Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-13
''LITERATURE AND
THE COMMUNITY"

PROF. S. H. CLARK OF c., .
UNIVERSITY DELn ~
ABLE ADJ s,oos
Representatives In Attendance at Iowa
Library Association Meeting Hear
Well Known Educator-Culture the
Greatest Wealth.
From Fridays Daily.
Take the boy who must leave
school at an early age to work, may
hap, in bitches. I want to give him
something that will enable him to
climb out or at least will make the
ditch endurable," said Prof. S. H.
Clark. head of the department of Pub
lie Speaking in the University Of Chi
cago, in his lecture last evening before
the members Of the Iowa Library asso-
citation.
Prof. Clark spoke on LITERATURE and
the Community before quite large
audience at the First Methodist Epis-
ture was in connection with the pro-
gram of the library convention, but
many local people attended.
Possessed of an excellent voice,
thorough understanding and love of
his subject, Prof. Clark's lecture was
one of the most scholarly, finished, and
inspiring addresses ever delivered IN
this city.
Johnson Brigham, state librarian,
presided for the evening and with a
few opening remarks introduced Prof
Clark.
Prof. cIarI's Address.
Prof Clark said in part:
For the last ten minutes nave
been climbing hills and allowing the
ozone to permeate through me, hoping
thereby to catch, as 1t were, an insplr-
alton. This is a special gathering and
as SUCH, requires special exordtum.
However / have been able to gather
from my rambles, but this thought: 1t
seems to me almost like presumption
for an outsider to come into conven-
tton of librarians to speak Of litera-
| ture or to appear before members OF p
4 community to dwell on communism.
| However, / should judge that tho
presumption is confined principally to
the first instance as there seems to be
more representatives of the librarians
Day Of the Printing Press.
"This is the day of. among many
other things, the printing press. Ev-
erybody reads. Books, magazines, and
papers are on every hand Our ques-
an idle one, though one that many dis
miss because it has no bearing on busi-
ness, which with many is synonymous
with life This is not an academic
question, not merely woman's club
question, with that peculiar enuncia-
ton that so many give the words 'wo1n-
ans club, but it is a vital, economic
one.
/ 'Tt makes all the difference. in tho
world, whether we read the best or the
second best, the second best or the
worst, since for most Of us the high
est ideals of life are found in litera-
ture. You do not permit your child to
Leaf, drink or associate as he likes. Why,
then, we ask Of the community, do you
allow him to associate with literature
as he likes?
Literature Forms Ideals.
! Literature deals with eternal prob
lens, and the ideals, high or low, are
forming in the child's life. which some
character. Is not then community
i largely measured by what 1t reads?
grant you, there may be exceptions.
However, granting this. take a given
community, and is not what that COM
munity talks about largely directed by
what it reads? And that is the measure
of that community.
when gentleman who recently left
the United States senate after having
splendidly nisrepresented one Of our
western states for number of years.
first came to Washington, he was
greeted one day by Senator Hale OF
| Massachusetts,. Replying to num-
Der of remarks anent the progress OF
4 his state the solon replied, Yes, sir
Senator, we done IT.
"At last the old lawrnaker turned to
him and said, Senator, you remind me
! of a well-known line in Shakespeare
/ 1t is "Thou canst not say, IT did it. y
DO you suppose that such a man
could represent any community In the
chamber Of deputies in F'rance?. We
may laugh at the i done it, but still
we allow ourselves to be represented
by those who are to say the least
slightly lacking in culture.
Materialism Predominant
"In our country and in our times ma
terialism predominates, and even II
education the goal is selfish and
practical. 1t is the STABILITY Of knowl-
edge that most impresses the average
student believe this is less true to-
day than yesterday. and yesterday thar
4 the day before. We are coming out
so to speak of an age of materialism
but there is much Of the spirit thai
still remains.
i Practically is all right but wi
need more of the other higher and trueI
outlook upon education. Even the par
ents are liable to acknowledge the
teacher more by the accuracy of {
boys A B C's and 2x2's than by those
elements which he dabbles in in schools
which make for a larger and bette,
character They look for practical re-
suits. In word the spirit of material
istic business is predominant and has
affected even our education.
'"Thoreau has said nothing irks nls
| SO as to pass along the street and heal
no other salutation than "how is bust
ness?"' yet we are sending mission.
aries to a people, who when they NEE
one another on the street say Peace
be unto you
Examinations a Curse.
Throughout the land the best teach
ers are teaching literature for its owr
sake and not for examinations. the