, 1896-09-24
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The address delivered by President
Graves at the opening exercises in the
auditorium today was an eloquent and
scholarly effort. The Republican gives
it in full. as follows:
1t is related of a little Indian girl
h had been sent to Carlisle to be
educated thai when she was asked why
she was there, she naively replied that
she had come there to be "sillyized.'
What, with hat little savage. was a
mere slip of the tongue. represents the
opinion of many intelligent. practical
business men as to the general effect
Of a college course. 1t seems to be a
waste of several years which has put
the student out of sympathy with the
surroundings from which he has come.
and to which he must eturn to do his
life work. The criticism often applies
with marked force to the average COL
lege graduate. 1t is. in a great meas,
ure. just. Let us see why this is so.
Il l II al IlOl bt ltIltultt.
The fault is often in the lack of prac,
teal wisdom on the part of the in
structor. even when the student is dill
gent and conscientious. He is filled with
false ideals, or is not directed to the
knowledge that will inform him how
the training he has had and the infor-
nation he has acquired join on to life,
and may be made practically useful,
That is a state of things belong,
ing rather to the past, and
TO the stereotyped lines of edu,
cation prevalent in parts Of the
country older than the progressive re-
gion in which we live. But ever we
must beware of 1t.
The story is told of John Quincy
college course and come home to his
mother. the ~redcubtable Abigail
Adams, she inquired what he could do
and was amazed and Disguised at find,
ing that. after so many years of study
he was fit for nothing. Her indignation
vented itself in soundly chastising tn,
future president of the United States.
Yet it is almost unavoidable that ,
chasm exists between the end of the
school training Of a youth and the com
mencement of life. The graduate seem!
almost helpless when he is confronted
with the problems of business as the!
arise in contact with his fellow men
That defect is being remedied by prac
teal teaching. but it will never be com
pletely eradicated until the SUDDEN
learns the necessity of knowing at al
early age what his future occupation il
to be, and addressing his training t.
that end. 1t may seem that there ar,
two dangers attendant CT this early
determination. One is hat a mistak,
may be made in the selection of ones
life employment. and the other is tina
the training which has one aim in view
will warp the mind and dwarf the soul
The first objection leaves out of view
the fact hat nature has made plants
ANN AAiAii WIN IA paN "
adaptation to surroundings. Most men
could do many things equally well and
become equally skilled in any one
of several occupations, and ever pro-
fessions. If a man has an overpower-
ing gift for one specific vocation. his
genius will soon enough break the bars
set to his development in that direc-
ton. Genius is rare. however, and we
need not heed it's imperative demands
in providing for the average man
Genius will set itself free and perhaps
be the stronger for the temporary err
ror. One can hardly imagine By
ron consenting to the h%ardships of
training and experience of a mining en-
gineer, or that Poe would have been a
success as a scientific agriculturist. or