Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15

mp the rising generation. whether they ara
intended for college or not This defect Is
radical and SO easily overcome, IL measures
to that end are taken early enough. that Its
existence is both surprising and hemil!ating.
L refer to the notoriousiy lax training SO
many receive In the elementary branches
the three RS" 1 have explained nv
views on this subject before, and Judging
| have received from ell parts Of the United
States, there Is very general agreement
with my contention that a large proportion
OF our elementary schools are inadequate
Graduates Of the public schools are turned
out into the world incapable of performing
the simple arithmetical computations need
ed In the ordinary transactions of business
life. They do not know how to express
themselves clearly and directly In their
mother tongue. either by word of mouth or
In writing. Most preparatory schools give
more attention to Latin and Greek, admit
tedly studied chiefly for their disciplinary
value. than they do to English, which is
the living tongue. the medium of practically
all communication between man and man
in this country.
Every employer OF clerks Will verify what
l say on this point. The majority OF the
applicants for situations in the banks. the
offices OF the big transportation companies.
the mercantile houses and other business
concerns are unable to write proper letters
or application. Their handwriting Is bad:
often they cannot spell. The old thorough
ness of elementary training. the hard dig
cling at the work of laying the foundation
of education. in the mastery of English and
arithmetic and the acquisition OF clear.
legible handwriting has been abandoned In
too many schools
There are exceptions, for which the coun-
try should be thankful, and surprisingly
large number of these exceptions are found
among the elementary schools conducted
under the auspices of the Catholic Church.
In them the former thorough teaching of
the three RS seems to have persisted;
W NJ ono pQY1 no
the great work that the public schools are
doing than myself. / must commend the
elementary methods OF the Catholic schools
to the public school authorities in many
cities.
Value Of Solid Foundation.
1t was his mastery Of the English Ian
guage and his thorough mental training
that enabled Horace Greeley. innocent of
schools, to come to New York when a young
man and rise from the compositor's case,to
one of the most commanding positions in
the difficult and important profession of
Journalism, to become factor in the his
tory of the greatest nation on the earth. The
career of the elder Bennett was much like
Greeleys. Each founded a great news
paper, which Is known and respected
wherever the English language is read or
spoken.
1t was his patient mastery of the elements
of education. achieved for the most part at
night, in the college of the fiaripg pine
knot, that enabled Abraham Lincoln, though
handicapped almost indescribably. to win
the highest place in the gift of the nation
at the time when the nation needed just
such man its head. These. by the way.
became men of truly liberal education, de-
spite their lack of college training, and
they are only three of many who. lacking
the opportunity to train themselves In col
lege. yet found time amid the stress of
actual life and achievement to broaden and
liberalize themselves by general reading
and the study Of those topics with which
their more fortunate fellows were able to
acquaint themselves in college.
There are many living men who. though
lacking college advantages. have found true
liberal education in the university Of the
world. James ]. Hill, for instance, though
never a student in a school of higher grade
than the academy in a little Canadian vii
lage, and obliged to make his own way
from the age of sixteen. is more familiar
with the classics in the original than most
college graduates, and his critical knowl-
edge of art is superior to that of most pro-
fesSional art critics
OF a different type Is Russell Sage. who.
though highly educated man. despite his
than general lines all his life. NJ.
Sage saw the need of education when
1.-The boy in his brothers grocery store at
Troy. He paid school teacher part of his
weekly pittance to teach him the three
Rs at night after both had done the
living. And while Mr.. Sage possibly could
never have passed an examination that
would have admitted him to college, he
grounded himself we'll in the elements and
afterwaci made good use OF the foundation
in building up superstructure OF thorough
knowledge of the subjects which interested
him They included trade, finance and
politics. and he has been conspicuous in all
Of Them his now hs.lf-forgotton political
career having been very successful one.
In his way Mr.. Sage Is one of the best edu-
Gated men In the world.
To mention fraction of the men who
have become educated outside of college
would be simply cataloguing many OF the
worlds best known men, ana the names OF
those given. familiar to every one, are suf-
ficient.
1t is clear. them that the non-college man
has plenty OF chances, but for all that
every young man should avail himself OF
the best and most advanced school that he
can get He must train himself thoroughly
If he would achieve, whether he can go to
college or not
Finally. the chief essential of real educa-
ton. acquired either in college or the
worlds great school, Is thorough and intt-
mate mastery of the elementary branches
the 'three R's"-on which the superstruc-
ture of all real education must be reared
THOMAS L, JAMES.