The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-19
Mr.. HUNTINGT0N'S
"HERESY."

prominent citizens of San FRANCISCO,
few days ago, Mr.. Huntington took oc-
casion to criticise some features OF the
modern American educational system.
His remarks have resulted in mucn dis
cussion of the entire problem OF ecu
cation. with reference to its bearing on
the struggle for bread.
The ssRecord- Union is to-day able
to present the views of several promi-
nert citizens of Sacramento Ont. Hunt
ington's old home) on the questions
raised by his declarations. Those IN
terviewed In Sacramento give con-
fiicting opinions, thus presenting both
sides of the shield. 1t should be said,
in Justice to the busy men whose views
appear, that the interviews were right
off the reel, so to speak, and without
preparation. They therefore, gave
their opinions at first blush" in a Wig
orous, breezy way.
That the reader may the better IN
derstand what follows, be it sald that
the opinions herein quoted referred TO
Mr. Huntington's views on higher eau
cation, as they appear in the following
excerpt from his banquet speech:
MR.. HUNTINGTON'S HERESY.
Now this is a preface to a remarH
that want to make. and that IS that
regret one tendency in our country, au-
mirable as are her institutions. II Is az,
most heresy to say it. but do not mlnu
/. taking the responsibility. for that is one
of the things l am used to. reIer 70 tne
increase of the higher education Ior Inc
masses. The Anglo-Saxon has easily OUT
stripped all his competitors IN those
things which make for the conmercial
growth and success of nations, because
he has been above all other things, prac-
teal. While the preparations LOT PR
fessional life require advanced KNOW
edge it seems to me that the VAST ma, Il :,
jority of our young people spend too many
of their vigorous years OF youth lnslde
the schoolroom and not enough IN the
practical work of life. The years from
is to q are immensely valuable, for they
are years of keen observation, 1ndlvldual-
ity and confidence. In many cases-qulte
too many-they are spent in crammlne
the mind with knowledge that is not
likely to help young man in the wore
he is best fitted to do. How many young
men with college educations are Slaho l,lilI
never come because the work that Hes
nearest at hand is not to their liking
Somehow or other our schools WhlcI ,
teach them how to live. People need AT
tle but want much. Since have come &c
California one-t hird OF my ually lila aiIe Il
calls are about equally divided between
requests for contributions to help pay on
debts and mortgages which should moi
young men out of work. which always
have my sympathy; and cries for succol
from the sick and suffering poor, Whc
must be cared for. whatever may be the
cause of their sickness or their poverty
and the poor we have always with US
The sons of farmers are forsaking the
fields because the cities are more attrac-
tive to them 1t seems to me that slowly
but surely there is growing up stronger
and stronger wall of caste, with good
honest labor on one side and frivolous
gentility on the other. We seem to be
fast out growing those things which, wher
Our fathers lived. were called sterling
Qualities but now are called toll1eS, OF
work that a gentleman should not do, as
though all honest work was not honor
able work.
PROFESSOR ATKINSON AGREES
The first gentleman seen was an old
college man, who still loves his alma
mater, who is to-day the President of a
business college, and who believes firm
ly in culture; but he was compelled to
criticise his early training, as will
appear:
Yes, have read C. P. Huntington 5
speech and especially that part which
deals with the education of the young
for it treats upon a subject to which
have given the best years Of my life
Mr.. Huntington prefaces by expressing
fears that his remarks may be con-
strued as heresy. While such may be
the verdict of the majority of readers
yet there are a good many thinking
men who will cheerfully step into the
rank of fleretics and pronounce that
part of the speech in question center
shot against a. very popular mistake in
the preparation for usefulness in life.
TT cannot be denied that there is a
popular tendency to slight primary ed
ucation-to go over the rudiments at a
hop skip and Jump pace in order to
reach what is termed higher educa-
tion.' 1 am a firm believer in our pub
lie schools and 1 heartily sympathize
with the teachers in the difficulties that
confront them. No matter how many
additions to the course of study, nor
how many Kaleidoscope changes are
made the pupil must be graduated in
the allotted time, or the reputation Of
the teacher must suffer. Such require
ments must necessarily bring unsatls-
factory results. In the public schools
a Through English education should be
acq aired. Any mistake or omission
there will be q serious hindrance III
later years.
"I have here in a pigeon hole clip
ping from a speech made by Edward
Everett on the subject Of education
will ask you to insert it. Mr.. Everett
said:
" To read the English language well,
to write with dispatch a neat, legible
hand, and be master of the first four
rules of arithmetic, so as to dispose OF
at once, with accuracy, every question
of figures which comes up in practice
I call this a good education. And if
you add the ability to write good gram
NAUTICAL English, I regard it as an ex-
cellent education These are the tools.
You can do much with them, but you
are helpless without them They are
the foundation, and unless you begin
with these, all your fiashy attachments,
a little geology, and all other ologies
and osophies are ostentatious rubbish.
''Truer words were never spoken.
wish they could be posted upon the
walls of every schoolroom in the coun-
try. They are a sermon in a nutshell
that ought to be preached from every
pulpit In the land. And this reminds
me of some good, hard sense in the
Sermon on the Mount, where mention
is made of a house that withstood the
storm because it was built upon n
rock, and also of similar structure,
set in the sand, that collapsed when
the winds and waves went up against
it.
Tt is a poor plan to build ten thou
sand dollar house on a ten-cent foun-
dation, figuratively or otherwise. Mr..
Huntington believes that the years
from 10 to u are too precious to be
wasted upon theories. 1 would give
two more years to preparation, and
devote the years from II to 21 to the
kzfl1dV of pra rtioal rlrob1eroS He also