The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-03-01
American Students and the People.

American Students and the People.
1t goes without saying that it is no
Jler in the American student to gain
notoriety by making pandemonium in
quiet towns and INDUCING in other
reckless diversions than by plotting as
sassination or egging ON assassins or
even cheering the assassin's foul deed
when it is done. 1t is noteworthy, how
ever, in this age of the multiplication
Of the student class in American life
that sl;:, ents hold aloof from popular
movements here even while they adj
nire and praise the advanced ideas of
students in disturbed countries abroad.
as a liberal and u patriot, and the same
has been true in other countries where
masses are at odds with rulers. The
French student, the German student,
the Italian student, has had each his
day as reformer, agitator, revolution
list or what not. Conditions in America
there are popular causes in this coun-
try today calling for supporters, yet the
voice Of the student as student is sell
dom heard. Nobody defers to the stu
dent or tries to make student converts.
The aloofness of the student class
from popular movements-for that is
no. 10 ho IN
may have it's saving side, but at first
| blush 1t seems to be abnormal The
students come from the people, and yet
it is a common saying among college
juniors even that the mass Of the peo-
pie are ignorant and don't know what
is good for them. If this attitude is a
mere schoolboy conceit, to be abandon
ed as soon as the victim of it gets a
proper view of his own limitations,
there is no great harm to come from it.
| Where SO much is made of college
| training and of education it is natural
| to the young man who separates from
| his plain kind to enter the guild of
scholars to foster loyalty to learning
just as he fosters loyalty to his alma
mater.
But extremes in this loyalty to learn
ing is not alone likely to beget an over
weaving self confidence. 1t may end
in snobbdry and a wreckage of useful
ness Unlearned men have become
magnificently great through power
won among the people. Lincoln be-
lieved in the people, and, first moving
them, he brought the educated wise
men to his feet for instruction. Had
Lincoln deemed the masses ignorant he
would never have launched the enamel
patton proclamation upon the uncertain
waves Of popular approval and sup
port. Grant trusted the nobility of the
common people and paid high tribute
to it when at Appomattox he said,
Take your horses home to do your
spring blowing" Had he deemed the
masses ignorant he would have set
Lees soldiers at work in the corn and
cotton fields under Federal guards. 4
guild Of scholarship is all right, but il
must not assume monopoly of all use
full knowledge or hold that learning is
a mystery sacred from all but the few
high priests. The father of q certain
bright university boy, who is destined
to land high if he lives, gives him 8
daily calling down in this plain foll
language: IF you know at forty one
: hundredth part Of what you think yor
know at twenty-five you'll be a grea
man" This father carried a saber a
AppomattoX, then shipped before thu
mast as real start in life Although
one of the ignorant mass, he ha
made enough money by honest mean
to give his hopeful eight years univer
sity and professional training and led
ucate" two other children besides. II
is the kind of man that it helps
student TO rub up against and the kin,
i to be found nowhere except in TIL
ranks oil the common people. Shout
the son become another Webster it Wi
be owing solely to the ignorance q
q the soldiersaiIor father Such is amer
: lean life