The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-20
Mr.. HUNTINGT0N'S
"HERESY."

The Record Union to-day continues
the interviews with prominent citizens
ON the questions raised by G. P. Hunt
dngton in his annual banquet speech.
In yesterday s. issue a number of gen.
tlemen expressed themselves fully on
the issue raised For the benefit of
those who have not read the discussion
it may be said, briefly, that Mr.. Hunt
ington charged that the modern sys-
tenn of instruction holds boys at school
from 10 to 81 years of age, and that
the so-called higher education" is not
so practical as it should be, many col
lege graduates failing to know how to
earn a living. In part he said:
While the preparations for professional!
life require advanced knowledge it seems
to me that the vast majority OF our young
years of youth inside the schoolroom and
not enough In the practical work OF life.
The years from 15 to q are immensely
valuable, for they are years OF Keen OBJ y,
many cases-quite too many.they are
spent in examining the mind with knowi-
edge that is not likely to help a young
man in the work ne is best fitted TO do.
How many young men with college edu-
cations are standing about waiting for
something that will never come because
to- their liking? Somehow or other our
schools, which teach young people how lie
talk, do not teach them how to live Peo-
pie need little, but want much. Since ]
have come to California one-third of my
daily mail Is made up of appeals for help,
and these calls are about equally divided
help pay off debts and mortgages which
should not have been contracted; applica-
tfons OF young men out OF work, Which al
ways have my sympathy; and cries for
succor from the sick and suffering poor
who must be cared for, whatever may
be the cause of their sickness or their
with us. The sons of farmers are for
saking the fields because the cities are
more attractive to them. 1t seems to
me that slowly but surely there is grow
ing up a stronger and stronger wall OF
caste, with good, honest labor on one side
and frivolous gentility on the other. We
which, when our fathers lived, were call
ed sterling qualities, but now are called
follies, or work that gentleman should
not do, as though all honest work was
not honorable work
MAYOR LAND AGREES
Mayor Land. who has had unusual
opportunities of observing men in all
walks of life, was seen yesterday re-
garding his views on the subject He
said:
.'There Is a great deal of truth in
what Mr.. Huntington says, and con-
slider his view level-headed one in
every particular. Education makes
fools of many men by filing their minds
with theories and driving out every
semblanee of practical ideas. I've had
plenty of educated men-even doctors
priests. ministers, lawyers and pro-
fesSors-acting as walters in this no
tel. Once we had a sober man who
L Of dio1n lon
guages, but he was a failure He was
so dissatisfied with his work that he
would not do it well, and when we put
him outside as a ruStler he failed there.
I guess he was munbling Greek when
he should have been butt -holing trav-
elers; and as waiter he scanned poe
try and rehearsed languages instead OF
taking guests orders, seating them
quietly, and working his way up by
close attention to business. Of course
there's a big lot in the man. If you'd
have made a Greek Professor of Hunt
ington he'd still have had good bus
mess head.
Education should not be mistaken
for business, for education is not g
pursuit: it's no trade and no profes-
sion, and when a fellows going to col
lege he ought to stop and ask What
am 1 going here for? and what am ]
going to do for living when I'm done?
A man who expects his education to
bring in an income will find he's been
dreaming. If he can't mix his edu-
cation to his chosen pursuit can't make
it draw some sort of a load it's not a
business factor in his case, though il
may be a pleasant accomplishment
Take my linguistic waiter, as an exam
pie. Why man alive, his dead Ian
guageS We're as useless to him as dry
leaves. In a great continental hotel
with guests from all parts of the world
he'd have been in his element, perhaps
but Greek and Latin burdened him here
II see many college men get high
ideas about work, and I've known 9TH
ers who'd do anything; so you see there
are great differences in men. I'm only
giving my views from what I've seen. y
AN EDUCATOR IS GUARDED.
State Superintendent Thomas ]. Kirk
of the State Department of Education
is inclined to think friendly criticism is
useful, but he is wary about either
agreeing with the Huntington view OF
fatty opposing it. His views are eau
tiously set forth in the following inter
view:
Mr.. Huntington views education
from the business mans standpoint
from the intensely practical side Of life.
] fear that he is inclined to measure
success by the too common standard
of dollars and cents. Educators do not
claim to have discovered or to have
inaugurated the ideal educational sys-
tenn. Neither should all the failures