The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-30
Honolulu, May &c, 1908.

Honolulu, May &c, 1908.
Editor Advertiser: 1 noticed your
remarks upon education, and thought
them both opportune and to the point.
There can be no question I think about
the value, or the advantages to be de-
rived from education. Indeed, it's my
opinion that as fire ref1nes gold, so
does or should education refine, ele-
vate, ennoble and beautify the charac-
ter. Indeed education does far more
than this, for it places within the
reach of those who are fortunate
enough to possess it the best of every
thing that this world has to offer. No
position is too high for them to aspire
are theirs if they will only strive hard
enough to obtain them. Education, too,
gives one a confidence in himself that
cannot be obtained in any other way,
and which alone is of worldwide bene-
fit to those that possess it. In fact,
there is no end to the advantages it
gives, nor is there any limit to its
power or usefulness. knowledge is of
infinitely more use than riches, and
should give one far more satisfaction
than all the wealth in the world. And
ton doing right around us here? And
who, 1 would like to ask, can go
through the schools and note the
painstaking efforts of the teachers, or
see the bright, eager, intelligent faces
of the children and not be conscious
of its blessings? And not only are we
conscious of it, but the children, too,
feel it's power, and realize it's blessing.
The fact is, we are SO used to the adj
vantages derived from education that
we forget the wonderful changes it
has made, and the vast good it has
done to humanity. We forget that the
masses now are better educated than
the classes were not so very long ago,
and enjoy more advantages in many
at least here, that it's diff
ficult to tell the one class from the
other; for though some may be better
educated than others, none are unin-
telligent or unintellectual looking.
Education, at least of the highest
order, is not for every one; for some
can not attain to it, and others have no
inclination for it. And in either case
it's folly to try and force it upon one,
or either of them. 1t is this forcing,
or rather the attempting to force edu-
cation upon those that have no desire
for 1T, and no capacity for it, that has
so much trouble. For if boy
has no thirst for knowledge when he
is sent into any great seat of learning,
he is pretty sure to fall into bad COM
pany, and learn more harm than good
And no sadder sight can be seen than
those that have thus misspent their
time. For they generally acquire idle
hablts, not to mention anything else,
that cling to them for life. and which
drag them down lower and lower I'M
til the very end of their life. If, upon
the other hand, a boy has a great de-
sire for learning. let him have it even
If you have to dig a ditch to obtain the
money for it. But even then, it's bet
learning, but to get the means of OBJ
tanning it. If this were done what vast
of trouble would be avoided
And therefore, no matter how rich a
man may be. he should teach his boy
how to WORK, and IL II something
from his earliest years. For its MY
opinion that hab..s % in lustrv are
more important than learning, however
desirable that may he Because. as /
said before, if a boy once learns habits
of industry he viii pretty sure % be
all right in other respects. some Ct
the richest men in America have fci-
lowed this plan with the best possible
results. Others have loaned their sons
the money to finish their education;
and these boys have become successful
and great men, in proportion as they
have worked their own way in the
world. and in getting an education
one OF the worst things a man can do
Is TO give his son an unlimited supply
of money while at college, and which
alone has been the ruin of many a boy
And If these men only knew how this
money is spent they would stand APP
palled. And not only this, but one
boy that has started upon the down.
ward course will lead dozens, if not