Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-03

Education is the leavening influence
which has advanced civilization to its
present comparatively high level In a
. Rod OF two thousand years the world
has advanced. from a stage of savagry,
% AT least semi-savagry, TO one of rela-
lively high standards and ideals The
wisdom OF the ancient Greeks and
Romans is inferior i'm many respects TO
the knowledge OF an American boy and
girl OF the present time who has received
no more than high school education.
In the days of julius Caesar, when Rome
was an imperial power. all natural phe-
nomena were looked upon with awe and
fear. 1t was an age when. might was
right: when vague and unfounded super
stition distracted the mind Of man, and
material progress and the industries in
cident thereto were at a remarkably low
ebb Agriculture. the worlds most an
Gent art. was practiced in the crudest
manner imaginable. For the most part
pastoral conditions prevailed, and the
comparatfvely sparse population lived In
a nouiadic fashion. The great service
which the physical forces OF nature were
destined TO render mankind was I'M
dreamed OF. and hence for thousands OF
years but little progress was made in the
elevation OF the human race Nature was
the task master and not the friend of
stead OF representing a latent force 70 be
harvested and utilized for the uplift of
humanity was a dreadful mystery. The
wonderful Transforming powers OF water
when changed from its natural condition
to steam had not occurred to man The
service which various friendly forms OF
bacterial life renders man in the growth
OF his crop and In affOrding the race i'm
rnunity from certain presidential diseases
was not even suspected Is ii any wonder
under these conditions that progress was
slow. and that the discovery and utiliza-
ton OF the physical forces Of nature in
modern times. TO even a slight degree.
should have resulted in the marvellous
advancement made by the leading ma
items Of the world within the past few
years? u is strange that not until re-
Gently have We come TO realize that na-
ture Is e great slumbering giant whose
latent force once appreciated and reduced
20 the service Of man insures the con-
tinuaI evolution Of the race and the con-
slant supplying Of its needs as numbers
Increase and the ages advance.
How has this changed attitude Of the
human race towards nature and the con-
segment blessings il has conferred upon
humanity been brought about7 Through
the development of our system OF schools
and colleges and the industrious prosecu-
ton Of research through the generosity
Of private and public institutions. There
has also been a change with regard to
our ideal OF a hero. for today the man
really entitled TO this sobriquet Is not
the man OF brute strength. but the man
who through his patient and self-sacrific-
ing Investigations has added some little
truth to our knowledge of natural phe-
nonena- Public education has paved the
way for the breaking down Of the mighty
superstition Of past ages which kept man
IN subsection to nature and prevented
him from utilizing and prOfiting by the
gifts which she stood ready to confer.
Hence. IL is to education that we owe