Conservative.
JOHN R. H. LATCHAW , D. D. ,
President Defiance College.
In this article the word olmnco is to
bo understood in the souse opportun
ity. And the question wo are to discuss
will bo more clearly stated : "What are
the young man's opportunities in the
educational world today ?
In general it may bo asked when were
they ever greater in the history of our
race ? When was there more money ,
'means of all kind and time exacted and
consumed upon the altar of education ,
than ; just now , at the beginning of the
Twentieth Century ? To me it is one of
the signs of the times an evidence that
the world not only moves , but is perpet
ually onward that men who have mil
lions of dollars at their command are
laying their money at the feet of educa
tion. In 1880 the college wealth of the
United States was probably estimated
fairly at $50,000,000.00 all told , $35,000-
000.00 of which was acquired between
the years of 1870 and 1880. Even more
phenomenal is the increase in college
and school property of all kinds since
1880. It is simply a marvellous exhibi
tion of converting the lower and grosser
products of the earth into the higher and
more refined ; the temporal into the
spiritual ; the material into moral and
spiritual energy. Whether the increase
is in proper proportion to the increase of
the nation's wealth as a whole is doubt
ful , and that much greater improvement
might be made along this line we do not
deny. But what has been done is indic
ative of progress great and mighty ; it
is suggestive of opportunity for the
young people of this and coming gener
ations.
This opportunity is two-fold : an
opportunity to be or become , and
an opportunity to do. Opportunity is
the fitting time , is many instances the
only time , for doing or being. It is one
of the most suggestive words in our
language. Happy , blessed , indeed , is
the man who sees his opportunity and
has sense enough to seize it when it
comes. There is an old Roman maxim
which says opportunity has hair in front
but is bald behind ; you can seize her
as she approaches , but if she once gets
by , Jupiter himself ( the president of the
gods ) cannot overtake her. The great
trouble has been for centuries that so
many people have eyes , but they do not
see ; ears , but they do not hoar. They
sit on the fence gaping while opportun
ity goes by.
What more can bo said or done in
order that the young man might be edu
cated than at the present time ?
I do not hero touch the ques
tion of whether in some ways
and conditions it is not being over
done , I simply ask the average , wide
awake , common-sensed young man , who
wants an education , what could bo done
for him that God , nature , and the edu
cational spirit of our times have not
done for him ? The only thing that my
experience teaches me is sometimes lack
ing in the case , is brains. Of course
when that is wanting the end is known. I
have known people who acted sometimes
as if they thought the institution of
learning ought to furnish brains. But
it can not. Diplomas may be issued , de
grees granted in some cases , where the
question of brain has not conspicuously
entered , but they cannot stand for educa
tion nor impart culture.
In addition to the vast amount of time
and means devoted to the work of edu-
catioii , the great variety of schools , rang
ing from the kindergarten to our great
universities , including industrial , tech
nical , and professional training of all
kinds ; and in most of these quite a wide
JOHN U. II. LATCIJAW , D. 1)
range of elective study , all go to increase
the young man's opportunity , to not only
obtain an education , but the education
which is best adapted to his nature and
his needs. Many young men whoso con
dition in life compels them to work dur
ing the day , obtain a good business edu
cation in the night school or by corres
pondence. To bo sure much depends
upon the nature of the employment dur
ing the day , as to results of night study.
But I cannot but reflect what it woiild
mean to the young man who works at
manual labor in the shop or on the farm
all day , if instead of walking a mile or
more at night to spend the evening in
idle dialling , nonsense or worse than
nonsense , ho would cultivate the habit
ofxeaditfjQr studying those two or three
hdirs whioftare thus practically thrown
away'eyerydjiy. What the young man
may 6e. and b como , by simply wisely
using hjs spare"-moments " I Surely no
age offer morejiu the way of literature
of all kinds tliim oura. It is no small fac
tor in the Iui6 of education to keep
thoroughly pcod in.'the news of the
day , and to kno& < isome'frb > * ug of current
literature and n tory Unparalleled
facilities are offered for education
of this sort , and , infract , of every sort.
My observation , experience , and philos
ophy , all drive mo to the same con
clusion , so far as educational facilities
are concerned surely they never were
better.
One other aspect of the case is worthy
of a moment's notice , however. It is
this : There is after all
a want of time in this
"hurry up" ago of ours.
Young men , sometimes
from choice , of toner from
necessity , are driven to
neglect their education
for business. They do
not have time , or at
least , think they have
not time for study.
And the time factor can
not be eliminated from
culture of men any more
than from growth of
trees. This is not to be
attributed so much to de
fect in our educational
methods or facilities , as
to false notions and cus
toms of life. The ten
dency is toward undue
anxiety concerning what
we shall eat , what drink ,
and with what be clothed.
The Great Master warned
his disoiples against such
folly. Greater simplic
ity of living would
mean longer and better
living ; it would admit
of some leisure for study.
Less eating and drink
ing , and less servitude to
fashion would mean
better libraries , more papers and
magazines and a refined taste aii
adornment of life almost as rare as it is
beautiful. The mercenary spirit of our
ago is , in my judgment , the greatest foe
of education and religion. In our hurry
to get rich wo have scarcely time to be
come either learned or pious.
The Opportunity to Do.
Is there any room in the educational
world for the young man to do something
for himself and others ? Is the business
not overdone ? Have we not more appli
cants for positions in the learned profes
sions than there are places ? I attended
the sessions of a medical association , not
long since , and if not consternation at
