The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-20

The following speech was delivered be-
fore the Alabama Commercial and Indus
trial Association at the late meeting in
Gadsden by Prof. c.. c. Thach, President
of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute.
Professor Thach said:
Gentlemen of the Alabama Commercial
and Industrial Association:
Before passing to the specific duty Of
the hour. permit me to express to you
my cordial appreciation of your generous
Invitation to address you today; an honor
as unexpected by me as ! assure you it
Is highly esteemed. Permit me further
to congratulate you upon the distinction
OF being the first organization of the kind
IN the South. and upon the enlightened
interest you manifest in the great educa-
tionai work that lies at the basis of So
ciety. II is an suspicious day when this
work comes home to the hearts and bo-
SONS of the business men of any com
munity.
Happy shall deem myself, and amply
repaid for the hardships of the tropical
weather. II am able to speak one word
that will promote upon this occasion the
cause Of scientific technical education,
which. indeed, 81 10 the supreme agency
whereby the great material resources of
our State can bsssrsA abilitated and Ala5
hama brought I'd shat high place Of
wealth and Influence which isasris4tIy
hers. X y
Mr. Cecil Rhodes. in that remarkable
testament in which he bequeathed the
bulk of his vast fortune to promote edu-
cation, cses these significant words:
t.And finally as college authorities live
secluded from the world and are so like
children as to commercial matters, I
would advise them to consult my trus-
tees regarding the investment of these
various funds sc far as they would re-
ceive great help and assistance from such
advice" Truly a severe indictment. this.
of the old medieval or. monastic type
of education still dominant at oxford.
which has been aptly called the home of
culture caste, and dead philosophers And
too often does the old-time, or Oxford
type of classical education develop this
reclass of whom Mr.. Rhodes speaks-the
man, forsooth, of rare refinement, dell
cate sensibilities. exquisite taste. and
elegant phrase; but withal a man with
the filing all polished out of him-the
cIoistered scholar. the dreamerA who,
isolated and out of touch with the work
A-day would, dreams beautiful dreams.
but gets nothing done; or. still sadder,
perhaps. he is the man who follows the
trade of gentleman, who regards his edu-
cation4as the badge of a school, superior
aty the mark of an intellectual aristoc-
racys and holds himself above and apart
from ordinary everyday work, and out
OF al sympathy with his fellows. Doubt
less from such insists and abortions as
these. has sprung that widespread preju-
dice entertained by many excellent peo-
Die, CONCERNING literary education, hold
ing ii. as they do, useless luxury, and
esteemEng one who NEEDLES with 1t as a
mere fheorist who is entirely unfit for
business ~
Be ali this as It may (and much may
be said in defense). the education of
which we speak-the education called
scientific, or technical, or industrial-has
far other aims. methods, and results than
those of the Oxford classical schools. Its
aim Is rot to give culture alone, which,
charming as 1t is. has been described by
one as selfish luxury, producing men
who retire into their elegant pursuits
and give themselves to self-culture with
+, no further object. The aim of the new
education, openly avowed is rather to
dignity Qlabor and. fit men for the practi-
cal business of life. Without disparag-
ing the educational value of the classics
or the humanities. as they are called,
which treat Of man and his ways, 1t ac-
centuates the value of the natural SCI
ences that treat of things and their
forces, and their immense value for tbs
comfort and grace of human life. His
tory, language, philosophy, art, and lite
nature Il would not Supplanf, but supple.
ment with chemistry, physics. agricul-
sure and mechanics. While training the
intellect and fashioning the sensibilities
and the Imagination OF the youth, II
would also train his constructive and ex-
ecl1tive ability by having him do some
thing; translating the intangible abstract
concept of the mind into the coffefete,
tangible thing of the laboratory. Educa-
ton, according TO this view. is for use
as well as for ornament, a means and
an end a great instrument for doing
something that Is worth doing. To In
crease the production OF wealth in all
its forms, to stimulate invention, to har-
ness the forces of nature, TO contribute
to the material physical welfare and
happiness of man--these are a few of the
practical aims of the archaeological
schools aims that have not hitherto re-
ceived the emphasis that their import
anea strenuously demands.
This, to be sure. is a fragmentary and
Inadequate definition. but will. / hope
sufflce to suggest the essential qualities
and aims of the subject under discussion
Speaking more specifically, technology
cal schools may be classified under three
heads: ~ The school or college of tech
noIogy. 't2f the trade schools, CD the man
ua1 training school. or as It Is sometimes
STYLED, the school for Industrial or me-
chanical training. OF each OF these
shall briefly speak. .&a. t
al To this first class. 1. e. the higher
schools of applied science. belong such
institutions as Cornell University, the
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
the Sheffiold Scientific School, the Rose