frankly his situation and
his hopes, and, to the honor of Uni
versity men be it said, there are few
of them who will not find way to
help needy student. This Presi-
dent was no exception, and although
it was but janitor's place, the young
man accepted it eagerly, and did his
work faithfully as he did in the class
room. He worked his way through
college, and he did not enjoy the
busting, and sweeping, and ringing
of bells, nor the harder work of the
vacations when he went out into the
fields as farmers "hired man." vet
it was a means toward the end he
had in view, and he never faltered,
nor did he complain. He came out
into the world, strong man, a noble
man, an educated, earnest man.
That was more than half century
ago, and he has been gathered unto
his fathers, vet his name is q well
known name to many, and the blessed
influences of his life live in the lives
of others, and the world is the better
because of them.
His youngest brother, his half
brother both in blood and spirit, pro
fessed the same desire for an educa-
ton, and met the same obstacles, but
in different way. He wrote to his
then eminent brother of the difficult
ties-which he indeed remembered
well-and asked him to relieve him
of them by sending him to college.
This man was then training his own
sons in the virtues of industry and
independent effort, and offered the
young man the opportunity he desir-
ed provided he would work for it.
He declined. He is living on rocky
farm, at the base of the mountains,
which produces barely enough to
feed and clothe his family, and his
rough log house gives no evidences
of refinement or culture in it's in
mates, and he seems content.
4*~
The demand for higher education
in this country more than keeps pace
with the facilities for supplying it.
This is evinced yearly by the Ameri-
can students who go abroad to enter
the foreign universities, and of these
this year shows a marked increase
over any preceding These men are
chiefly from our own most prominent
schools, and we are told that the
greater part of them are already grad
yates from Harvard, Yale, Princeton,
Cornell or Johns, Hopkins.
AT Berlin alone there are two hun
dred and eight Americans in the re-
gular University course, besides
scores of special students in the var
lous departments of work, and the
numbers who are there devoting their
time to the study of music, the Ian
guage or art studies.
In addition to this there are colo.
MES of American students at Heidel-
burg, Bonn, Gottingen, Paris, Dres-
den, Munich, Florence and Rome. in
fact, in every educational center of
Europe, and they indicate in an I'M
mistakable way, not only that our
own country does not supply the
facilities demanded, but that the
young men and women of America
will seek them where they are to be
found.
#~#
There is no doubt that this man
ner of education will make us more
cosmopolitan in tastes and ideas, but
there are some things in which we
should regret the loss of distinctive
Americanism, and although we,have
great faith that something in our
free atmosphere possesses the power
to happily blend all homogeneous for
eigu elements, yet we shouldn't like
to tax the atmospheric influences too
severely.
The strict puritanism of the Pill
grim Fathers must have been we'll.
nigh as bleak and forbidding to an
enthusiastic nature as were the rocky
shores that greeted their coming, yet
we should welcome a return even to
that harsh piety rather than to be
swallowed up in the irreligion, ra-
tionalism, or whatever it may be
called that prevails in the German
land to-day.
Ii Americans can indeed be wise
enough to choose the good and re-
fuse the evil, and bring back to the
home country only what win add to
its welfare, then we may confidently
expect it to fulfill the promise of its
successful starting; but we cannot
hope to adopt unscathed the ideas
that have brought trouble and disas-
ter to other nations.
1t is significant fact that next to
the number of our men who 90 abroad
to pursue medical studies stand those
who are occupied with Political Econ
omy and history. If by such work
we may les IN to avoid mistakes, and
solve more easily the great questions
OF social and political economy that
persistently rise up to be answered.