The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-15
LAYMAN in THE PULPIT
AUGUSTUS L. MASON At THE BROAD
WAY METHODIST.
His Topic Was "Indian1 Methodists
and Higher observation-disclosures
+. Coffin I'm the Evening.


yesterday. Mr.. Mason delivered an adj
dress on Indiana Methodists and Higher
Education" He said in part:
The world demands skill. and the de-
mand Is by no means met. The greater
part OF the worlds labor is still done in a
bungling. incompetent way. by unskillful
persons In spite of our marvellous prog
ress. in spite OF frequent genius. the supply
OF skill Is still short in the world. Streets
and highways are still built and repaired
by men who do not understand the art OF
road building. The poor farmers still out
number the good ones. Most merchants
even now are not thoroughly posted as TO
the qualities of the goods they sell Elec-
trio railroads are unable TO get skillful
electricians for their work, and telephone
companies are still experimenting with in
competency. Ignorant physicians still out
number skilled practitioners. and poor law
yers are still collecting fees from clients
who need the services of better men.
In spite of the marvellous progress OF
culture. the worlds demand for power ana
skill Tar exceeds the supply. Higher ed
ucation owes its origin partly 10 this de-
mand for skill II is the term given to in
struction by technical schools, schools of
law and medicine. schools of science and
art as well as TO that general culture given
by universities and colleges, where the lib
erai arts are taught We cannot make
brains, but we can develop capacity in the
Individual man.
'srhis. then, is higher education: this is
and the school of Technology. The world
needs 1t and TO some extent the world will
have It.
A PRACTICAL QUESTION.
"The practical question for us is. why
should Indiana Methodism concern itself
with this movement for higher education?
Why is not the function of the church
completely fulfilled when II builds places OF
worship. supplies them with clergymen,
holds regular services on Sundays and
week days. gives consolation to the sick
and dying. and instills into ,Me heart of
childhood and OF age the sublime stories
of the Bible and lofty teachings of Jesus?
Is Il not enough that. in addition to all
this, tn. church sustains home and foreign
missions? Even though the purpose of
higher education be to present to all its
students a noble ideal of manhood and
womanhood. and through all the ways of
discipline 20 strive increasingly to mold
them TO It's perfect image. why should the
Methodist Episcopal Church do anything
more than show intelligent sympathy
for such an excellent undertaking? For in
stance. why should we not let the state
undertake and carry forward the work of
higher education, without any competitive
institutions established by others?
fs spea ak h;. for myself, | am strongly In
&rudge no dollars which / contribute as a
taxpayer to the schools at Bloomington,
lafayette or Terre Haute say: All
praise TO these institutions for the good
they are doing In Indiana. But does the
duty of the Methodist taxpayer stop here +?
Why, his total tax for the higher institu-
ton OF learning, imposed by the State Of
Indiana each year, amounts only TO few
cents, or at the most a few dollars. Does
this small State tax excuse man from
further contributions? We pay taxes in
indianapolis to support a lire department,
but every man takes out fire insurance poll
tcies. We pay the police and still we put
clans employed by the county and city
whose services are free. yet every taxpayer
hospitals, yet the noble men and women of
: the Catholic. Episcopalian and other
churches everywhere feel IL to be duty
and a privilege to endow great religious
hospitals.
DEMANDS OF SOCIETY
The fact Is that the demands of society
far outrun all that the State does or is
likely TO in the interests of higher edu-
cation. The State does not meet the de-
mand. cannot meet il and will not meet IL.
The action OF the State is necessarily linn
tied, not only by the sense of public needs
on the part of officeholders and politicians,
but also by the sense of need for higher
education felt by a majority of the voters
Ii Is not to be expected that the masses OF
men will perceive these higher needs of So
ciety and burden themselves in order tc
supply them
mands for higher education, why should
not the deficiency be supplied by one or two
extremely rich individuals? answer that
Indiana has been a State for three-quarters
OF century and no such individual has
ever appeared 1t is true that Chicago has
he's Rockefeller and California her Stan
lord, Maryland had her Johns Hopkins an(
Massachusetts, her Clark. but muIti-miI
nonaire has ever appeared i'm Indiana. Had
we waited for them generations of youns
people would have gone without higher ed
ucation in this State and Indiana might
have taken a place with the illiterat,
States of the South.
III: then. the demands for higher educa
tion In Indiana cannot be met by the Stat.
and are not met by vast millionaire endow
ments. what association can we find so wei
fitted TO enter the unoccupied field and pro
mote. endow and maintain splendid institu
tions or learning as an Evangelical Church
line OF association other than that of on
churches giving any promise Of such per
'Where else than in our colleges ma,
we hope to combat with an!
degree OF success the secularism, tn
commercialism of this age? / asked
was growing better. He said The mari
OF the dollar Is upon everything 1 opene,
Jewish infidel. and found the ieadin,
Dollar
.If we are frank with each other "
must admit that the pulpit is not al
together successful in resisting the com
merciaism and secularism OF our age. Tn
fact Is the pulpit Is not free. The pew
holder. the large contributor. must be con
Eidersd when the sermon Is prepared an
the propositions must be sufficiently gen
eral not TO awaken too lively a sense a
their personal application. This is no
cowardice; IL Is common sense. What
mean 20 urge Is that in the colleges
pecially In the Western college and sti
more especially in the church college
the secularism. the commerciaiism of mi
age may be resisted with more success.
In the great Eastern colleges the studer
body has amongst IL the sons OF America
richest men. The children OF millionaire
are there with thousands Of dollars a yea
at their disposal. and some OF them liy
With degree of luxury quite unknown
the Indiana home So far. at least OF
Western church colleges have been marke
by simplicity OF living, by the prevalenC
OF high and disinterested ideals of life an
conduct so far We ind in the church co
lexe In the Wet that culture is still rate
higher than wealth.
A GREAT LIBRARY
I'VE should have I'm De Pauw Universit
great library in a splendid library bull,
ing. where the young mind can come
contact with the best literature Of all age
We should have a divinity school wher
Methodist ministers can receive as goo
training for their profession as anywhel
IN the United States. We should have
school OF technology where students n,
Intending TO prepare for the learned profe,
eionS but desiring TO enter manufacturer