Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-01

Cicero and the singing even OF tne
blind bard OF Greeca To despise the
practical things II t0 despise coos
work. God made the world 20. we
have to work In the world. ana to car
that which Ia related to work De-
naath the notice or unworthy OF the
pathy OF cultured men and women
utter blasphemy.
hlture. yes. what does culture
FmS Ia? First, It means the larger VI
sion, and can you not have that larger
vision when you create something
Every working man and working WON
an creates. Culture means Joy In lie.
What greater Joy can there be than
the Joy OF creating? The world has
lost that Joy. The slavery OF the rae.
tory, the din and tumult and strife OF
the city have crushed out all true Joy
in this. our age.
"A French writer recently said that
the only one who was still true to the
great mission and who understood t9e
great variety Of the gospel OF Joy IN
life was the artist He created and
found Joy In his creation. This French
writer should have said the artisan.
The man who creates has knowledge,
deep knowledge Of Gods Joy in life.
"The third element Of culture IS
worthiness. He who creates some
thing that is worth while, gains cul-
.ure. Every stroke Of the hammer Ia
tended to bring forth something new
is declaration Of mans worthiness.
He who Is conscious Of creation can
never become an unworthy, an immor'
al or degraded being on earth.
men have tried In recent years to
install the moral spirit in the public
schools. They are even now debating
and puzzling how they can teach the
children the laws Of righteousness.
Take them into the work shop; there
they will learn them. Unless you are
true to your work, your work rises to
curse you. for the anvil's song is
song Of Righteousness and the sigh OF
the saw, as it goes through the wood.
Is q protest against mans untruthful-
ness.
"The final element Of culture Is SYM
patty. That ancient Greek culture
which they made SO much of In the
old-fashioned colleges did not lead
men to sympathize with one another,
and from the Greeks we learn this
awful conceit, that one or the other Is
better than his brother or sister on
account of some accident in his per-
sonal appearance. The old culture did
not unite but divided humanity. The
new culture of the work shop has In
1t the magic to bring men together In
the conservation OF common work you
are learning that you help yourselves
by helping others. Every article pro-
duced by you is not merely of useful
ness to you, but is of usefulness to me.
"You are being led here into the
sanctuary of this new religion OF work
This new religion Of consecrated, ere
alive work ought to fill your hearts
with thankfulness. congratulate you
on the opportunities that are yours.
Your opportunities are larger than
those that have come to the white
children of many of the northern cities
and to the black children Of many a
northern university town. Cease then
complaining. You have nothing to
complain of. Go your way proudly In
the consciousness Of your worth. Strive
for worthiness and let those who will,
out Of the emptiness Of their conceit,
believe that they stand higher than
you; learn from your life how poor is
their Judgment, how foolish their preju-
dice.
II thank you for what you have
taught me, for what we have learned
from that one man who In these days
Of short sightedness has had the vision
Without vision, the people perish. Be
glad that he came among you, this
great man of vision-your Moses in
deed, with this difference-thatw while
the old Moses died in the wilderness,
he goes with you across the Jordan
into the promised land"