The Indianapolis journal., 1902-01-19
THE LUMP OR THE LEAvEN.
1t Is the Former, with Its High Aver
age, Which Signifies.

600 families. of these 200 are millionaires.
10000 very rich. 10000 rich, 10000 in fair
circumstances, 100000 struggling and 4,0O0.
COO miserably poor. Observe only round
numbers are used. In Indiana we have
the same thing Three thousand million
dollars is a moderate estimate of our
States wealth. Yet we have only thirty
millonaires. OF our 2.5OO.OOO people 10000
contribute nothing whatever towards the
public burdens and 100000 leave at death
no property to be administered upon. 1t
must not be forgotten that these are lump
figures including women and children.
Intellectually the percentage of leaven
TO lump is even greater. While almost
everybody in Indiana can both read and
write, less than L per cent. represent the
intellectual profession. OF these there are
$1,000 teachers. $500 lawyers $500 preach
ers and about the same number of physi-
clans, while $500 more would be a suffi-
ciently high estimate for the engineers,
bankers, ETC., who can fairly be classed
intellectual.
1t is common to speak Of our lawyers,
teachers, etc, as the brains of the COM
munity. 1 do not believe this. AS good
brains are found about engines, machinery
banks, ships and businC as in books. Even
Professor Triggs, the man who thinks all
hymns are doggerel and that Rockefeller
had great an intellect as Shakespeare
has the correct idea, namely, that all brains
are not in books-only he put the wrong
man at each end of his comparison.
OF these 25,OOO, or half of per cent, ever
achieve real or merited eminence, although
many attain a temporary nctoriety, of
which noise is the chief element. Our
authors. whose books have got beyond
State lines, may be counted upon the fin
gers of one hand. VIII any of them be
quoted fifty years hence? While we have
a full quota of excellent business lawyers
only one, Byron K Elliott can be fairly
said TO have attained national rank as
jurist. His books are real contributions
to two departments of law OF our public
men our two senators represent the States
best in eloquence and practical ability. 1t
would be unjust not to make honorable
mention of some of our older men-Charles
DENLY and John w Foster, for example,
who have achieved honorable standing as
diplomatists and who are still with US.
The past has been kinder to us in this
matter than the present. Undoubtedly
the ten best years of his life to what he
condemned at the start and what proved
a most disastrous failure. Harrison comes
next to Morton in intellectual power, al
though as President his name will here
after be mentioned an hundred times to
Morton's once For over fifty years Indi-
ana has invariably had her best heads in
the United States senate; Hendricks, Nc
Donald, VOORHEES, are all names to conjure
with. AS a political rhetorician Voorhees,
has never been surpassed. Walter @.
Gresham and Schuyler Colfax in their days
won honorable names and flames. And so
with ex-Attorney General w. II. H. Miller
and William Dudley Foulke.
Think, however. of the vast amount of
lump that has gone since 1850 with this
leaven-from 100000 to 100000 of human
beings-and what vastly more important
although much less talked about national
work they have accomplished. For ex-
ample, they have created So, 900 worth
of material wealth and made a great SOW
eregn State. Take Indianapolis to illus
trate. The power and beauty of our capital
city does not lie in it's trade palaces, fac
tories, churches or public buildings, but in
Of lovely homes and decorated grounds.
This is true of our smaller cities and
towns. And these homes are filled with
bright boys and girls-with millions Of
books and ten thousands of pianos, pictures
and other elegancies. The average of pub
lie intelligence is so much higher to-day
than it was fifty years ago that it takes a
great deal more to make a notable man or
women than it used to do. This may ac-
count for our present dearth of greatness.
1t need not in the least discourage us that
the old scriptural ratio Of leaven TO lump is
no higher than it was nineteen centuries
ago. IL has only been within the last fifty
years that the real secret Of writing history
was discovered. Macauley led the way
when, instead OF a list of worthless kings
and queens, he gave the world studies in
the roads transportation homes and meth
ods of living of the English people two CEN
turies ago. Another curious fact in anthro-
pology worth noting is that States like
men, have seasons of intellectual dearth
and fecundity. Just now Iowa holds more
high offices at Washington than any other
of our States-her congressional delegation
is the ablest of any of her competitors, and
Cabinet positions.
For the first three decades of our national
history Virginia was the mother of the
Presidents; OF late years Ohio enjoys that
distinction. Some men were born great
some have greatness thrust upon them
and some are born in Ohio And, curious
ly enough, New England, which for forty
years after 1s4O took the intellectual lead of
our American people, is now only reminis-
cence and contents itself with repeating the
names of Emerson. Bryant, Longfellow
Whittier and Lowell. Even Howells has
gone to New York to live.
Corn comes before culture. Life before
books. If our State is still raising corn it
is only a question of time. Our leaven Of
art, literature and great men will surely
come TO us after the early and the later
rains. Meantime. it is far better not to
brag, but to place the emphasis where it
really belongs-upon our high average in
telligence, our growing wealth and our
bright promise for the future.
DANIEL p. BALDWIN
Logansport, Ind, Jan. II.
Unseen.
And where is God?" the Doubter asked
Il H..