The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1903-10-02

increasing trade and commerce,
both domestic and foreign, has ar
equal right to exist in every com
munity along with our classical
schools, which respond to the de-
mands off the learned professions,
is attested by the thousands OF
young men and young women who
crowd them, eager to prepare them
selves for what may properly be
called the Business of Life.
AS a nation, we are indeed rich;
but as individuals, millions of us
have but limited means, and are
forced to take the shorter, it less
glorious, course which enables Us
to become self-supporting at the
earliest possible moment.
! The old slogan that the course
which fits your sons and daughters
for college or the university, best
fits them for life, certainly will not
hold good if the industrial world is
included in that time-honored bat
! tie cry. Especially is it not true in
States such as ours, where the pub
lie money is scarcely sufficient to
afford a knowledge OF the rudl-
mentary branches, not to speak OF
the industrial branches, such as are
taught in this vigorous young lnstl-
tuition of yours.
Scarcely three weeks have elapsed
since the doors of this college were
opened to the public and already
nearly half a hundred students
have been enrolled. This is indeed
tribute to the business sagacity
of those of our fellow townsmen
who fearlessly advanced the neces-
sary capital to establish this school
in our midst. Verify, did they cast
their bread upon the waters" and
with such an suspicious beginning
it will be little wonder if it be re-
turned to them ten fold. They
have performed their part well, and
it remains to the faculty and to
the students of this school to prove
the wisdom of their undertaking.
The quality of instruction on the
part of the teachers and the energy,
the perseverance and the untiring
industry of the student in bringing
to a successful termination what
ever course of study he may have
selected for himself, will not only
prove the wisdom of this great
undertaking, but will result in
giving Union City one more per
manent school.
The course of study in the Sec
ondary Schools of our country re-
quire four years to complete; to
this the university adds four more,
to which an additional two years
must be added for the completion
of some professional course before
young man is acknowledged tit
to assume the responsibilities en-
braced in the learned professions.
The course of study in the business
colleges of our country vary from
three months to two years accord
ing to the particular business to be
learned. Why this discrepancy OF
time, you will ask. The best, and
perhaps the only possible answer is
that schools of this character were
theoretically designed to deal only
with trained minds; by this ! mean
minds disciplined by at least four
years training in the classical and
in the secondary branches OF mathe-
matics, coupled with some knoWt
edge of the sciences. Is it not
reasonable to suppose that those
of your number who are possessed
of this preliminary preparation will
surpass and justly surpass, those
of a more elementary training in
the pursuit of the knowledge to be
gained in this school? On general
principles, it is; but we must not
forget that small body driven by
great force will produce a result
equal to, or even greater than, that
of a much larger body driven by a
considerable less force. And what
is true in physics is true also IN
metaphysics; hence we often see
students of comparatively small
capacity and limited preparation,
by greater energy alone, leave their
superiors far behind in the race tor
honors, distinction and preferment.
l say this to encourage those whose
preparation for this work has not
been as thorough as it should be,
and to hold out to them that after
all that element of character which
we denominate energy has more to
do with overcoming difficulties than
any other single element in the HUI
man makeup. Verify, as charity
covereth multitude of sins, so
doth energy cover a multitude OF
DEFICIENCIES. 1t is to intellectual
capacity what steam power is to a
mighty engine-a propelling force,
without which both are worthless.
In conclusion, let me remind you
of the old maxim, Work wins, y
and let us remember that he only
who perseveres to the end possesses
true worth.