Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1882 — “The Saving of Talent.” [ARTICLE]

“The Saving of Talent.”

A man recently advocated a “commission for the saving of talent.” He suggested that a number of men of scholarly attainments be appointed by the state or city to visit the public schools at regular intervals and watch for the manifestations of unusual talent. A fund, he thought, should be provided, so that when those watchers found a pupil of marked intelligence they might furnish the money for his instruction in higher branches of study and thus make sure that his talent would be developed. * ‘This talent-saving service,” said the man, “is as important as the present life-saving service.” Judicious aid extended to struggling talent is commendable; but to a “talentsaving service” there is this objection: It would oreate a kind of intellectual pauperism. Talent that cannot save itself is not worth the saving. Moreover, the very struggle for self-assertion is the ground wherein talent grows most healthy and vigorous.