Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-11
SENSE OF PROPORTION.


Eance Of Students.
From an article in Scribner'S Magazine
the following paragraph is clipped:
The sense of humor has, among other
definitions, been defined as sense OF
proportion. And the sense OF huInoI on
which we pride ourselves ought to suffloe
to prevent the spending by any youth en-
gagged in preparation for the battle OF Ire
OF more than three or four times the yearly
amount that he could reasonably expect
to earn In the open market after his prepar-
alton wab completed and be had entered
the battle And most certainly II rs noe
! good that different standards OF living
/ depending on different amounts OF priv
ate neans'' should be encouraged or even
tolerated by the faculty OF an american can
university. A place of education Is the last
place In which there is room for set OF
social distinctions based on money.
And what is so raw as the college
SPORT The self-made man who buckled
| down to hard work at the age OF II and
finds himself rich at 50. cuts strange cspers
before high heaven when he begins to make
| a SNOWY distribution Of his money. How
much more pitiable is the spectacle Of the
callow oollegian, who has never earned a
dollar, "splurging" upon the funds which
an in5ulgent father, hard pressed perhaps,
supplies him.
There are, Of course many young men
in college whose parents can afford TO pro-
vide them with an unlimited supply Of cash
comments the Louisville Courter-J ourna1
AS a rule they learn little but dissipation
but they would do no great amount OF harm
to anyone. but themselves IL it were moi
that their bad example causes sons o.
poorer parents 10 spend more than theS
should IN order to make what they considel
a good appearance at college. What back
ground of pathos there is behind the picturV
| vvhn eran6a with
lordiy air money that represents saving and
plnching at hone, where It is fondly be
heved that he lie as economical as 1t 4
passss>ss = college man" 10 be.
A story is told-Rnd it ought to be tru
If II isn't-of a college boy who wrote horn
for money and received in reply a check
inclosed with a note in which his fathe
said simply:
non't be nieEardly but be as economics
y as YOU can and live like gentleman.
E BY return mall the old man receive
this reply:
n Dear Dad: 1 can live more like gentle
mn ny gs1ns Of your on money fhAn Is al
solutsly necessary. ] believe the interet
r on the mortgage falls due this month
y Here's half of what you sent Apply
where il viii do the most good
This young man-mythical or real as IN
case may have been-had a sense Of pre-
portion. 1t forabde him to harbor IN
+. idea that appearances at college were MOI
important than the payment OF debts
. home.
a The encouragement Of democracy at co
lege is important not only because IL tent
= to lessen the burden that is placed upo
= parents who are ambitious TO educG'
their sons. but also because tbs practi'
OF reasonable economy Is about as eduo'
: tive as any ticket" a young man may talk
. Plane and solid geometry are interestir
1, and instructive studies, but the acquiremei
OF enough plain and solid common SEM
, to apply a sense Of proportion TO the pro'
= lem OF college expenses is even more US
! full in building character and laying
h foundations OF a career.