Evening star., 1901-07-13
COLlEGIANS' PROSPECTS
ARMIES OF YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE
EARNED SCHOLASTIC DEGREES.
Economic Question Presented by the
Filling Up of the Learned
Professions.

From the New York Obs, rver
A small army of graduates receiving bac-
ealaureate and advanced degrees has re-
Gently begun it's march through the helds
and arenas of public life The start has
been made very auspiciously, the congratu-
lations and good wishes of instructors and
friends following the graduates in sincere
benediction. The army OF the learned ad-
Nances in several very large divisions
Thus. Columbia University. in this city re-
Gently conferred degrees OF one sort or an
other on more than Ita Young men and
women and Cornell University gave de-
Srees TO over 400 candidates. The rapidity
with which American colleges are turning
out graduates of various courses almost
takes ones breath away. Every successive
class is the biggest one yet OF course.
this is a large country. where bigness is the
boast in almost every line. and numerically
!aree classes are 10 be expected and desired
IN all well-equipped colleges. Still the pro-
portion OF college-hred men and women to
the rest of the population is cy yidently in
creasing steadily, and the question Of the
future OF these academically trained hosts
becomes a serious one, presenting for con-
Sld2ratiOn grave economic as well a. M ber
complications
II is the usual custom to speak of these
colleSe graduates as educated people. OF
course, the term as 50 employed is relative
IN lis significance. These graduates ara
simply educated more than others They
nave made a beginning Of education: they
are candidates for education Such srradu-
d!tS nave ny no means graSped the whole
circle or sphere Of knowledge. Vet al least
nave learned to measure their own ig-
noFahce a little more accurately The aca-
Gemlc training of the mental powers has
peeh preparatory to that more rigorous
process Of education which viii cpnti,,,a
so long as life lasts. Time is an imporfant
eleinent IN education; up to some trirt rs the
schoitr must grow. for they cannot be
rushed as a redoubt might be assaulted
ana taken in a single Charge
The Process of Eduratiop.
The college graduate who has tho s,,i-i.
of the true scholar will bear i'm mind this
prolongation of the process of educatiou.
remembering that education is thing
that Is always doing and never done. that
IL involves moral as well as mental actiyi-
Ties, and that it should never stop with
mere theory, but must ultimate in th, best
OF private and public practice A selfish
tducatlon is a contradiction in terms FOR
IN the domain of truth-seeking tn, man
who never gives can never get in The
HlgheSt sense. The graduates who have
lately emerged from academic halls will
nave no future worth Sp.akiug nr ,lDfass
they definitely devote themselves Ia tba
ideals of an altruistic culture
Economically considered the future of
the large annual army of graduates pre-
sents a serious subject Tor thought Al
ready, for some years the ..prof..seJ,r,s,
nave been greatly crowded The ambition
OF SO many Is to earn a living in a c-cuta,I
way. To support themselves by polite occu-
Fauons, that the average wage in tho ,,ls.
nf professional workers is by caHsoioss
competition reduced considerably or If n
Is maintained at a high rate i'm The case os
comparatively few. this result is accom-
pushed at the cost Of excluding large nn-,,-
bers from any srch employment AT all
There is real danger lest i'm America we
iihd that We have on hand large oducated
class with nothing to do | ud.r present
conditions there is in professional life no
room or at any rate no sufficient supply of
decent positions for all the educated And
certainly the country cannot afford to
MAINTAIN any large class OF UNEMPLOYED,
educated iderS.
Surpiusage of Graduates
There seems nothing for it, then-at least
Until the appreciation shown by the conn
mercial community for genuine scholarship
and pure culture becomes more broadly and
practically eNhibited-but to discourage
from entrance into professional life all but
those who manifest unusual aptitude for
its pursuits. At the same time it should
be possible to cultivate in the community
more reasonable sentiment with respect
u the uses of education. that the col
leSe-bred man, or even the Postgraduate,
would not necessarily assume that he must
get his living as a teacher. preacher writer
or lecturer. but would feel that his cdtica-
tion was not lost if he retired from aca-
demic halls to a farm. a machine shop, or
a store. If there is to be a surplusage Of
graduates it will be better for all concerned
IL they are scattered around through a
large variety Of callings. where their cul-
tUre will contribute to the general we'll
being of society, while their support is Sc
cured by manual clerical labors The
professions would in such A case fall as
special prizes to the selected few perhaps
after rigorous preliminary competitions.
and would finally be manned on the prin-
ciple of the survival of the fttest
The vast benefactions of a Carnegie and
the growing generosity of a Rockefeller
may well be hailed auSpicious omeus for
the future Of education in America and
Great Britain, and will greatly stimulate
the educational ambitions of the youth of
these two countries. This result may prop
erly be looked upon with deep satisfaction.
il only broad and sane views be also taken
as to the future of the great throngs about
to emerge in the next decade from the col
leges and universities When the edu-
Gated man puts personal culture before
fame, practical duty before selfish culture,
and is more careful for the moralities than
for the materialities. there will surely be
disclosed for him future that is honor
a BILE if not famous. abounding in rewards
if not rich in emoluments, and his career
will mean a distinct contribution to the in
tellectual growth and moral well-being of
the race.