The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-03

system as distinguished from the in
dividual life. The institutional element
for the time being is in the saddle Inc
family, the corporation. the municipality,
the State and the church as lnstltu-
lions in our day. are the overwhelming
objects of the attention OF the best MINDS
of the best men and women. The ma
chinery of the social organization is
monopolizing the energies OF the IN
dividual relatively considered, SEEM to
be put in the background The great
man theory of worth is forgotten With
these changes have come certain con-
fusions of thought and feeling. In mod
ern society the wilderness of aims and
interest is so varied as to confound
rather than clarity the individual mind.
The individual may we'll ask, to what
do owe primary allegiance, and by what
sign shall / recognize the object of my
| loyalty?
"Unless the church delivers its pure and
,, peculiar message to the souls of men, 1t
has no more claim for material support
! from you and me than the corner
grocery has. The government that exists
| simply to take all the taxes that 1T dare
| take, deserves no more loyalty than we
| owe to the highwayman. The common
wealth that is torn with political fac
| lions and with hatred that it engendered
| therefrom does not deserve the loyalty or
peace-loving and joyous hearted people
| 1t is their duty to desert such com
monwealth as protest in favor OF the
things that belong to its peace. Any in
stituton which becomes an instrument
! of unrighteousness or an agency of in
| justice to the individual, exactly to that
extent does it degrade the type for
whose development all institutions exist
| The whole raison d'etre of social ar
| rangement in their service are means to
| the progressive achievement of the more
| perfect personality.
There are two main sources from
| which we must derive our strength. In
| one direction we make use of institutions
| to train us in that mastery over the
methods and the materials of thought
! and conduct which is required for par
| ticipation in the benefits of civilization.
| In the other direction we delve deep into
| consciousness and there commune with
/ the universal elements which we call our
institutions too exclusive dependence
| on either of these is apt to mislead the
! aims and mar the efficiency of the type.
| Yet neither of these sources can be ig-
nored. We see before our eyes ample
, Illustrations of the mischief of too much
intuitive dependence. but at the same
time undue reliance upon institutions has
! made great numbers methodical, yet re-
| duced to elements of individual mastery.
Is there a via media between the mystic
and the making of men by institutional
machinery? If so, how is it possible to
strike the balance in such a way as to
receive the benefits of both of these
developed resources.
ut may help us to grasp this problem
if we think of our social institutions as
common denominations of social values,
and of the institutions of the individual
as constituting the numerator, the value
of which relation expressed itself in the
national type of character. 1t is then
plain that material progress may swell
the denomnator indefinitely, but, with
out increasing the strength of richness
of the institutions, the resulting of the
type would be reduced. In other words
the equipment of institutions of what
ever kind, whether these institutions be
domestic, municipal, educational, eccle-
siastical, or political, if unaccompaniet
or preceded by at least a corresponding
degree of progress in the renewal of the
spirit, simply enhances the weakness o.
the national type
AN EDUCATIONAL MEETING.
An educational meeting was held il
the Craven Memorial Hall this morning
at 10 O'Clock. 1t was largely attended
by the faculty and students of the col
lege and high school and visitors. Ths
speeches were directed toward arousini
in the college community an intelligent
sane and enthusiastic support of al
movements tending to elevate the masse!
! of the people. The appeals made to thu
students to use all their influence il
their respective communities to estab
lish and maintain better schools me
with a hearty response. DR.. w. P. Few
who attended the recent Educationa
Conference in Athens. Ca, gave a yer.
graphic and interesting account of tn
most notable events of the meeting. Ii