St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-06-22
THE PENSION SYSTEM
Is Based Upon Recent Changes in
American Life.
The LnbOrfnE Man No Longer d slack
OF All Trades" But a Specialist
Resulting Evils Have
Their COmpensatf0nx.

The adoption by the Illinois Gen.
trail and other railways and great in
dustries of systems of pensioning
their veteran employees is significant
of the change that has come over
American life in the last quarter of
q century. 1t is, in effect, accord
ing to the Chicago Inter Ocean, rec
ognition that the United States no
longer has a frontier where men who
had failed of the success they hoped
in their first choice of occupation
could begin life anew in another. 1t
implies that the young man starting
out in the world will choose his oc-
cupation not as temporary means
Of livelihood, but as a career which
he will pursue to the end.
For nearly century after attain
ing their~ political independence the
American people were lacks of all
trades" in the greatest proportionate
numbers ever known in any nation.
Young men took up trade or pro-
fession. followed it for time, de-
cided that they did not like it, and
hranched off into another. When they
found no line in the settled districts
that precisely suited them, there was
always the frontier where adventur-
Gus spirits could carve out their for
tunes in stark wrestle with nature.
But the wilderness has been con-
quered, and, while the country still
offers plenty of opportunities for
men with nothing but their strong
hands and keen brains, the methods
of search and attack have changed.
The development of industry has
made greater concentration of effort
necessary to success. The man who
succeeds now is not he who can do
half dozen things moderately well,
but he who can do one thing very
well. This is the age Of the special
list. Now, specialization has its PEN
atty as well as it's reward. To a GER
tain extent it disqualifies for sue
cess in any other line. Therefore the
specialist must make greater pro-
vision for old age and failure OF pow
ers, or have such provision made as
condition of devoting himself to his
speciality. This has long been rec
ognized in the case of the military
profession. 1t is now being recog-
nized in the railway and other great
Industries.
While we may regret this change
as denoting a lessening of that indi-
vidual versatility which has been so
marked a characteristic of the Amer
lean people, we must accept it. For
the cure of it's evils we must look to
education that will supply the broad
est possible foundation upon which
to base special training. The recog-
milton of the need of such education
Is seen IN the increasing insistence
that liberal culture shall precede tech
meal experiences.
Already it is generally conceded
that the lawyer or the physician or
the engineer shall base his technical
studies upon liberal culture. The Uni
versity Of Michigan and some others
are now seeking to provide the same
foundation for the man of business.
BY advancing upon these lines, ale
though individual versatility may de-
cline, it seems possible to put in its
place a cooperative versatility that
may even increase the nations
strength and endurance.