Part 7 (1/2)
Bearing in ard to the idea of success, we offer a few suggestive facts to show the nue men who have e has been the open doorway to positions of eminence and usefulness in all countries Lord Macaulay, in one of his speeches in Parliae Calendar, or take the Oxford Calendar for two hundred years; look at the church, the parliament, or the bar, and it has always been the case that men ere first in the competition of the schools have been first in the coes of a university education in Ger that the islative body in Gerher office holders, and all the heads of departraduates, or have at least taken a partial course--enough to catch the university spirit All the controlling elements of German national life, therefore, have been trained to sympathize with the freedom, intellectual and individual, which is the characteristic of the university method”
It is estimated that only one-half of one per cent of the e education, and yet this se men furnishes one-half of the Senators and Vice-Presidents, two-thirds of the Presidents and Secretaries of State, and seven-eighths of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
Rev W F Crafts says: ”I have examined the educational records of the seventy foremost ressmen, and Governors of national reputation--and I find that thirty-seven of theraduates; that five raduate, while only twenty-eight did not go to college at all As not e, and as this one-five-hundredth of the young uished public officers, it appears that a collegian has seven hundred and fifty tiressenerally has the pre-e professional men The proportion of successful men in the professions is difficult to obtain, but if a wide reputation be regarded as the criterion of success, the college-bredhas carefully estimated that, of the 15,142 most conspicuous persons of our American history, whose record is sketched in ”Appleton's Cyclopaedia of A the latter, the percentage found in the various callings is as follows: ”Pioneers and explorers, 36 per cent; artists, 104 per cent; inventors, 11 per cent; philanthropists, 16 per cent; business men, 17 per cent; public men, 18 per cent; statesmen, 33 per cent; authors, 37 per cent; physicians, 46 per cent; lawyers, 50 per cent; clergymen, 58 per cent; educators, 61 per cent; scientists, 63 per cent” He further estinition, to one in every ten thousand non-college e-bred nition that the non-college rounds of a ;” and, in keeping with this, the prie is to train men Yet, it should be the door of approach to all professions The studies pursued in college are the foundations of the practice of the various professions, and a young lects to e course because of his impatience to rush into a professional career, and thus help to swell the army of poorly-equipped professional men
”To practice law or medicine in France,” says Matthew Arnold, ”a person uarantee to the public that such a person is qualified for his profession A licentiate of law ree of Bachelor of Letters; have then attended two years' lectures in a faculty of law, and undergone two examinations, one in Justinian's Code, and the Codes of Civil Procedure and Criminal Instruction The new bachelor must then, in order to become licentiate, follow a third year's lectures in a faculty of law; undergo two more exaain, the second on the Code Napoleon, the Code of Commerce, and Administrative Law, and must support a thesis on questions of Roeon in France, a man ery To obtain this, he must have attended four years' lectures in a faculty of medicine, and have two years' practice in a hospital
When he presents himself for the first year's lectures, he must produce a diploma of Bachelor of Letters; when for the third, that of a Bachelor of Sciences, a certain portion of the , in his case, cut away He ht examinations, and at the end of his course hemen with talent and ambition are led to believe that the professions are so over-crowded that there is very little opportunity, in these days, for a collegian to succeed in a professional career A comparative study of the number of students in the professional schools in Germany, France, and the United States, for 1890 reveals the following facts:
KEY:
A: _Law_ B: _No to every 100,000 population_ C: _Medicine_ D: _No to every 100,000 population_ E: _Theology_ F: _No to every 100,000 population_
A B C D E F
Germany, 6,304 13 8,886 18 5,849 12 France,5,152 14 6,455 17 101
United States, 4,518 7 14,884 24 7,013 11
We glance briefly at the promises which the so-called learned professions hold out to young al profession has many difficulties, but it is not without its rewards David Dudley Field estimated that in 1893 there were 70,000 lawyers in the United States If we estimate the population of the nation at 70,000,000, there would be one lawyer for every 1,000 of the population assu that three-fourths of the population are woe, there would be one lawyer to every 250 e in the United States
Germany, with a population of 50,000,000, has about 7,000 lawyers, or one to every 7,000 persons In the State of New York, with a population of 6,000,000, there are 11,000 lawyers, or one for every 545 of the population Of this nued in real estate business, or other outside matters, which enables them to secure a maintenance Others have entered the law because of its promise of social position and honor
Aside froal profession, there are other considerations in the problem The people of to-day are less disposed to controversy, and avoid e lawyers to settle disputes and differences in court, and others often hesitate to e ht the profession into disrepute Again, there is less confusion in the laws They are being collected, condensed, arranged, and si to understand the codes Likewise, the courts are adopting siive less rooation A lawyer of talent, with the aid of a good stenographer and typewriter and other advantages of to-day, can do double and treble the work of a lawyer twenty-five years ago
Finally, the qualifications of a lawyer never reached so high a standard To attain the greatest professional success, it is indispensable to get the highest developive Chauncey M Depew says that three-fifths of the lawyers are unfit for their profession fro The people deood lawyer to-day are not only knowledge and a good judgment, but patience, industry, honesty, and certain other aptitudes for his work
He must be ready to co is of great value A lawyer of several years' standing at the bar in New York, in a recent conversation, remarked: ”I studied law in a lawyer's office My brother, here, several years younger than h the law school, and he has so , in the studious habits he has foral hest standards, that this fall I shall enter the law school and take the entire course”
In facing these difficulties, let it be re men of superior qualifications Soal profession was not over-crowded, and he replied that there was always roo man of ability can win his way to the front, whileand crowding in the rear ranks of every profession It is surprising ho thoroughly trainedthe profession In 1890 there were in the various law schools in this country 4,518 students, and only 1,255 of these had degrees in letters or science In the saraduated in the schools of lahich was only 24 in every 100,000 of the population There is a de in the departal specialties The business transactions of this age are more complex, and the interests more important Corporation controversies need to be adjusted by those who thoroughly understand the principles and practices of equity ”I was a teacher of law to young e Hoadley, ”and have never seen any reason to discourage a sober, honest, and industrious younglaw He needs, first of all, absolute fidelity, trustworthiness, and integrity; secondly, devotion to his calling--in other words, industry that will not be interfered with by the distraction of society or pursuit of politics If he be honest and willing to work, he will, with reasonable intelligence make a sufficient success, if he have the patience to wait for success If, in addition, he have what I iven power to appreciate leading principles and apply them to facts as they arise, coupled with ability to reason, and to state results cogently and persuasively,--he will es of a thorough nized The sacred work of h instruction in medicine and methods of treatment In 1890 there were 15,404 students in 116 medical schools in the United States, distributed as follows: Regulars, 13,521; eclectics, 719; horaduates, or 7 in every 100,000 of the population Sixteen of the medical schools had no students enrolled who had previously obtained a literary or scientific degree Only 15 per cent of all the studentsthe h preparation in foundation studies on the part of the students The medical profession is second to none in iive tie course will naturally obtain greater skill and a broader range of thought, which will contribute to their efficiency as practicing physicians
It is also encouraging to know that the statistics of each decade indicate that an increasing proportion of young e education There were 112 theological schools in 1890, that reported 7,013 students, of whoraduated, or two for every one hundred thousand of population This is certainly not over-crowding
Of the students in theology enrolled in the schools of the various denominations in 1890, the proportion was as follows: Baptists, 156 per cent; Presbyterians, 15 per cent; Methodists, 149 per cent; Lutheran, 147 per cent; Roational, 97 per cent; Christian, 55 per cent; Episcopal, 47 per cent; Hebrew, 5 per cent Of the total enrollrees in letters or science The church demands educated men for the pulpit A call to the ministry in these days means that a man should prepare for the work God does not honor the slothful, but the man who seeks to make full proof of his ministry This is done when a man of piety takes the time to acquire mental culture and refineuide and instruct the people Such ood word and work,” honor the church, and strengthen the cause of Christ Their mental endowments command respect and inspire confidence There never has been a time in the Christian ministry when there was such a demand as now for e, and hearts set on fire by the Holy Ghost
The old idea that a college graduate must study for e number of them into these professions We have learned, however, that these professions are not superior to other avenues in science and business A college training is only aaup to college-trainedwith each succeeding year
The future is bright for those ill take up states has aon the social interests of the people than the science of civil governent Christian states for men educated in history, political and social science, ith clear heads and loyal hearts, will use their ability for the welfare of the public Good citizens have too long held theanized society All civic ht and noblest effort The ement of our political and social interests has too often been usurped by politicians, ith little self-respect, efficiency, or character, have worked not for the public good, but on the principle that ”to the victors belong the spoils” Their rapacity and greed have led thee caucuses, pervert elections, override the wishes and defy the moral sense of the people, and corrupt the sources of national life