Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-14
PIN YOUR FAITH
IO The PEOPLE
Chairman Shonts of the 18TH
mian Canal Commission
Speaks at Des Moines
DRAKE SILVER ANNIVERSARY
Declares Need of Higher Education
Was Never So Great as it is Today
Demand for Reforms Are Well
Grounded and Must Be Heeded-
Evils of Mad Rush for Wealth.
snecial ia Times-Republlcan.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Mones, June 14.--Ion. Theo-
dore p. Shonts, chairman of the 18TH
man canal commission, today deliver
ed an address before large audience
at the Drake University, silver ami
versary services.
There has never been a time in the
history of this country when the need
of the higher education which GU.
universities alone are competent to
supply, was so great as it is today.
The highest function of a university is
to supply well disciplined and Well in
formed minds, which are capable of
accurate thinking. There has never
been any lack of the opposite kind of
mind which is the very fountain-head
of misinformation and error. This
crop. like those of weeds and mos
quitoes. takes care of itself.
SIN time like the present when It
spirit of discomfort and of revolt
against existing conditions is abroad
in the land, the harm which an ignor-
ant mind, no matter how sincere and
well meaning, may do. is incalculable.
Its bad influence can only be Offset by
calm reasoning and solid knowledge.
The present upheaval of unrest, call
it what you will, socialism, collectivism.
communism, or incipient anarchy, is
like countless others that have pre-
ceded it. 1t has the same time-worn
nostrumS for the transformation OF
human nature and the abrogati0n Of
natural laws. There is scarcely a pan
ecea proposed today for the cure of
social ills and political distempers
that has not been put forward many
times during the past four centuries.
and that has not been tried and found
useless. Those that are now in name
or form are based upon the same old
and have as central idea
the assumption that demagogues and
charlatans in places of power
would administer governmental al
fairs of all grades so hon
estly and intelligently, so completely
in the interests of the people,
that the millennium would come at
bound. There are not wanting thru
out the land persons who are ignorant
Of both the antiquity and the futility
Of these remedies from the back she. es
of the store houses Of political quack-
cry. One man in a community, with a
informed mind, Is COM
petent force against a hundred fgnor-'
ant, unsound, or mushy- minded per-
sons who advocate these remedies.
ie tn
meet and direct into safe channels this
spirit of discomfort and revolt. That
there are grave causes for it cannot be
denied. The demands for reform. hys-
terical and unreasoning as many Of
them are, are well grounded and must
be needed. The evils complained of
have come about because, as people,
we have drifted from the old standard
Of honesty and patient accumulation,
INTO mad rush for wealth, for the pill
ing up of enormous fortunes in the
shortest possible period of time. We
must be brought back to the old moor
ngs, not by violence and unlawful
methods, but by calm and inflexible
application of law. That the country
will right itself, that it will pass safely
thru this crisis, as it has passed thru
all those that have preceded it, no one
familiar with its history can doubt.
At heart the people are sound and at
aeart they are also just and rational.
They have always been more wise.
more patient, and more fair-minded
han many of their would-be leaders,
.or they have always insisted upon be-
coming possessed OF the truth before
taking action. They will show the
same qualities in the present emer-
yency They know a demagogue or
.harlatan when they see him-lf not at
he first sight, invariably at the Sec
ond.
'"They have never shown dispos!-
ton to burn down their house to roast
4 pig, and they are not likely to do 20
in this instance. The educated man
who does not pin his faith to the peo-
pie in times like the present, makes a
fatal blunder. His place is with them,
levo.ing his mind and his energy to
The accomplishment of the purpose
which they always seek-that is, just
and righteous solution of the problem.
He should go among them as mis-
sionary of intelligence and accurate
Information and also as the apostle Of
aw and order, teaching everywhere
respect for law as the great bulwark
If the state, the very foundation stone
IF the social fabric. When law is get
aside for any purpose whatever, the
lct is an invitation to anarchy. The
turbulent elements in every community
which are only kept down by the re-
;traints of the law are quick to hail it
rs a sign of weakness. both moral and
and to claim ii as u recogni-
ion of the strength of their position.
rhev come to the front Instantly ready
md eager to begin an assault upon all
s,w ard upon the whole system of So
.lal e.der9 Nothing breeds a spirit of
SO quickly as disregard of law,
,r successful violation of law by those
Who should be its StauncheSt support
,rs Nothing 40 stimulates the growth
" sociaIistic ideas as the belief that
Itch and pOWerful men have been v1O-