The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-30

lead people to fold their hands in their laps
and pull down the corners of their mouths
TO prevent even the sembance of a smile;
but appearances are deceitful
The speaker began by quoting from Lin
coin his remark that God must love the
common people, for He las made so many
of them; That is the thing that impresse:s5
(Laughter) His next remark laid the
foundation for the lecture that held the
audience for nearly two hours without
stir. He said: How many of you know
the first three words of the United States
Constitution? We, the people. We 1t Is
pluraler Qaughter) than most of US realize
1t means all of US, all the people in this
city, all the people in this State and all the
people in all the sister States and Terri
tories. Now it takes lots of nerve for peo-
pie to be really democratic and believe all
that those three words imply. | say 1t
takes all our nerve to be genuinely demo-
cratic on this subject. Now let's see: How
many of the common people do you know
that you want nothing to do WITH?
Continuing, Mr.. Smith said that he fully
believed in the expression, I'VE, the peo-
ple,' and that all are born equal, but he
qualified the latter word. While all men
are born equal so far as their right to live
and their rights under the law is concerned,
he thought the equality did not go further
Mr.. Smith continued to show that while
the people are all equal in certain rights,
they are very unequal in ability and not
only in their ability but in their tastes and
desires, one being far superior In one line,
while another excels in something else.
This fact was the real giSt of the lecture,
and from it the speaker argued that the
common school system that bases its whole
course of work on the idea OF preparation
for a classical college course is wrong ana
does not supply the wants and necessities
of the people.
"A farmer with four or five sons he said,
moves into town for the purpose of edu-
eating his children so they won't have TO
work hard as he did. The sole idea is
that when the children have received an
education-magic wordi-they will not have
to work. After a couple of years in town
these boys part their hair in the middle and
strut up and down the street VerltaDle
dudes; but what can they do? Can they
get a job? or can they hold it when they
get it? In fact, are they mt Tor anything
except professional work? And the old
farmer has forgotten that all cannot be
professional men, and that the education
he has given them was outlined by our an
cestorS generations ago, and was intended
primarily as mere beginning for those
who We're to become ministers, doctors or
lawyers or for the sons of the aristocracy,
who could live without work.
To illustrate this phase of the subject the
speaker told a thrilling story of locomo-
tive engineer who took his train over the
road at a great speed unmoVed by the
little things that might have alarmed the
nervous and untried man and caused the
death of scores of people. The engineer
afterwards heard the speaker give the fol-
lowing definition Of an educated man: An
educated man is dAe who has so developed
the powers within him that he can do well
what he undertakes to do The engineer
took exceptions to this definition and Of
fered one of his own to the edect b that t6b an
and l accepted the new definition, SAID
the speaker. His theory is that there is too
much stress laid on the literary educa-
tion to the exclusion of the education that
fits the great mass of the common people
for the work they have TO do, whether 1t
be work in store in an once &c I'm IN the ne
shop or in the kitchen. Ihat Is what he
calls education.
The speaker throughout strongly opposed
the idea that only eollege-bred men are ed
ucated men. A large majority of the PEG
pie of the world cannot expect TO make
their living or be useful to the world
through the channels that would be open to
a man with a college education and no 9TH
er acquired qualification for business.
Therefore, the education of that great ma
jority that would make them better aDle
to do the work that is for them to do would
greatly benefit and improve mankind
The speaker created considerable amuse-
ment by telling story 6ykin OF hard p1 ali
day at the washtub to save sufhcient money
to educate her daughter. that the daughter
might not have to work as hard as she
did. But the chances are. said the speak
err that the daughter will not be haIf as
good a woman as the old mother, ana the
proba abilities are that that mother is IN
stiIlng damnation into the soul of her
daughter by teaching her that with an ed
ucatOn she will never need TO WORK.
And then the speaker held up three mn
gers in way that brought forth a re-
sounding laugh from his hearers In the
beginning he had laid great stress on the
words Eve. the people" and whenever ne
made point in his lecture that emphasized
the fact that the people are not all equal IN
hold up those three fingers. They told the
tale in stronger language than words could
have done. 80,
The lecture was very highly appreciated
by those who heard it. but it was one OF
those things that spoils If an attempt is
made to put it in print, for the gestures
and expressions and manner of saying
things went more to make it enjoyable than