Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-09-03

4e55s6%7) NJ learning owes any duty to society.
AAHN% "a Lord Acton one Of the most
H4RAV distinguished Of English Scholars.
RJASlA u His knowledge of philosophy, pO-
&<Z&<S litical economy, history and kin
dred subjects was prOdigiOus. He possessed one Of
the largest and best selected private libraries in the
world. he wrote readily and well when induced to
write at all. And yet his learning died with him.
His only literary productions we're few ephemeral
magazine articles which serve to show that he COM
manded an excellent and attractive STYLE ut are Of
no permanent value.
Society does not venerate the miser; on the con-
trafy, 1t despises him. Wealth is properly regard
ed, not as in itself an end but as a means to an
end-the promotion directly Of the happiness of its
pOssessOr and those dependent on him, and indi-
rectly the rest Of the world. Andrew Carnegies ia
nous dictum that il Is disgTaceu to die rich, while
somewhat extreme, has been pretty generally as
sented to. But is not the mser Of learning almost,
II not quite in q class with the miser Of money!
How much worse it is to spend life in getting
fortune merely for the pleasure of counting it over
than to spend it getting knowledge merely for the
pleasure Of possessing its It will be conceded Of
course that the mser Of knowledge is likely, other
things equal, to be much more agreeable person
than the miser Of money. His study can hardly
fail to broaden his view and mellow his heart. But
the miser OF money has the advantage OF him in one
respect. However hard he may try to avoid it he
must leave his wealth behind him, where it may be
put to good use by those who receive it. The mser
of learning on the contrary, when he dies can
neither take his wealth with him-at least so far as
reason or revelation instrncts us-Or leave it be-
hind him. He may, like Lord Acton, build up an
immense and valuable library; but even his library
is certain not 10 prove as serViceable to another as
t would be to him If he had the disposition to use
It for the benefit Of mankind. It is reported that
Andrew Carnegie has bought Lord ActOn's library
and presented it to John Morley. It's transfer is
suggestive. Mr.. Morley, with not a moiety Of Lord
ActOn's learning and with vastly less than mOiety
of his books has done valuable literary work and,
at the same time, has made place for himself in
the front rank Of modern English statesmen.
It has been said in Lord ActOn's defense that he
had sincere love Of truth; that his immense know
ledge, especially Of histOry-which, as everybody
who has read Carlyle knows, is a mere tissue of
lies-tanght him the danger every writer incurs of
committing himself to error; and that rather than
risk violating truth he chose to write nothing at all.
This plea strongly recalls the case OF that Iowa
mser who recently decided to devote his fortune to
philanthrOpc purposes, but whO when he got ready
to begin, could find nobody and nothing that was
worthy to receive it, and who, at last reports was
still living in tent and elingng to his treasure.
There is doubt that the man who thinks and writes
incurs the risk OF using faulty logic and making
untrue statements. But if this had always been a
bar to thinking and writing very few would have
written or thought, and man would, we imagine,
have evolved very slowly from the condition Of his
slnian ancestor.
Int lEutu hoeulb 70 De tndb 1Oru ACTON was Blmp-
ly bOOkworm constructed on a large plan He
read eight hours q day, not so much because he is
particularly industrious as because he had that pc
cniar sel6shness which is sometimes characteristic
of learned men, and because, like too many book
worms, he was habitualy indolent The Incidence
of the bOOkwOrm is generally regarded as one of the
least harmful OF characteristics. But it lacks a
great deal Of being entirely harmless. Men who
bave not knowledge and talent viii write whether
those who have them do or net, Just as men without
conscience or ability will take part in politics
whether those who have them do or not. And in
the former case, as in the latter the indOlency or
superciiOusness Of the inactive enables the others
to inhict injury upon society
Learning and intellect have such important places
to I'll and are so constantly demanded to check
narTOWneas and error that the inactivity Of single
man who possesses them is a positive wrong to So
ciety The bOOkwOrm who knows books, and
knows nothing besides, may well be left to his liz
brary.
BE is one Of the most useless if also one OF the most
innohensive, Of mankind. But it is painful to see
one who has both knowledge and the ability to use
It refusing to come forth from bis study and try,
either by bis writings or bis personal exertOns to
help elevate mankind and better the world he lives
in.
So far Admiral HiggingsOn has not been called
before naval court Of inquiry on account Of his
victory In the maneuvers OF the New England coast
Has It come to this that naval officers are to be
permitted to win victories without being punished
for iti y -
Europeans seem to think that if the president In
sists on the Monroe doctrine he should make the