Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-04-20
HIGHER EDUCATION.

The opinion prevails with very
large class of people that n fair
knowledge of the common branches
is all that ia necessary for happy
and prosperous life. This senti-
ment expressed by the parents and
friends does much to discourage
young people who are trying to get
a higher education. If accumulat-
ing money were the only object in
life, this position would be more
reasonable, although far from true
even then. Money making being
the paramount object and ambition
in the mind has lured more young
men and young women from their
studies and set them adrift in the
world without any foundation for
either education or business than
all other causes combined. One OF
the great questions among educa-
tors today is how to keep boys in
school until they have completed
common school course. This can
be done only by teaching them the
true objects of life and consequent
importance of education and Guilt
waiting a sentiment in favor OF edu-
cation and intelligence and against
ignorance.
When men shall learn that we are
granted this life and surrounded
with all the pleasures and privi-
Ieges everywhere manifested in the
wonderful works of nature, not
alone for the purpose of maintain
ing a physical existence or accumu-
lating wealth, but that we may have
pleasure in the world and develop
a mental and moral nature which
shall have an elevating influence
upon humanity, and make us more
worthy this wonderful life and the
circumstances in which we live and
fit us for the life to come-indeed,
when men shall learn that at is not
all of life to live, nor all of death to
die" then and not until then will
there be stronger demand for a
higher education.
II is not strange that persons who
have spent their whole lives in try
ing to accumulate wealth and hav-
ing failed in this their sole object
find little in the world worth living
for. A man cannot be expected to
have pleasure in or appreciate that
which he cannot understand; and
the great majority of men and wo-
men live in the world and move
about from year to year throughout
a whole lifetime unable to compre-
bend or appreciate but very small
part of the beauties and wonders OF
nature with which they are sur
rounded. No person can appreciate
the delicate plant, or the beautiful
flower, or the mighty forest without
some knowledge of their relations
to and effect upon the animal life
and the laws that govern their
propagation, growth and distribu-
ton. No man can contemplate the
starry heavens with due sense of
appreciation without having given
some thought and study to the or
igin, composition and relations of
the planets, the intricacies of the
systems, their effect upon each 9TH
er and the wonderful laws that
guide in their onward sweep the
noiseless millions of the universe.
He who has but one object in life
must accomplish that object or his
life is an entire failure TO him. Let
us open up 10 the young person all
of the different fields of thought.
Give him enough higher education
that he shall be inspired to go on
using his whole life in growing
stronger and becoming better and
nobler.
Cultivate a sentiment in favor of
higher education. So long as mon
ey is taken by the world as sub
sfitute for intelligence, so long as
Ignorance can be shielded by influ-
ence, just so long will II be difficult
20 keep our young men and women