Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-06-16
THE OTHER SIDE OF FARM EOucA-
TION

Farmer, takes a pessimistic view OF edu-
cation, which he regards as having
tendency to distract the masses from
manual pursuits and TO fit them chiefly
for those Of a sedentary and superficial
character. lie tells us that Richard
Grant White holds similar views. For
that matter we have met some very
clear-headed thinkers who take similar
positions, and even go so far AS to decry
labor-saving machinery rs curse to
labor. While we do not regard his posi-
ton as supported with much success, we
give two or three illustrations drawn by
him in exempltication of his position
touching the Ill effects OF education, not
as demonstrating II. but ss bringing out
a well-known tendency OF agricultural
populations. He says:
Down the road lives large farmer.
Two Of his sons became Of age. One
was teacher, another clerk. One
daughter, also of age, was little more
than piano player AT home. This man
| Is continually talking about scarcity OF
help and hard times, and charges politics
ani taxes with them. His mortgage IL
eating him up. He has almost stand
ing advertisement In the papers for farm
help, and brings from the city new
cook for his kitchen about every month
| He saws people nowadays won't work, in
one bre lth, and in the next, We'll, II
can live To get my children educated III
be satisfied He and his wife were
raised To work hard on farms, and his
children were hearty. and there was no
reason why they should not have follow
ed in the footsteps of their parents.
son the next farm were two grown
sons. One. well enough, stuck 10 farm
ing: the other became clerk and mash
err OF two daughters, one, well
enough, married farmer, and the other
became teacher. after first losing her
beauty aud nearly dying from brain
fever, "a the result 81 taxing immature
brains with normal school processes.
This family also have great difficulty In
securing help. This mans mortgage IA
eating him up also, although he started
clear OF debt with his wife's money.
"On the next farm were three daugh-
ters. One married a clerk; one, well
enough. staid home as mothers help,
and the third became teacher, after
first losing her beauty and running her
health by normal school demand. This
mans mortgage did eat him up, although
he inherited his farm clear. Since his
farm was sold he Il one OF the typical
Americans living on his daughters in
come, hanging around for political
opening and censuriug taxes, polite.
and things In general for the hard times.
IL is hardly logical To affirm that these
conditions were due To education, for
young men not educated have been sub
iect 10 the same attitude touching the
farm. Moreover those who have re-
ceived an education and disdained farm
work have procured that education for
use exterior to the farm. \ high culti-
yation Of the intellect may be- admitted.
both on the grounds of observation and
of reason as tending 10 withdraw men
from the severer forms OF manual labor
Exercise of the mind ia studying is not
usually accompanied by physical activity
Theoretically we should expect young
man To BE- impelled along the lines OF hi'
greatest activity, which has been purely
intellectual. The muscles themselves
have lost their frmncss and temporarily
their fitness for labor.
Grant all this and more, and vet the
argument In favor OF education would
remain free from serious attack. III The
tendency of education Is 10 draw men
from manual labor and 10 mass them
along the lines of intellectual applica-
tion, IL j. readjustment from the socio-
logical standpoint TO be devoutly prayed
for. To one possessed of the humani-
ties Il is OF no small interference with
his pleasures, though he may enjoy all
that art, science and wealth may give,
10 meet those by contrast living without
even the most ordinary necessities of
life. and ALWAYS without those environ
lug conditions that tend 10 culture. The
more universal education becomes, the
greater the pressure along those pro-
fessional and Industrial lines that have
heen most remunerative; and the less
the compensation received by withdraw
ing manual labor, the greater the COM
pensatiOn that will fall 10 manual labor.
II this process continues In the next
century rs in the past, manual labor VIII
become one OF the highest priced forms
Of services on the market. Even now
good brick mason works less hours aud
receives greater pay than some of the
educated classes, and large proportion
of clerks work at the same rate as COM
mon laborers on the streets OF our cities.
In few decades the laborers will have
the long end Of the lever. But this Is
only one view Of the case, at which We
stop, expressing the belief that the
worlds best interest consists in pressing
forward education for all the classes.
The uneducated classes will be a. great
ly benefited by the spread OF education
as those receiving 1t. II it robs the
country Of some of its soma, it relieves IL
of surplus producers.-Mirror aud
Farmer.