The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-08
VALUE OF HIeHER EDUCATION.


VALUE OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
During the course of his baccalau-
reate sermon before the students of
the New York University a few days
ago the Rev. DR.. Smith said, in part:
'tMore men fail from want of force
than from want of Judgment, and it
would appear that education often
tends to reduce'fatf1er than add to a
mans forcefulness." DR.. Smith went
on to say that the educated man
spares himself at crucial moments.
knowledge develops caution and the
indisposition to take risks. 1t de-
velops sensibilities which are so finely
attuned that the possessor of them
goes a long way around to avoid a
shock to those sensibilities, wherefore
he often falls behind in the race of
life. Thus DR.. Smith makes a point
against higher education for young
men who must earn their own living,
whether he intended to achieve that
result or not. The conclusion of his
argument is that, if it is desired that
our sons shall be forceful and sue
cessful, they should not be made too
sensitive by higher education, but
should be willing to get out and give
and take hard knocks in the busy
world.
There was recently published in Chi
cago by r. T. Crane pamphlet under
the title of 1.-THE Utility of an Aca-
demic or Classical Education for Young
Men who have to Earn their Own
Living or Expect to Pursue a Com
mercial Life" The opinions of a
considerable number of leading men
successful men in commercial and
professional life-are quoted in the
pamphlet, and the conclusion to be
reached after a study of these opinions
is that the academic or classical edu-
cation is not necessary to the young
man, but is quite often a hindrance to
him. Herbert Spencer says that the
greater part of what a man learns at
college drops out of his memory when
he becomes a business man. The col
lege presidents interviewed by Mr..
education, in that it broadened a
mans views and taught him mental
discipline and self-confidence, but they
differed as to it's utility in business
pursuits. A number of railroad presi-
dents, bank officials, merchants and
others replied that they gave little if
any consideration to whether or not a
man in their employ was college-bred;
they considered the man himself and
his capabilities, not where or how he
was educated. If the man had amy
thing In him" it would manifest itself,
whether he had a college education or
not. 1--WE employ men solely with
reference to their capacity for the
work which we desire them to do, and
it is entirely immaterial to us how,
when or where, or by what kind of
process they acquired their education"
says the Cramp Shipbulding Com
pany. Others speak in the same way,
not one claiming that the college man
has any advantage in the way of
ability because of his education.
And is it. not true, after all, that the
whole question resolves itself upon the
man and not the amount of education
he may have received? If he has the
right stuff in his composition, a gram
mar school education will afford an
excellent basis upon which to build
for the future. This can be supple
mented with II technical a CONNER
cial or professional education, ac-
cording to the line of endeavor chosen.
And the best school in which to ac-
quire such supplementary education
which must really become the main
education, since it is to be the bread
winners the school of experience
the school in which practice is taught
rather than theories. 1t is too often
the case that a college graduates
head is crammed full of theories
which he couldn't apply practically If
his life depended on it.