New-York tribune., 1901-08-26
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS.
4 PLEA FOR A 'NOBLER IDEAL THAN
SUCCESSFUL sHoPKEEPING.

Henry B. Blackwell. in woman's Journal
Whitelaw Reid the brilliant Editor of rhs
New-4ork Tribune recently made an address at
the Leland stanford. Jr., University at Palo
Alto, Cal, on University Tendencies in Amer
lea" In this address he makes the following
significant comments on eoeducation:
There are objectors. too. who question the ad-
especsy 0 at the the Ws endeney
verslty coeducatiOn. Certainly in no part OF the
than in the facilities for the education fs1s Of Wo%en
ana snrlvelled must be the soul that would have
MaWr have long marked higher standard than
SoW rosss soois ros women IN other lSnos and
enjoying high university affiliations are at last
elire and Barnard and others tt Is an Inspiring
% Rregress ana even II II may have been carried
error II error there be- will cure itself. But cer-
@ tg rsc IL must oe admitted that the Western trend
Is plainly at variance with another development
toward the higher education.~the process OF dif,
Ierentiatio9 % and specialization. Grant at once
IN o9e right Of woman quite as clear as the right
that the great majority of women seeking an ad-
yanced education will probably in time come to do
erence to the life they are going to lead; and the
glri graduate from one OF the great eoeducational
same life as the bachelor OF science or the bache-
ress be in differentiation and specialization OF
effort then women are entitled TO that progress
perhaps as yet the most economical is manifestiy
VSages that some er tSD ks fb If ind ON II the dsad
the two sexes into the intimacy OF a common col
their thoughts ought to be on their books and are
so easily kindled instead into dreams OF love and
The parents who send their sons and daughters TO
Ses S0euucac0[lad @ 1nsuiuuons know what they are
are likely TO select what Mr.. Lincoln said about
the book: IF you like this kind of a book then
reckon this is just about the book you would like"
The most conclusive reply to the above is
Whitelaw Reid's own comment on similar OBJ
lection made in the case of young men. that the
time devoted to college education initiates
against business success-an objection crystal
lized by Andrew Carnegie in the aphorism that
the graduate has not the slightest chance as
against the boy who swept the Office
The fact remains that within the general knowi-
edge. the very greatest business successes OF the
last quarter of century. the greatest quite up to
this present moment. have been more generally
won by men who were at work instead of in col
What then? Must men who expect to follow
business careers abandon the Joy and comfort Of
One is the argumentum ad hominern. The sue
ceSsful self-made scarcely ever favors thae
his own sons Another is that there are specia-
ICED courses provided by all the leading colleges
think they must begin life by seventeen or
are better things to aim at a1 ere money maxi
ing,-at least for those not pressed by an fnexo-
bas3e Il sPs ae Iean ahS who S R
forego these for the sake OF beginning life prema
turely-sweeping out the shop, Mr.. Carnegie
puts il. in the hope Of coming some day TO own
the ShOpthat IS no reason why the institutions or
higher learning should not develop along the best
lines for the steadily increasing number
IN this prosperous land who can take time for the
best things This is no longer young. poor peo-
pie on a wild, unexplored continent. struggling des-
perately with hard crcums stances to make be-
ginning. II is a great nation. rich with unprece-
hundred years. The average no longer needs.
like the sons of the pioneers. to sacrifice the
of getting into the shop early, so not 70 be out
stripped in the mere race for a living. Success in
more characters than merely the dollar mark; and
American education must be shaped In the future
to ft the man. rather than merely his business
places In the twentieth century must be at work
by eighteen earlier; sbut that is reason for
giving them such an education as they need and
can assmilate for lowering the college stand
ard the detriment OF all the rest IN order to
give them the deceptive decoration of diploma
thus deprecated and undeSerVed.
Apply the foregoing to women: II success"
in the case Of woman implies not merely mar
riage, but early marriage, and II marriage de-
mands not so much mental and moral charm
as familiarity with the details OF housekeeping
and of SO-Caled society" even then Mr.. Retd'S
brave plea for nobler ideal in the case of men
will apply equally TO that OF women If the
end of educating a man is only to get him TO
keep a shop. or run factory. or an iron MILL,
says Mr. Reid. Il am not much inclined to dis
pute that contention" If the material routine
of domestic cares and interests is to be the sole
end and aim of a wonan's existence, then,
saw. let her fOrego the college. and devote her
self to Miss Parloa's school Of cookery and TO
the arts and graCeS of Irritation But If women
prefer TO be the lifelong companions or educated
pirations. then a four years association with
such men in the class rooms of a cOeducatonal
college will be preferable to four years as
ISOLATION with different class Of men IN the
ballroom or at the opera