The Washington times., 1907-02-24
Let Nation Act When States Fai, Says Roosevelt
Federal Control He lpfd to Honest Corporations

own part in government.
Like most other things Of value, edu-
cation is good only. IN so far as It Is
used Alright. and IL it is misused or If 1t
causes the owner 10 be so puffed up with
pride as TO make him misestimate the
relative values of things, It becomes a
harm and not a benefit. There are few
things less desirable than the arid cul-
tivation. the learning and refinement
which lead merely TO that intellectual
conceit which makes a man in a demo-
cratic community like ours hold himself
aloof from his fellows and pride himself
upon the weakness which he mistakes
for supercilious strength.
Small is the use OF those educated
men who in after life meet no one
but themselves, and gather i'm par
l0rs TO discuss wrong conditions
which they do not understand and
TO advocate remedies which have
the prime defect OF being unWOrk-
able. The judgment on practical
affairs, political and social, of edu-
Gated men who keep alOOf from the
conditions of practical life, is apt TO
be Valueless to those other men who
do really wage effective war against
the forces of basenesS and of evil.
Educated Grumbler's Uselessness.
From the political standpoint educa-
ton is a harm and not a benefit to the
men whom it serves as an excuse for
refusing TO mingle with their fellows
and for standing aloof from the broad
sweep of our national life in curl
ously impotent spirit OF fancied supe-
riority The political wrongheadedness
OF such men is quite as great as that Of
wholly uaeducated men; and no people
could be less trustworthy as critics and
advisers. The educated man who seeFs
to console himself for his own lack OF
the robust qualities necessary to bring
success in American politics by moaning
over the degeneracy OF the times instead
Of trying 10 better them by railing at
the men who do the actual work. is n
poor creature, and, so far as his feeble
powers avail. is a damage and not a
help 20 the country.
You may come far short Of this dis
| agreeable standard and still be a rather
useless member Of society. Your educa-
ton, your cultivation. will not help YOU
/ If YOU make the mistake Of thinking
, that 10 IS a substitute for instead OF
an addition 10 those qualities which in
the struggle OF life bring success 10 the
ordinary man without your advantages
! Your college training cCnfers no privl-
; lege upon YOU save rs tested by the
use YOU make Of IL. Il puts upon you
/ the obligation 20 show yourselves better
able 10 do certain things than your
! fellows who have not had your advan-
taEes- If II has served merely to make
you believe that you are to be excused
! from effort in after life. that YOU are
to be excused from contact with the
| actual world Of men and events. then
/ 1t viii prove curse and not a blessing.
II on the other hand YOU treat your
/ education as a weapon the more in
yorr hands. a weapon 10 fit you TO do
/ better in the hard struggle OF effort. and
not as eXcusing you IN any way from
! taking part IN practical fashion In that
struggle, then Il will be a benefit to you.
/ Let each Of you college men remember
/ in after life that IN the fundamentals he
/ is very much ike his fellows who have
not been 10 college. and that If he is to
! achieve results. instead OF coufining him
/ self exclusively 10 disparagement OF
other men who have achieved them. he
must manage 90 come 20 some kind OF
working agreement with these fellows
i OF his. There are times. Of course,
when it may be the highest duty of a
/ citizen TO stand alone, or practically
( alone. But II this is a mans normal
attitude-if normally he is unable TO
work in combination with a considerable
body OF his fellows-it is safe 10 set
him down as unfit for useful service in
/ a democracy.
Men Must Work in Combination.
In popular government results
worth having can only be achieved
by men who combine worthy ideals
with practical good sense; who are
resOlute TO accomplish good pur-
/ poses, but who can accommodate
themselves to the give and take
necessary where work has to be
done, as almost all important work
must necessarily he done, by conn.,
binatiOn.
! Moreover. remember that normally
/ the prime OBJECT OF political life should
! be 20 achieve results and not merely to
! issue manifestOs-save, Of course. where
the issuance OF such manifestos helps
10 achieve the results. It Is a very bad
thirS to be morally callous. for moral
! callousness is disease.
But Inflammation &C the con-
science may be Just as unhealthy
so far as the public is concerned
and il mans conscience is always
telling him to do something foolish
he viii do well to mistrust its work.
ings.
I The religious man who is most useful
is not he whose sole care is to save his
own soul bpt the man whose religion
bids him strive to advance decency and
clean living and to make the world a
better place for his fellows to live in;
and all tins is just as true of the ordi-
nary citizen in the performance of the
ordinary duties of political life.
Real Workers Helped FiIipinos.
During the last few years much good
has been done TO the people of the
. I