The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-02-19
A COLLEGE EDUCATION.

A COLLEGE EDUCATION.
Ever and anon the question comes
before the public as to whether COL
lagiate education pays. A few shining
examples are pointed out Of men who
have succeeded wcr&elfnlly we'll with
out any education except that Which
they acquired IN the SCI, col of business.
Now aud then some man OF distinction
by reason Of the money he las made
endeayors to discourage young men
from spending three or TOUR years in
college training when they could start
into making money on the very day
they might start to college. Such
men argue that the few years spent In
college are lost and that they might
have been we'll on the way towards a
fortune before they start. All such
reasoning is based on the idea that the
making of money is the only gauge OF
real success. Even with that idea as
the standard such reasoning is false.
When you come to think about 1t
carefully you do not have to go far to
find the man who sizes up other mems
failures or successes by the amount Of
money they make. You meet such
men at every turn Of the road, at every
street corner, and you are shaking
hands with them every day. For in
stance: here are two young men SEEM
ingIy of equal chances in the world.
One borrows money and goes to college,
acquires an education, and is ready for
almost any kind of work that calls for
Intellectual training. The other goes
into some kind of business, gets control
of little money and by hook or crook
10 dozen years or score of years gets
able to make one or two liberal sub
scrlptions to some commendable enter
prise, and that man who measures other
people by their money sets him down
as a blooming success, Notwithstanding
the path through which he has acquir-
ed his few thousand dollars would hard
ly bear the searchlight at every turn.
The young man who a dozen OF
twenty years ago left college considera-
bly, in debt may be still little in debt
but at every turn he has put his STAMP
OF a hIgh-toned character on every thin {
he has touched, and by reason of biz
fine mental training his counsel ane
assistance are sought in much of th,
finer work OF life when the other mar
is not even thought of. Your educat
ed man has the higher ideal of life AMI
because of that higher ideal, perhaps
he has RETAINED from touching man,
things through which he could hav'
made accumulations and tor which b,
would have been regarded successful b.
some. Under the white light of tru
worth, which of these men are th
greater success?
Touching the career and influence
of college men, Mr.. H. E. c
Bryant, the efficient reporter for tn
Charlotte Observer a lew days ag
wrote the following after looking upol
our State Legislature for some days:
There is very large contingent {
college bred men, many Of whom al
conspicuous leaders OF the Senate an
the House. They are recent graduate
from the University aud the college
OF the State. They represent the mos
conservative element in the Legisl.
ture. They think for themselves an
act according to their own convictions
And the following clipped from tt
Progressive Farmer gives a few lint
from the expressions of a man who's
opinion on SUCH subject is not to
dispised:
"Ex-President Grover Cleveland CO
tributes to a recent issue OF The Satu
day Evening Post vigorous and 1
markably forceful discussion of Il
question, Does a College Educate
Pay?' and it is of interest not only
the thousands of young men who q
considering the problem, but to Il
tens of thousands of parents who ha,
doubts. Mr.. Cleveland does not jud
success simply by money-making.
He says: