The morning call., 1893-06-11
HIGH EDUCATION.

An intelligent foreigner once observed
of Americans that there was a larger pro-
portion of them who we're fairly educated
than of any people in Chrstendom, but
that really highly educated Americans
were rare. Indeed, it is only within few
years that such institutions as Harvard,
Yale and Columbia have begun to turn out
thoroughly equipped scholars who were
competent to take the lead of American
thought. Our own university at Berke-
ley has educated several thousand
young men, and on the whole has
done it we'll Its graduates have
been able to mingle in scholarly cir
cles. receiving merited credit. But if
Berkeley has turned ont one man who is
capable of molding opinion and bringing
to bear on the questions of the day ripe
doctrines evolved from the study of accu-
mulated learning of the past, it is not easy
TO recall his name. 1t must be remem-
bered, however, that the institution is
young yet, and that we cannot be said to
have reaped the full fruits even of its first
generation of scholars. The average COL
lege graduate is like a field which has been
roughly spaded and barely fertlized. A
great university should produce scholars
been pulverized and supplied with every
element of fertility which close analysis
shows that it lacks.
Superficial critics ask, What is the good
of higher education-of archaeology and
political economy. of Greek and Latin,
Thucydides and Tacitus, analytical chem
istry and the application of the lessons of
history to statesm anship? They do not
ind that scholars make as much money or
get on better in the world than persons of
common-school education who are gifted
with shTewdness and hard comm on-se
Many man whose education hardly ex-
tends beyond the three RS rides in his
carriage, while another who is a master of
human knowledge plods through the mud
to his modest lodgings The contrast
leads illogical observers to disparage high
education. The flaw in their reasoning is
easily detected. High education cannot
make leader ont of one who is naturally
dull. II can only fit one who is naturally
bright to attain an eminencc which he
conld not have reached without the educa-
tion.
Tie progress of every country is in pro-
portion to the number of alert aud trained
minds which it contains. National
blunders and national mistortunes are
almost invariably the fruit of ignorance.
Prosperity goes hand in hand with knowl-
edge. And as in every community the
bulk of the people are engaged in the pur-
suit of subSstence-the lawyer by his
cases, the merchant by his wares, the
doctor by his patients, the workman by
labor-the duty of accumulating knowl-
bQ itxyfj X
wolves upon a few who are more highly
trained than the rest and more clear
headed. Their knowledge becomes the
public knowledge; their opinion becomes
public opinion. Where these select minds
are numerous and powerful the community
will be intelligent and prosperous; where
they are few and timd the community
will be narrow and stunted in its growth.
1t is the business of high education to de-
velop as large body as possible of these
choice minds so that among them few
will be found who may become leaders of
men and leaders in the right direction.
The ignorant sneer at classical learning,
as the present King of Italy, who cannot
sing three notes in time. cannot compre-
hend how so astute Senator as Giuseppe
Verdi could waste his time in composing
Falstaff But If there had not been men
in Italy like Verdi, who were as able TO
lead public opinion as to write music,
King Umberto might not have occupied
his throne; and if no one had enriched his
mind with the learning of classical litera-
ture, the ignorant might still have been
hewers of wood and drawers of water.
The ripe scholar wields power in the
silence of his cabinet. He has neither
troops nor brass bands to proclaim his
will. Quietly, unobtrusively, like the
unseen forces of nature, he works out his
problems, and impresses on UNCONSCIOUS
pupils the truths he discovers; and sooner
OF later the community learns its lesson
and turns his knowledge to account.