Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-09-04
FREELAND, SEPTEMBER 4, 1899.


From the scranton Scrantonian.
Everybody is familiar with the phrase
Education never hurt any person" 3"
For long time it was accepted as
truesm, and therefore beyond the
realm of discussion, but the time has
arrived whore not only may the truth of
the phrase be questioned, but a strong
case in the negative is easily made out.
OF course, there is limit and line to
be drawn at which the discussion may
begin. For example, the education con-
sisting of reading, writing, arithmetic,
limited knowledge of geography, etc,
is an absolute necessity to every man
and woman, no matter what their rank,
race or calling may be, and any attempt
to place obstacles in the way of the
humblest child in the land obtaining a
sound elementary course would not only
be an imparable loss to the rising gen
Grafton, but direct blow at intelligent
progress. Thus far, learning is an un-
qualified benefit and almost necessity
for earning daily bread.
But there is an education that kills
the usefulness of young men and women,
an education that creates discomfort,
breeds misery and brings sorrow to
many blythe heart and happy home.
We refer to the so-called commercial
courses which are crammed in guileless
youths in the hope that they'll all be
bank presidents, private secretaries to
men with lordly incomes, or at least
confidential clerk in some big firm.
As matter of fact, not one in twenty
who take these courses ever rise far
enough to earn an ordinary mechanics
wage, while the bulk of the crowd who
dream away the hours happily during
the course of tuition, soon drops out of
sight altogether as aggressive membars
in the great industrial beehive of the
world, and are found resignedly fol-
lowing any odd job that comes their
way. They have missed the tide which
might have led them on to fortune, by
listening to the fairy tales of smooth
tongued canvassers or cunningly worded
circulars, and started to pursue the i'm
possible, Failure is inevitable, the dis
appointment following is harsh and
cruel. Who was to blame?
1t must not be inferred from the fore
going remarks that we object to the
teaching of commercial branches in
public or private schools, for such is not
the case. While few of the courses fol-
lowed are practical, and much of the
theory learned has to be swept away be-
fore real progress is possible, still, to
those who have the necessary qualifca-
tions in the shape of a thorough ground
work in education, and particular
bend toward commercial pursuits, the
special branches taught are all right.
But not one out of ten of the pupils
gathered in are so constituted or fitted
to receive the course, hence its worth
lessness as an elevator, and its positive
detriment to their future course in life.
The leopard cannot change his spots at
will, neither can a young man or
woman work revolution in their make
up by going to school for six months or
a year, and as their special courses
often entail severe hardships at home
on account of the money required to
pay the expenses, and the withdrawal
of the earnings of the student during
the course, our advice to young men
and women contemplating change in
this direction is ''look before you leap"