The sun., 1900-12-23
What a Young Mn Needs.

1hiS question, In one form OF ailother.
is now arising in the minds OF great num-
bers Of young men who are pursuing or
meditating the pursuit Of college edu-
cation:
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUE--Sv: " WhaiNucies
would you recommend for young man 10 take up
who wishes to make start In journalism He has
a chance to 80 away to college Uucknen has been
decided upon with the privilege Of special course.
lie wishes to make the most of his time as he Is de-
pendent upon himself FOR livelihood.
HARRY l. HOWE.
"FRASKLIS. Pa. Dec. 90"
No special course of study can be marked
ont "a best adapted to lay the foundation
Of fitness in young man for the profession
or business Of journalism. The grounding
he requires for every other department OF
activity which demands intellectual train
ing il required in this.
The great office of a college IA to furnish
this intellectual discipline and not so much
70 impart mere knowledge and furnish
instruction In itself Of immediate practical
value. Thus languages. which may be
wholly apart from knowledge seemingly
essential TO the career student has de-
cided upon, are an intellectual exercise;
and mathematics. Of which he may never
expect To make practical use. serves the
same needful purpose One OF the defects
of the elective system OF studies intro
duced into our colleges seems to be that in
Offering to student the opportunity to
reject those distasteful to hin or OF which
he thinks he has less need than others,
it may defraud him Of the intellectual
training his very disposition to reject then
may indicate he most needs Mastering
an ungrateful task y In Itself education.
Concentration Of the mind on an exercise
not agreeable to youthful taste. or even es-
pecialy irksome to IT, Is a prime essential
Of valuable intellectual training. A little
learning we have the best authority for
calling dangerous; but so also Is easy learn
ing dangerous. Thus 1t happens that
oftentines the quickest learners In a college
class turn out in their careers behind young
men who hal 70 cudgel their brains and
toll and sweat to master subjects almost
intuitively gra7ped by the others. Their
hard work developed and strengthened
their intellectual muscle.
Whether the fault in our new university
system lies where We have suggested or
Is TO be found elsewhere. or whatever the
cause, something seems TO be wrong In
the practical results Of the recent develop
ment of That system. Our contemporary
writing by the younger men from the
colleges seems TO be deficient in the relec-
ton which gives intellectual grasp. IT does
not Indicate minds Of vigorous phiosophi-
cal training. Even from departments
Of science 10 which our universities give
special prominence IN these days students
who write brilliant theses at graduation
arc too apt to stop thereto strike twelve
at once.
This il merely In the way OF Illustration
Of what we mean in telling our young
friend that no special course In a colleges Of
special and peculiar necessity to him as a
p-enaration for journalism The moro he
knows and the better and the more thor
oughly he knows It. so that he can express
his knowledge and his thought with force and
mcidity, the better will he be fitted to write
for the public In a newspaper. No man
can be too big. too wise, too learned. too
broad or too accurate In his knowledge
for that task and duty. No Intellectual
training In any direction which develops
hi. mental power and gives to him freedom
and confidence In its exercise will 90 amiss.