Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-10
BY DIR. RUSSELL H. CONWELL
CHAPTER

Gu 10 supply Il most conspicuous neceS-
sity.
In 1884 the city of Philadelphia had
no public evening schools and there
were only a few institutions which
supplied any instruction for the labor.
ing classes during their spare hours
in the day. The lack of instruction
kept the rate Of wages low. owing to
the lack Of earning power. Enterprise,
public spirit and the happiness of the
middle classes were restricted and re-
strained by the lack of knowledge how
best to apply themselves to their OPP
portunities. There was a great door,
and 1t was wide open.
1t was not difficult to supply such a
crying need, when 1t was so apparent
to all the people that some advance
must be made in our school systems so
as to provide education for the masses
who could not afford to attend school
regularly after they reached the earn.
ing age. Our great and efficient pub
lc.school system, which has surpris-
ingly kept pace with the advance of
the country in population and wealth.
was doing a very important and neces-
sary work in training the children, but
1t could not go far enough to prepare
the young people to enter directly into
business or skilled labor.
Training Means Cash
There were many thousands of poor
people who could have earned good
living themselves If they had only OBJ
tanned few months or years of prae.
tical education. Thousands Of them
were anxious to study and were will
ing to make great sacrifices to obtain
instruction, Tut lacked the discipline
and information they could nave op-
tanned II their spare hours could nave
been utilized for valuable study. Near
ly every city in the United States was
in need Of the same instruction But
for some reason the desire and energy
were not strong enough to actually de-
yelop into deeds. The rich were rap
itlly growing richer and the two aris-
tocracies, one Of wealth and the other
OF exclusive education, were threaten
ing to undermine the democracy OF the
American nation, and the Ignorant
were becoming the actual slaves or the
wise and wealthy. The condition grew
out Of the fact that the nation mao
suddenly come into wealth and power
and the new condition brought out nat
urally the traits of character which
ssudden wealth or sudden political in
fiuence gives to mankind.
Wealth Brings Penalties
The attempts to initiate the Euro
pean institutions, manners ana Gus
toms were often grotesque, put pro
: duced very serious results. The Ia
borer saw that he was not often get
ting his fair share of the pronts OF the
business in which he was virtually a
mariner. but ne was too ignorant tc
avail himself Of honorable and effective
means to secure justice. Oftentimes
the capitalist, who had come into
I wealth he had not earned. was incapa
= ble of handling his money so as tt
make Il profitable to himself or pre-
vent its being injurious to others.>
Intellectual and moral education
was necessary to the preservation o
the equality and liberty Of the Amer
A ican democracy. An unintelligent OF
"a unprincipled voter held a dangerous
mower and might destroy himsei ah'
others in the rude handling OF such
dynamic force. The people must p'
Intelligent in order to rule wisely, ant
thew must be moral and religious IL
order to rule generously. Sucl
thoughts were in the minds OF man!
patriotic and philanthropic people Il
1884.
4; Advice From Pastor
The following interview with tn
first young man who applied Tor II
struction in the class which atterwarN
hscame the Temple College and is nov
the Temple University Is as piain an
accurate a report as can pc recaHe
\ of the actual conversation held on
evening in June, 1884. The interview
- took Mace in a little Office in the base
ment of a small church known as Tn
Grace BAPTIST Church, at the corner Q
Z Perks and Marvine streets, Phiiaoe
mia. The writer of this article wa
tnen the pastor of that church, an
the Young man who called upon M
for advice was a printer by the nam
of Charles M. Davies.
Ouestion-"I heard you say In sc
mon that many OF the pest eouSa.e ..e
men of America, ana very tt
great men of the world, were seI-eo
Gated: that they had studied In the
nare hours and pursued regular an
careful readings at times when oth,
san ,yare asleep or who were ia
eating for something to turn up. ~
nrinters at our office have -peen ui
Guessing the matter at the MONDAY 7
cess. and the most Of them believe 81
cerelv that there Is no hope for the Q
dinary young man to secure sucn
Education as will enable him 10 COZ
pete with the graduates or our arist
cratic universities. so nave come
to tell you my situation anq ask 70,
am doing I wish to start about
at once. / feel that ! am fitted Il
a larger work and a higher incom
hut i am bound as with iron chail
by my environment. My father
dead and i am left with the care
NV mother and the younger childr'
of our family and It. seems impossib
10 supply their growing needs ev'
with the barest necessities OF lie.
think / am getting as large pay as
could expect from the kind of wo
which / am doing, and must be
more. service or work many mo
hours, or our family must scatter al
perhaps become the objects OF pub
charity.
books or practice law or teach II h
sufficient instruction, but there seer
to be no possible opportunity for Z
to get the hours or the BOOKS for prs
tical study. While snouid IKE
know more. because of the great &;
isfaction Il must bring in life to
able 10 comprehend and enjoy wild
views and deeper knowledge. yet n
firat Thought nlust be how to earn 70
and clothine 80 ms to keep my moth