The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-02
A TRIO Il OF PHASES
David Starr Jordan, Before MINI
Teachers, Points Out Those Of
~ Twentieth Century.
He Says Century Will Be Strenuous.
Complex, Democratic-His Ad-
dress Condensed.

The principal address this year before
the Minnesota Educational association was
delivered last night by DR.. David Starr
Jordan of Leland Stanford, Jr., university
on THE Demand Of the Twentieth Cen
fury for. Effectiveness in Education" DR..
Jordan introduced his topic by saying
that, like men, centuries have many things
in common, the chief difference lying in
the nice distinction of little things. He
then classified the salient, or character
istic, phases Of the twentieth century in
these three points: 1t is to be a strenuous
century, complex century and demo-
cratic century. 49, -
Strenuous it must be, as we can all
see," he continued, land we have to thank
the young man Of the twentieth century
who gave us the watchword of the siren
uous life. Our century has a host Of
things to do, bold things, noble things
tedious things, difficult things, enduring
things. 1t has only a hundred years to do
them in, and two of these years are gone
already. We must be up and bestir our
selves. If we are called to help in this
! work, there Is no place for an idle min
ute. Idle men and idle women no doubt
| will cumber our way, for there are many
who have never heard Of the work to do.
many who will never know that there has
been a new century. These the century
will pass by with the gentle tolerance she
shows to clans and squirrels, but on those
! of us whose life she claims she will lay
| heavy burdens Of duty.
more than any Of the others, the TWEEN
| tieth century will 'be democratic. The
greatest discovery of the nineteenth CEN
! fury 5was*that Of the reality Of external
! things. That of the q twentieth century
will be this axiom in geometry: The
| straightest line is the shortest distance
between two points, If something needs
doing, do it. The more plainly, directly,
honestly, the better.
Democracy Is Not Equality.
Democracy does ~ mean equality
just the reverse of this, 1t means individ.
ual responsibility, equality before the law
Of course-eduality of opportunity but
no other equality save that won by faith.
full service. That social system which bids
men rise, must also let them fall if they
cannot maintain themselves To choose
the right man means the dismissal of thu
wrong.
1.-THE weak, the incompetent, the un
trained, the dissipated find no GROWN.
. welcome in the century which is com
ing. It will have no place for the un
; skilled laborers. A bucket of water an,
a basket of coal will do all that the un
skilled laborer can do if we have skile
men for their directions: The unskille
, laborer is no product of democracy. Tn
, children Of the republic are entitled t
!, something better. .t.
, "a generous education, a we11-directe
education should be the birthright of eac
one Of them. Democracy may even in
tensify natural inequalities The man yh
! cannot say no to cheap and vulgar temp
8 tations falls all the lower in the degree
which he is a free agent. In competitfo
: with men alert, loyal trained and greatly,
:. the dullard is condemned to life of har
. labor, through no direct fault Of his owl
'; | Keep the capable man down and you ma
e level the incapable up. But this tt
twentieth century will not do. This de
q mocracy will not do, and this it is not no
- doing. ..
''The men who control the twentiet
lcentury Will be: religious men. They wi
not be religious in the fashion OF tt
monks, ascetics mystic dreamers or emo
tional enthusiasts Their religion will /
t. their working hypothesis Of life And j
the wise and helpful life it will find amp
Justification. It will deal with the wor
= as 1t is in the service of the God of thing
Of as they are It will find Gods world M
al a vale Of tears, a sink of iniquity, but
t. world in which the rewards Of right Ii
a ing are instant and constant. 1t will fir
H. that indeed his service is perfect fire.
ne dom, for the great things of the world a
es done in His way and His way only
S. Opposes Shortening Courses.
IL DR.. Jordan expressed himself as oppos,
~ to a shortening Of university courses, i
~ at present proposed In many quarters. T.
~ highest ideal of the English universiti
a. has been personal culture, at best at lea
"a p a stamp upon it's graduates Of somethil
~ done which was the proper thing, and
=. many years this was the American ide
~ ~ as well; but now in America is found
or ~" 49,. y. A9 49, - 60. =
ideal of 'tthoroughness,' and combini
the true element of both, and it is "effe
tiveness' the ability to do the work
. hand, no matter in what department A
>. besides the training for the work receiv
LII from schools the world is demanding m
Of. purpose, Of character,of loyalty a
:, that belief that make the impossible see
~ ~ easy. And above all. loyalty to the VIC
"a or profession Of the toiler and sobriety
- - bulwark and uphold the rest of the strr
VI ture. s:,lsS