The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-09-17

"~AtSAS ~ SoAAOeCt ~ thdt VIC nave v
put up the bars to keep them out O
the colleges. or they would swamp tn
co-educationals colleges. They hsv
their Federation of Womans club
and Collegiate Alumnae; these ant
their Suffrage associations threaten
to take us of our feet, and unless VIZ
actually join their Civic associations
they will 60 ahead and improve thu
cities without our assistance. Whef
we begin to recognize the Significance
not only of woman's activity and edu
cational and political activities, bu
Of the indispensable element OF won
ans economic independence, we can
not any longer delay the vision of sez
equality, even though we Indefinitely
delay its accomplishment.
1t is well for us in America to bear
in mind that the country which now
leads the world in its recognition OF
the public serviceability OF women is
Finland, little dependency Of Rus
STA up near the North Pole, where the
women cannot only vote but have the
right to sit in parliament The peo-
pie who do not know that there is a
woman's movement today must also
Z, ~ -. $500 aL..k
am not asking you to believe that
culture demands that you insist upon
woman's economic independence, or
that you admit the justice Of their de-
mand for a vote, or approve of these
things, but to be ignorant of them is
not only more Of flaw in your cul
ture than not to know how they lived
in Greece, but a moral flaw Of mo-
mentous character
Culture is the habit of a mind in
stinct with purpose, cognizant of a
tendency and connection in human
achievement, able and Industrious in
the great from the trivial"
Do you think that is one of our great
accomplishments? If so,
read the headlines in tomorrow morn
lng's newspapers. They are not the
work of stupid newspaper men, they
are not always prepared by designing
newspaper men, to force on you the
hing you do not want; they put in
the headlines that appeal to you
the great public. You who are gath
cred here are not the same people
who may be seen reading these head
ines on the street cars; perhaps you
1nly read over other peoples should
srs. But these headlines represent
,ur power of differentiating between
he great and the trivial. You may
ind the most significant event in the
history of the world recorded there;
hat is, in the last twenty-four hours
Ind sometimes you may also find the
most significant event within the
'ame period in your local history.
But you had no means of knowing
What will be in the other columns;
t may be rubbish, and that is in the
'apers which only furnish what is eft I
0 print"
/ am going to suggest three things,
o great that no man or woman of
ulture can afford to be ignorant of
hem. am not saying that they are
he greatest, or that you will have
o justification in presenting three
Their things greater, or sufficiently
reat to make a serious indictment
gainst the man or woman of culture
tho does not know something about
lem. The three / would suggest are
the higher criticism of the
ible, and socialism.
AS for evolution, 1t is the greatest
ontribution of nineteenth century
fought to the welfare of the world,
e idea of development, of expansion,
I growth; we interpret everything
Y 1t today. We interpret literature
I'd science and art, religion even.
1t does not matter what your opin-
n may be, or mine, with regard to
e truth of what Darwin says; it may
, that 1t will one day become so OBJ
Gus that cultured people must ac-
pit that particular hypothesis, and
hink most thinking people do today,
It that is not the imperative demand
ION culture; 1t is that people give I
cir thought to evolutionary liter f"
ure and make up their minds.
The same thing applies to the high
criticism of the Bible. OF course,
ere will be some people who will .
y, ! do not care anything about the =
BILE. 1t is Of no use to me. And I,
ere will be other people who will il
:, l am not going to apply such crit 4
SIN to the Bible. 1t Is not suscepti- ?.
D to criticism. These two kinds Of y
ople are utterly wrong. The best g,
ought and the best talent have gone