The Signs of the Times, vol. 14

February 17, 1888

“Some Questions and Answers” The Signs of the Times 14, 7, p. 104.

A CERTAIN clergyman in California, “actuated by a desire to be of service to the young men of our country,” has sent a series of questions to a number of persons in the State, requesting answers to them. He did not send us the questions, but we feel disposed to answer them anyhow, as they are questions which involve considerations that are of much importance to society in general. SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.1

His first question is as follows:— SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.2

“1. Do you think the average young man in our country as sturdy and well qualified to be useful to self and country as were those of fifty years ago?” SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.3

No. The average young man is not as sturdy in any sense, neither morally, mentally, nor physically; therefore in the very nature of the case he is not as well qualified to be useful to self and country as were those of fifty years ago. SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.4

“2. If not, why not?” SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.5

Because the average young man of eighteen of to-day is acquainted with nore kinds of immorality, and more of a kind, than the man of forty was fifty years ago. And there is in the young man of to-day more of an inclination to practice many kinds of immorality, than there was in those of fifty years ago for the reason that all kinds of immorality are much more popular than they were fifty years ago. There is no need to particularize on this point, nor it is necessary for anyone to have lived fifty years to know full well that it is true SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.6

Physically the young men of to-day are not as sturdy as they were fifty years ago, because they are much more intemperate, and at a much earlier age, than were those of fifty years ago. To prove this we need not go beyond the consideration of the one item of tobacco-using. A good deal less than fifty years ago the young man who used tobacco before he was eighteen, was rather an exception; but now the boy who does not use it before he is ten is rather an exception. He uses it in its very worst form too, that is, in the shape of cigarettes. There is no disputing the fact at all that cigarette-smoking has the very worst effect upon the heart, the brain, and the nervous system. Nor is that all. The boy buys his package of cigarettes, and finds in it lewd pictures, and the cigarettes themselves are so “doctored” as to excite the animal propensities in the direction suggested by the lascivious picture. And thus not only the physical but the moral powers are weakened, and the very soul is defiled. SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.7

But even though they do not use tobacco in the shape of cigarettes, though they use it in the form of “the best Havana’s,” or in the form of “the best plug,” the case is little, if any, better, as all of it, whether in cigars, fine-cut, or plug, is so saturated with opium, laudanum, rum, gin, cognac, champagne, Piper Heidselck, cascarilla, valerian, etc., etc., that it is only an excitant to strong drink. Here is a test which it would be perfectly safe to apply, with the assurance that the result would be against the young men of to-day. In proportion to population, there are more young men and boys using tobacco to-day than there were fifty years ago. But take the young men to to-day who use tobacco, and compare them with those who used tobacco fifty-years ago, and it will be found that these are not as sturdy as were those. This is proved by the fact that within a few years the authorities of the military and naval academies of the United States, have been compelled to prohibit the use of tobacco in those institutions, because those who used it could not pass the course of studies and come out such men as the Government wants. No such thing was necessary fifty years ago. SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.8

These are some of the reasons why the young men of to-day are not as sturdy as they were fifty years ago, and therefore they are not as well qualified to be useful to self or country as were those of fifty years ago. SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.9

“3. Do you think our educational system that best calculated to prepare our young me for success in life?” SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.10

As a system of education which is within the province of the State, when manual training shall have been generally added to it, as it is now in some States, we know not how it could be made better. But this we say of our national educational system in itself, and not of the manner of the working of the system. For the way in which this system has been run of late years, it is growing less efficient every day. There is too much system and too little education; there is too much machinery and too little work; too much cramming and too little training. Children are put through the school system from the lowest to the highest grade, about as a grist of wheat is put through a mill, and when they come out it is much as a mass of flour that has all the life ground out of it—it appears all well enough, but it is hard to make anything of it. They can, perhaps, give correctly ever rule in what is called English grammar, and very likely can answer the most of the questions under each rule, and violate the rule in answering the questions. They can perhaps talk admiringly of the beauties of Longfellow, or the, supposed, elegance of Tennyson, while at the same time they cannot spell many common words of every-day usage. They have probably been graduated from the High School, and may have passed through the State Normal, and yet are unable to write correctly twenty connected lines. This is not conjecture, it is fact, as anyone may see who will observe. SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.11

Here again we may refer to the national military academy, as furnishing a decisive test of the question. It is shown by the records of the West Point examinations for admission, that the standard of education of those who apply is lower than it was thirty years ago. Our educational system is good, but the principal result of its machine-working of late years has been, more than anything else, the development of intellectual pride and practical inefficiency. The three most interesting and important questions we must defer till another time. SITI February 17, 1888, page 104.12

J.