Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-06-07

schools Of any one district In the
county.
Ii goes with the saying that IL is a
public duty devolving upon every
American citizen to furnish every pos
sible educational advantage to the
rising generation, to the end that at
some time in the future every boy
and girl shall have a liberal educa.
ton. We have Il just pride in the
fact that now every boy and girl in
the United States. almost without
exception. has within his reach the
means for acquiring at least a com
mon school education; huteXperience
has demonstrated that the common
school branches are not enough, even
for those who do not expect TO make
a living directly from their education.
The theory upon which our common
school system il based-the greater
enlightenment OF every citizen-leads
one by easy and natural stages to
the idea that no degree OF education
is too high for even the humblest cit
izen. The same system has brought
about the establishment OF colleges
and universities in nearly all of the
states OF the Union. 1t is true that n
certain class Of foreigners scoff Mt the
tendency in the United States to es-
tablish a multiplicity of small col
leges and state universities, but the
fact remains that this tendency has
developed II desire, which IL becoming
more and more common among the
poorer classes, To have their ons and
daughters enjoy "A liberal education,
such az can be acquired within the
state of their residence; and even the
sons and daughters of the wealthy,
In very many cases, are educated at
these smaller institutions. While
Harvard and Yale are still great uni
versities, and are annually increasing
In power and influence. il il nolonger
true that n man must he a graduate
of one uf those institutions to becon-
sidered an educated man, even among
educated people. This all proves
that the smaller institutions are do
ing n great educational work, and
the power and influence oi these in
situations il annually growing much
more rapidly than such Institutions
Az Harvard and Yale. All that the
Montana state university requires to
make il u potent factor in this great
educational movement are students
and support. When the courses in
the high schools are adapted SCI as to
make those institutions preparatory
schools for the State university, so
that a certificate of graduation from
the high school will admit to the
university, 1t is evident that the
number of students at the University
will he largely increased from every
county in the state which has a high
school. A preparatory course en-
titling "A student to admission in IA
college or university IL necessarily
very different In some respects from
such n course AZ most pupils intend
ing To take only a high school course
would select. Besides that, there IL
no district in the county, or in more
than a few Of the counties of the
state, which could afford to open
and maintain a strictly preparatory
course, but every county in the state
can well afford To maintain such an
institution. Such a school in Fergus
county would be free to every boy
and girl in the county, who was
sufficiently advanced to he admitted,
and would afford them the means of
acquiring n much better education
than more than one or two Of every
hundred are likely to acquire with
out such a school; and, besides that,
1t would afford all that see fit to do
SO to take a preparatory course fit
ting them for admission to III state
university or any other college or
university. Many n young man and
woman could see the way compare
lively clear to a collegiate education,
If he or she could be prepared to
enter college upon leaving home,
who could not afford the expense OF
both a preparatory and collegiate
course as far away from home as
present conditions require.
SO far as we are aware there Is not
one young person from this county
pursuing a collegiate course any
where, or even preparing for one
1t cannot be said that the rising
generation OF this county IL lacking
in ability or ambition In such mat
tiers. There are undoubtedly many
boys and girls In the county wht
long for an opportunity to supple
ment their common school education
by a higher course, II the opportunity
were at hand for taking a portion
OF that higher curse nearer home
Then too the fact that the oppor