The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-27

II remember that was puzzled as q
boy to understand how races so inferior
to our own managed to erect the splen-
did palaces and cathedrals pictured IN
{ our school books. At times wondered
how such poets and writer's as
Shakespeare. Dante. Goethe, Hugo
and others managed to arrive at
greatness, despite tho manifest han
dicap OF birth and environment It
was difficult to account for Napoleon's
victories with troops fed almost entirely
on frogs. or for his final defeat ut the
hands OF stupid English allied with wood
en-shoed Dutchmen. or one thing was
certain from the fact OF It's constant tier
alton, viz: that this country could lick
tho onbined nations OF the world. on
this soil or on their own. TO hold this
belief as Fundamental fact was my con-
ception Of patriotism.
"What Is more, this Is about the only
brand OF patriotism which Is taught In
our schools to-day. Our children are led
to believe that we have reached the
acme Of national greatness that we have
little or nothing more to learn; that our
institutions are almost unnaturally per-
feet; that failure to amass stupcndous
fortunes Is an evidence Of criminal N
dolence or blind stupidity. and, finally,
that IL we do not get rich, we are much
better off. That is our kindergarten
brand Of patriotism.
II must confess that you are not far
from the TRUTH laughed Judge Sawyer,
But what kind Of patriotism would you
linve taught In tho schools = s
IT wouldn't teach any," declared Colo-
mel Monroe. '"rhe love OF ones country
is Instructive. 1t Is the same sentiment
which makes man love the town OF his
birth. It has nothing to do with on I'M
reasoning concelt. One does not have 10
dccry all other towns In order to love
the one In which he happened to be born
a school room is a place where tho truth
should DO taught-the truth about the
past and the truth about the present
When a man begins to study tho actual
history Of his country he finds that the
school books lied to him. He learns that
George washington was man and not
q god He learns that some Of the saints
in his school histories were knayes. t4e
learns that the Pilgrims and Purltans
Benedict Arnold was not the only man
who attempted to betray his country
! for gold lie learns that In those days.
as we'll as In our own. patriotism Is too
often used as cloak to shield the opera
| lions OF thieves And he Is none the
| less a patriot for his knowledge.
"Patriotsm must be inspired by intel
llgcrce and an enlightened unselhshness,
| 1t must be fed on the acts OF to-day,
| and not on those OF an alleged past. The
boy who Is told to study and Initiate q
NEUROLOGICAL Washington and who
watches the operations Of an actual
G2ockefeller Ia likely to become confused
| The boy who is assured that al Of the
problems Of self government We're faced
and solved generations before he was born
| may Justly bio excused for declining 10
waste time or effort In that direction
''It ia for the reasons ] have named
that this country Is falling behind IN the
science of government. Our cities are tho
| worst governed In the world. That IS q
bold statement, but no man who. has
taken time to study or examine INTO o., t 2 9
other nations have at vast expense con-
Quoted experiments In hundreds, of fea-
lures OF municipal Administered lou, We
have stood still or retrogressed. Utilities
which have demonstrated their success
J in foreign cities, are BOW ,being tlmldly