The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-25
Does It Unfit q Man for Life's
Practical Work?
CRITICISM OF cARNEolE's VIEW.
Rev. MyFon Eslls Cites . Vast Number
Of Exceptions to the Scotch
Philosophers Rule.

are some persons to whom a college, eou-
cation would do no good, for 1t would only
be casting pearls before the swine. There
are some, too, who, even If such an educa-
ton would have done them good, have
never found it out, and consequently look
down on it. No one, indeed, probably re-
grets that Mr.. Carnegie, and many like
him, who are what are Led self-made
men, have been very successful In busl-
ness, even though they have never read
Latin or Greek
In the New York Tribune some time ago,
Mr.. Carnegie stated his views in an arti-
Gle, How to Win Fortune" as follows:
The total absence Of the college graduate in
every department. Of aff,in should be deeply
weighed ! have inquired and searched dill
gently for him In all quarters. but find scarcely
trace OF him. Nor il this surprising. The
priza-tskers have too many years the start OF the
graduate; they have entered Tor the race III
vsriab.y in their teen.-in the most valuable of
all the years for learning auything-from IA to
20. do not speak of the effect of .lege educa-
ton upon young men, training for the learned
professions, but the almost total absence OF the
graduate from high position in the business
world seems to justify the conclusion that col
lege education IL exists is fatal TO success in
that domain. The graduate has not the slight
est chance, entering a %. against the boy wno
swept the Office, or who begins a. shipping
clerk at IA !ne facts prove this-
Henry Clews, the famous banker, has
made similar statements. He says:
have given it some thought, and my conclu-
stons are the result of experience. / might say
in the beginning that do not employ college
men in my banking Office None need apply.
do not want them, for think they have been
spoiled for business life In law, medicine and
that sort o. thing college education is ali right
The inches are filed with things that are use
ful to q profess onal career. But in bust
ness the college 10 all wrong-vorse than
useless. A young man who wants to start
out In business, wants to get good elementary
notwithstanding, writing and arithmetic.
Then he should stop. No, the college man is
not the successful man in business affairs. II is
the man who has started IN as an oiice-boy and
who gets the education of keenness and prac-
teal knowledge that comes from early contact
with business.
These are views which are held by large
class of people. Do facts fully justify
them? 1t is not claimed, however. that a
college education directly fts men for
business, but it Is claimed that it gives
them such discipline of mind as causes
them to learn to think, and generally to
think successfully. But in looking at the
facts We must remember that previous to
twenty-five or thirty years ago as general
thing college men did not enter the field
of business, but devoted themselves to a
professional career; SO that there has not
been the opportunity for as many of them
to show what they can do in business life
as if more of them had pursued long
business career. Still let US look at some
of the facts.
And first let rs look at Mr.. Clews' pro-
fession-banking. The late John Jay
Knox was for seven years president of the
Bank of the Republic, of New York. and
for his knowledge of the history, and
principles of finance or for practical skill
in banking Under Presidents Grant,
Hayes and Arthur, for twelve years, he
was comptroller of the currency, and his
annual reports are q standard authority on
financial questions. He was q graduate of
Hamilton college.
Says General Brayton Ives, a Yale gradu-
ate, president of the Western National
bank, of New York, and formerly presi-
dent of the New York stock exchange:
Given boy with natural aptitude for busi-
his college training, particularly in methods
aid as more than 10 offset the loss of those wears
in business. 1t is the discipline which the boy
obtains at college that enables him to learn
readily and intelligently than his uneducsted
competitors.
General Ives then goes on to illustrate
this from his own experience while in the
army, as it enabled him to master the tao
tics and gained for him promotion, and
closes by saying:
All the progress have since made In civil life
banking-is direct traceable to the specia; ad-
vantages afforded By my education. man of
ability educated lie better, no matter where he
may be placed, than man OF ability unedu-
Gated.
Mr.. J. W. Alexander has made out list
of sixty-fve college graduates who are
prominent In business circles, chiefly in
and around New York, and among them
are eighteen bankers, a number Of whom
are bank presidents.
The German writer, Karl Hildebrandt,
said a few years ago in the Contemporary
Reriew:
That German of classical culture who has
not entered mercantile house till his TWEEN
tieth year may master the details of his duties
in few months aid become an excellent man
One Of the first bankers in for
eign capital lately told me that in
the course OF yea he bad given some thirty
clerks, who were educated expressly for com
merce in commercial schools, trial In his Office
and was not able to use one OF them, while those
who came from the grammer schools tthe CON-
mercisl colleges), although they knew nothing
whatever of business matters TO begin with,
soon made themselves perfect masters of them.
Says Mr.. Daniel Head, Yale graduate
and president of the Home Insurance
Company of New York:
believe the success may have attained in
the world is directly due TO my college training
Of thought that have been Of inestimabIe value
in life. III nature has given q man a fair talent
education will make q better man of him, and
positively aid him in his daily work. Suppose
boy lie going into any manufacturing business,
making pumps for example, give him an educa-
ton, and he will make better pumps because
OF it
James W. Alexander. q Princeton grad
uate and vice president of the Equitable
Life Assurance Society of New York, has
given similar testimony on the same sub
iect.
Charles L. Colby, graduate of Brown
university and president of the Wisconsin
Central railroad, says:
admit man may succeed in banking or
business without an education, but earnestly
beIfeve that Ii Two men OF equal ability start
together in ths race. one an educated man and
the other without a College training, the college
man will win every time IN the long run. Ma
ehfnery and methods are constantly changing
The uneducsted DO not readily comprehend
them, and must be instructed step By step. The
more man is educated, the more he adapts
methods. When e comes TO the scientific, tech
meal, brain requirements OF q calling. the col
iege man moves EASILY ahesd-
Chauncey ". Depew, president Of the
New York Central railroad, is a Yale grad
uate. Hcrper's Weekly says of him that he
IS the many-sided lawyer, the politician,
asseubiyman. secretary of state, orator
on important occasions, the Wit and after
dinner speaker, the railroad king, the
churehman, ciubnan, and scholar; he is
rich in his own right and the trustee of
millions, the rights of others: no consult
ing attorney attends to anything like the
business that passes through his hands;
he has the care OF more millions than any
other American. as trustee and lawyer in
charge OF great estates" NJ. Depew saws:
Have the eight years passed in the preparatory
sehoo! and the university, acquiring many
things which would be useless in the factory or
store. been thrown sway Ny observation leads