Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-03-27
DRIFT.

UNI L,
LAST Sunday evening heard n sermon on
solomon, during the course of which the
preacher referred to the Hebrew kings claim
to wisdom aud greatness, as based rather
upon his patronage ofliteraturo aud the arts
In his kingdom, by precept and example,
than upon his nero political power aud royal
wealth. The age of solomon, he said, was to
Israel what that of the Pisstratidae and Peri.
cles WAS To Greece, what the Augustan age
was to Rome, and the Elizabethan to Eng
land. Then he showed how much more
lasting such renown was and how much
higher its character, even in the eyes Of the
world, than that of mere material prosperity
or military conquest Finally he appealed
to his hearers, and especially to the more in-
fluential citizens of Lancaster, In their striv-
ing for wealth and prosperity not to contine
themselves only to the lower, merely NOR
camille forms of it, but TO cultivate also the
higher forms, to do each one his part towards
elerating, strengthening aud expanding the
intellectual and whole spiritual life of our
community; to devote more time aud money
and influence to the encouragement of art,
science and literary pursuits, and the culture
of the sense of the true, the good and the
beautiful among the citizenship of LauCas-
tet.
II struck me that the preacher might have
said good deal more than he did in that
same direction, and that a good many more
of our citizens ought to hear it and take it to
heart For nothing is more certain than that
this community needs to have its intellect
ual life stirred and stimulated to greater aC-
tivity. 1t does not by any means live up to
its means nor fulfill its duty in this respect
Ii lives on altogether too material n plane,
and rests its prosperity on too exclusively
physical a foundation. Its spiritual growth
does not at all keep up with its growth in
numbers and wealth. And the result must
be precisely the same with the community
as II isw with individuals. The man who has
nothing but money, ana uses it for nothing G
but the getting OF more money and the in
dulgenCe of his own selfish physical wants
and desires, is untrue to himself as a real
man, unfaithful to his fellowmen aud his
| God and, therefore, though while alive he
may be tiattered, he is not truly respected,
| and when dead he is buried and the memory
| OF him is inferred with HIM But let that
| man with his growth in wealth, by means oi
| 1t, grow also in mind, i'll education, culture
| refinement, and the case is altogether differ
| ent. He becomes at once public beneiac
| tor. His example and whole influence be
| come incentives To others, and nightly tOs
| Ter the intellectual growth and progress o
| many more. BY inheritance he bequeathe-
| the impulse and taste for a higher life, re-
fined tastes and nobler pursuits to his sons
| and daughters. positive current Il new
| intellectual activity is created 10y hlm in the
| life of the community. And when he dies
| all this lives on, gathering in strength and
| extent as the years go by. The man dies, but
| his life is perpetuated.
| Now what Lancaster wants Is more mer
| of this latter kind men who shall use their
| money and influence to further the intel
| lectual growth and culture of the commu
| nifty, and cause it to keep pace " ith the city
material increase and expansion.
| SAYS a well-knOwn Englishman, address
ing his wealthy countryman, in words As ap
| plicable TO us here in this city, and a
worthy of being needed A: " It would be use
| less to ask you to abdicate your power anC
retreat into some hermitage with librar,
and laboratory, without thought OF re
turning to your pleasant hall in Yorkshir,
and your house i'll Mayfair. You will no
sell all and follow the Light, but there is
life which you may powerfully encourag g
yet only partially share. Notwithstanding
the increased facilities for earning a livinl
which this age offers to the intellectual, tn
time that they are often compelled to give Il
the satisfaction of common material neCessl
ties is so much time withdrawn from tn
work which they alone can do. 1t i
an error of the present age to believe that tn
time for what is called patronage il alto
gether passed away. | cannot bu
think that the rich may serve the cause O
culture best by a judicious exercise OF pa
| tronage-unless, indeed, they have within
| themselves the sense of that irresistible vOCl
ton which made Humboldt use his forum
as the servant of his high ambition Th
| patronage, however must he an apprCciativ
| patronage of the mans work, not Of the maj
| himself If an artist, or scientist, or authO
| OF any kind is the most valuable possession
| a state or city can have, bringing it new an,
higher life, and the respect and honor of tn
| world, such as no amount of mere materia
achievement or riches could bring, thel
surely it is worth the philosophical citizen
while to use due proportion of his mean
| and influence in the direct support, cncOuu
agement and improvement of art, science O
| literature,
| NOTHING is more certain than that wher
| there is not enough public spirit to do thi