The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-11-15

for that life beautiful tnat ne lapOl
ed In the mud and clay Of our social
struggle. instead of dwelling in peace
and serenity in the enchanted gar
dens.
AS a young man led by his instinct
for beauty, he came to recognition
of the fact that in all ages human ex-
perience has given birth to certain
great aspirations and warnings; that
in the long unfolding drama OF num-
an progress the supreme genius OF
the race has for ever pointed with
the finger of faith to great Ideal
of world-peace, of brotherhood ana
equality of opportunity. When the
moment came in which he felt that
he must decide what his life work
should be, he decided that all MS
powers must be devoted to the one
supreme end of proving to the world
the tremendous fact that through all
the great art of all the ages runs that
sublime unity of purpose and vision,
that great spiritual ideal of world
fellowship and communion OF oppor-
tunity and JOY
That purpose he never rellnqulsh-
ed. Even when he was most deeply
immersed in the tide of social effort
which at last engulfed him, he was
constantly thinking of that great
work to which his youthful ambition
had turned. But he found himself
mastered by the Overwhelming need
of the moment. His cherished plan
would take many years, during which
he must shut out the clamor and the
din of strife. He could not cloister
his life like that Through the walls
of his seclusion came the sound OF
strife. a challenge to his mind and
soul. And, just as the fervent Cru
sader left all that he loved best to
rescue the Holy Sepulchre from the
Saracen, so he turned from that
which he loved as he loved life itself
to do battle with the forces OF evil
and oppression. The treatise upon
the Unity OF the Ideals Expressed in
the Worlds Great Literatures was
never written. In its place we have
a great work of social education and
inspiration of which the work at
Cooper Union is only the pivot.
Wherever earnest men and women in
this great nation are striving to at
tain the vision of the comrade world,
the inspiration of his life is felt
1t is no secret that when Professor
Smith began his work here in Coop
er Union, even those who aided him
most by material gifts had small
faith in his ability to carry 1t on.
What has now become one of the
commonplaces of our city life was,
only fifteen years ago, daring
dream In city full of parties and
sects and creeds, he dreamed OF a
| church open to everything except big
otry and intolerance, in which Jew
and Gentle, Protestant and Catholic,
| Christian and Atheist could find a
common ground for spiritual inspir'
alton. In a city of intense partisan
ship, he dreamed of forum in which
the problems of our social and civic
life could be freely discussed by men
and women of all shades of opinion
For church and forum alike his mot
to was Light, light, more light
And when it happened that men who
| had contributed largely to the sup
port of the work falling far below lis
spirit, threatened that If the plat
form we're given to the advocates Of
certain unpopular causes they woulo
withdraw their support, he never hes
itated. Letting the money go, hi
said to the advocates of the unpopu
lar causes, This platform is free
There are no chains to bind you
Speak out whole messages with al
your heart"
II was my good fortune to enter In
to a very intimate friendship Will
our dead comrade. Our work anC
mutual interest in many associations
threw us together very often. When
ever the opportunity offered, we tool
long walks together, talking as w
walked, telling each other our hopes
and our fears | think | can sa!
without reservation that he was thu
most tolerant man OF large faith tina
| have ever known. Men who lacl
convictions, and are really indifferen
are sometimes called tolerant. Mel
who are mastered by strong convic
tons are very apt to be impatien
and intolerant. But Professor Smitl
was at once a man Of strong conviC
tions and the most tolerant of men
The tolerance he preached from thi
platform he exemplified in his life
How strong his convictions were
how deep-rooted and how all-embraC
ing they were. Nothing which cor
cerned humanity was matter OF In
difference TO him. The campaign
against the labor of little children Il
mine and factory and sweatsho
found him ready to do battle with tn
strong on behalf Of the weak; tn
poisoning of the babies by impur
milk and the poisoning OF chill
minds by impure picture exhibition
called forth his vigorous wrath; VIC
mans effort to secure political equa
ity and to break down the last yes
tige OF her inequality and servitud
he supported with the same ardo
and zeal that he displayed in figh
ing against the forces which corruI
and despoi the body polite. Will
he wore no party badge or label, an
sometimes seemed to me to be les
powerful because of that fact. ye
in his heart he held tenaciously tina
ideal which is at once the highest II
dividualls and the highest Socialism
the ideal OF state in which ever
human child has a full right to shar
, freely in all the resources of civillzi
ton.
Perhaps the strongest force in hi
life was his belief and hope that th
p great nation made up OF element
drawn from all over the world Is de
tined to lead the way to that bette
social order In one OF those sons