The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-14
by JOHN ELFRETH WATKINs.)

life fitted them to give answers Of
..lue at this time when thousands Of
Young Americans are e~ndeavOring to
decide whether they shall enter COL
Iece this autumn
First among those Intercepted was
senator John Sharpe Williams Of Mis-
-is-ippi. a man who has the reputa-
zion Of being able to quote more OBJ
solete and infrequently read classic
authors than any man in Congress.
f,ack in the days when he was min
orIty leader OF the house the senator
from Mississippi used to delight the
members Of his party by bringing in
some apt quotation which none OF
them recognized.
IL Depends Largely on the Man.
The senator locke up from the
a~ewspaper he was reading when the
writer asked him the question.
That depends entirely upOn the
man. said he. II ave seen men
who were helped and men who were
hindered by a college education" :
~'IIindered?" was repeated.
The senator smiled.
Yes. hindered," he said. There
are many men-especially those who
are 10 enter public life-who must
learn their lessons in the hard school
81 practical experience.
Mind you l am not criticising these
men. Frequently they will develop
into good leaders. Their minds are
simply such that the routine Of col
lege life does not assist them. They
cannot take up and Absorb studies in
which they have nc interest. Given an
opportunity to educate themselves;
given also plenty Of sound work to
keep them busy, these men Will de-
yclop wonderfully"
College Can Spoil a Man.
do you believe" was inquired.
that college can spoil a man for pub
tic life?"
yes" he said. "The cases are
fare-exceptional, in fact. But every
little while they occur. II a mar can
grasp a college education as part OF
the work Of life and not as a recrea-
tion preparatory to serious business
he will attain a development which
will come to him later by other and
harder roads Of knowledge. Ii NJ
does not lake this attitude 1t is better
that he be permitted to learn In the
school Of experience"
Next the writer went to h office o.
Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas
youngest member Of the upper cham
Der OF congress-. The senator wal
graduated from a university In h1'
own State and afterward TOOK
course at Yale. His brothers and sig
,ers were all educated at college ant
hold their degrees.
Nothing will take the place Of
college education" he said. "A maj
who would excel, especially In publ
life must have a well ordered. wei
trained mind. He cannot be guessing
Al things. In my opinion the value o
college education lies not alone in tn
knowledge absorbed but in the fac
Hlties OF concentration and menta
orderliness.
Teaching himself, a man will brini
Va the n~on-essentials. He has not tn
concrete grasp of study which enable
the rained educator t. show his pu
pits how to ~diferentiate etWeen tn
ESSENTIAL and lie non-essential.
The training that a man accom-
plishes for himself may be invaluabi.
But there are many years OF ms III
which are used in the pursuit G
knowledge which might have bee
gained more xswiftly, more compac'
w, If he had Vixen up h study VI
dor instruction"
Pausing for a moment, the senate
continued:
Now, I'll show you that 1 don
mean an expensive education wit
frills. I'll give you my own case.
Education without Frills.
When ! began my studies l WI
BADLY in lee OF money. FOL "
tears i managed to get along all riSn
Inen. as conditions peCdAa
S~traitened, I obtained a position
night Waterman. You wOuld be su
prised to find how conducive to stut
a night watchman's job Is. During Il
long hours I used to go through n
cooks. frequently getting well ahea
~ my lectures.
Then when ] graduated I took
course at Yale. 1t was necessary
borrow the money to do that I rails
It and paid it back after hard wor
Those times were hard. But l ma
never felt reason to regret a cent
The money that l expended. AS q ms
ter Of fact l regard 1t as the best j
Vestment ] ever made.
College education is a steAc
m~cthOdical training. al understand
of the art Of studying tremenoo
asset i'll ITSELF"
You don't think" was asked. tn
= man might gain this knowledge
private study and practical e1pe