The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-24
THE TRUE /.
EDUCATION
What Constitutes
a Trained
Man.
AS TO HAWAHS
SERIOUS NEEDS
DR.. Jordan's Address TO Young
People of Kamehameha School
Last Evening.


University speak on 1.-THE Value of High
er Education" After the singing of sew
eral hymns, and a short prayer, the
speaker of the evening was introduced
by Principal Van Dyke. Without any
preliminary remarks, the speaker plung
ed into his address by saying:
'I am going to say few words to-
night for higher education. I shall speak
of it from a practical, rather than the
oretical standpoint. Higher education
does not mean going to college. 1t means,
rather, the best education that can be
had for man, that will make the most
out of him. The higher education for
John Smith is that training that will
bring out all that Is possible in the bet
ter side of his nature, and fit him In the
best manner possible for the duties of
life. Every member of this republic is
entitled to this sort of education. One
idea of higher education is that It Is go
Ing to college and studying Latin and
Greek. Many people do not find what
they want in these studies, and a con-
sequence they decry specialized training.
Education is practical thing. We
can no more have too much of it than we
can have too much sunshine. Education
is like sharpening q knife. 1t is a waste
of time to put a razor edge On a table
knife. 1t requires one kind of an edge
and the razor another Yet the table
razor is in it's way. Both have entirely
different duties to perform. great
many people should not go to college.
There are many people who never get
Hawaii needs practical education. By
this / mean training that win make the
young people know how to do one thing
and do it well. Hawaii needs citizens
who can do one thing better than any
one else can do that same thing. Every
man who can do one thing better than
any one else can do it, need never fear
for something to do. Vice comes through
the door of idleness. From a moral
standpoint. also, 1t Is well to know how
to do one thing well. fs.,,.,..
"Higher education has more than, one
use. It has several First, it broadens
ones views. The day-laborer Is very apt
to look at the world from the standpoint
of the day-laborer. To the man who
works on the wharves the whole world
means the coming and going of ships. To
the shoemaker the world is made of
shoes. The world of the saloon keeper
Is filled with tobacco smoke, oaths and
vile drinks. Education may be compared
to going up a high mountain. To him
who has scaled the heights, everything
can be seen like a map. So with higher
education. 1t enables one to see life
broadly, and to see the relation of one
thing with another.
Second, the educated man sees things
as they really are. This in itself Is a
great privilege. To see things as they
really are is to see exactly. so see the
Hawaiian Islands as they are on the map
is one thing, and to see them as they
really are, are two very different things.
On the map they are a lot of little
specks sometimes one is larger than the
rest; sometimes they are all the same
size. When one arrives here the Islands
are very different from the way they look
in the book They have mountains, val
leys, sunlight and shadow, The country
is full of people who do not see things
as they really are. 1t is economy from a
business point of view, to train people to
see things exactly.
"The boys here tonight are to become
members of the greatest corporation the
world has ever seen, the Government of
the United States. To make our republic
a success, we should make every one in
1t an equal partner. Only the educated
man can be a really good citizen The
educated man is the only man that has
the courage of his convictions, because
he is the only man that has any convic-
tons. Do not misunderstood me when
/ speak of education. A man is not 1g-
norant who can DO one Inlng Wen, even
though he cannot read and write. The
purpose of higher education is to make
a man professionally efficient.
For the man who has been trained
properly in college 1t does not make
much difference whether he has a place
guaranteed him when he leaves school
or not. If he is Of the right stuff, he
will soon make one for himself have
in mind one Of our students who was
quite a society man when he was In
Stanford. When he graduated he went
to work In Portland, Oregon, greasing
the wheels Of the machinery In the power
house. He was getting $40 a month.
When l saw him there he was dressed
In blue jumper and a pair of overalls.
His calling was not an exalted one, but
he was doing all that was to be done In
an acceptable manner. The wheels were
running smoothly. None of them were
squeaking. The next time I saw this
same young man was in the City of Mex
leo, where he had just been appointed to
take complete control of the electric
plant there, that is to furnish the power
that is to propel the street cars that are
soon to run through that city. There Is
only one street car line In the world that
Is comparable to the street car service
of Honolulu, and that Is the present sys-
tenn used in the City of Mexico.
Third, an educated mans opinion 81
worth something. We get tired of peo-
pie who are ignorant, and have nothing
with which to back up their opinions. OF
course. you must understand that there