Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-03-13
REGENCY OF BRAINS.

Never heretofore in human his
tory has the worth of brains, we'll
developed, healthfulh human brains
been so generally recogniz I'd as
now.
When the world was young
Drawn was king and conferred
titles of nobility on the Ajaxes,
Hercules and Samsons of his
kingdom. Might, physical pow
er, ruled men and distributed the
prizes of life.
Then followed the aristocracy
Of wealth. The man who owned
the largest hocks and herds and
broadest meads was the man OF
influence and power. He sub
sided Drawn and together they
bound men with the gives OF abb
iect servitude. Avarice, selfish
ness and ignorance wrote and ad-
ministered the laws for the gov
ernment Of men. Moral worth,
culture, refinement had no ad-
mission to the court of Wealth,
or were but patronizingly toler-
ated as hare-brained idealists OF
impracticable theories.
Democracy grew and gathered
strength from the very obstacles
thrown across its pathway.
Here on this western continent
it opened wide the deers aud
made it possible for man to reach
the highest development within
the reach of human endeavor.
Under the influence Of demo
cratic institutions no aristocracy
ia possible save that of knowl.
edge, independence, moral worth
and good citizenship. That
s'knowledge is power" has ceased
Co be a mere philosophical alb.
straction and become an accepted
truth of daily demonstration.
knowledge, culture, refinement
yoke Drawn and wealth to the
car Of progress and ali togethe1
speed along up to higher and ye
higher levels of usefulness to The
cause of God and of humanity
The man who rules only upor
brawn-physical force-is re
garded as a brute; he who look:
for power and influence solely il
the possession of wealth finds he
must stand aside for the many
with educated brains, for everv-
where theignorant man Of ~saltl
is suspected of avarice aad greedy
selfshness, and is regarded as :
sort of human swine.
Brains, educated brains hav,
won the field. The men behint
the guns win victories becaus'
they have knowledge which en-
ables them to aim accurately.
No longer may men blunde
into success in any direction
They must have accurate know1
edge and the skill to make facil
use Of il. Men do not nov
cringe in presence of power, no
''crook the pregnant hinges o
the knee" in Difference to wealth
The nobleman of democrac,
may not possess ducat or owl
q rood of land, but he has knowl
edge and wisdom which is o
more value than the hoard o
Cresus. Unlike the purse-proue
man he never becomes the laugh
ing stock Of tools because he pre-
tends to knowledge he does no
possess. He knows himself ant
prepares himself for every enter
prise in which he engages.
If to knowledge he add cul
ture, refinement and moral wortl
he possesses the open SESAME
which admits him everywhere t.
the inner courts of the best so
ciety.
It almost seems to be divine1,
ordered that but comparative1,
few men achive wealth. Natur,
puts the few sordid, selfish one
in possession of it; but she re
serves all her best gifts for thos'
who elect to seek them on tn.
higher planes and in the purel
atmosphere Of mental, moral ane
spiritual excellence. Here she
confers upon men all the titles o
nobility that are imperishable
and worth human endeavor.
It Is the chief glory of our in
stitutions that they bring the at
tainment of true nobility te
every a rnericafs whose hat c0vers