The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1883-06-11
delineated, that but little ground rc.

mains unOccupleQ. 81
But important As has been the po-
sition and influence Of the literary
man, he has passed the zenith Of bis
usefulness. His position will still be
conspicuous but not foremost. It's
to him we must look for q high
standard Of public opinion, and for
purity Of thought and speech. Il We
may judge the future BY the past, he
will still be an efficient instrument
ia eralicating social and political
evils. But his Importance as such,
diminishes as these, yield to OPP
position and find their places in the
records q be past But as q leader
in popu1ak progress he must find a
place one seat in the rear and make
way for the more practical, the more
useful scientist. In the early his
tory Of the Gaelic and Cymbric
Celts, the poet ranked next to the
king. aud his presence and counsel
were considered necessary to the
successful performance of all import
ant enterprises. In the onward
march of Improvement he has been
compelled to yield this honored
place which is now held by the
prime minister. The degeneration
Of the literary character, however, by
no means implies a decline of intel
lect. It's only what shout d be ex-
pected from the fact of progress.
Macaulay says, CAS- civilization adj
yances poetry almost necessarily de-
clines. The most orthodox article
Of our literary faith is that the earli7
est poets are generally the best. We
are surprised that an one should
wonder at the rule as if it were the
exception Language. the machine
of the poet, is best fitted for the pur-
pose in its rudest state. Nations,
like individuals, perceive and then
abstract. Hence, the vocabulary of
an enlightened society is philosophi-
cal and scientific; that Of a half civ
ilized people is poetic.''' The great
est powers of mind are now directed
to the field Of invention and discov-
sery-to the investigation of scientific
questions. The steam engine, the
ldcOmotirs Tie sottonsin ind Gle
u tric teiegraph aFe indicstirs
81 equal brain force with Fhe
.1liad. or The Odyssey, Ham
let's soliloquy, Paradise Lost or
The Prilgrim's Progress. We are
aware that's great caution is necessary
in making radical changes. But ours
is . practical age, such as the world
has never before known and the mind
turns to men of practical scien tific
knowledge for guidance. The demand
is for less of theory and fancy and.
more Of fact and usefulness. A
man is of value to society in proper
/ b. .
ton as he advances it's in terest. Let
us glance alta few results ofthe scient-
lists labors and ascertain whether he
deserves the promotion we claim for
him. We quote in substance from
distinguished ! American writer.
The substitution for slave labor by
physical agents and me chanical com
binations was eminently instrument
tai III the emancipation of avast serf
population in Russia, and in secur-
ing freedom to four millions of Am
erican negroes. Thefapplication of
electricity has permitted men to com
municate instantaneously with each
other across continents and under
oceans. It has centralized the world
The locomotive has enlarged the
field Of human activity and increased
capabilities of human life, and by
the rapid transportation Of products
has been a mighty incentive to in
dustry., Through the operations of
the scientist as many persons now
live to the age Of seventy as three hum