The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-16

points of different men and of different groups of men, it is appreciation not only of how the other half lives, but of how half thinks as it does come from New England, which had many glories and some prejudice. l am speaking in the south, which also has many glories and some preiudices, and l appreciate that if this nation is to be weldon into an unified democracy we must get over all unjusti- fled preeonceptions, must face all facts clearly and must be able to consider dis passionately all sides of every problem
 We need social breadth, which results in our seeing that our little group wher- ever it may be does not constitute the whole of society or represent the final of public opinion. We must have not only the ability and the willingness, but the longing to recognize character wherever we find it. This does not mean that we just make every good man our friend or invite him to our home. but 1t does mean that we must recognize worth wherever it is found by the tribute of re- spect."
 ''So it is in the realm of politics happen to come from a democratic family in republican New England, and I have some relatives who are democrats, some who are republicans, some who are social ists. l realibe that they are all equally high-minded They have the welfare of the state at heart. It would be a good thing if in New England we had little less prejudice against democrats al such and If in the south you had a little less prejudice against republicans as suoh What we need is political breadth. will ingness to appreciate honesty of motive, depth of conviction and capacity for ser vice irrespective of the party tag.
 What is true in society and in pol itics is equally true In religion. It Is of vital importance in this nation that Jew and Protestant and Catholic should work together, each respecting the others convictions and realizing that there must be something of worth in the others ideals. The Scotchman who when asked who was orthodox in his community replied that only he and his wife were and that he was not sure about his wife, is altogether too of our own churches The Christian communions of this land are the very backbone of it's higher life, but we must be broader in rec cgnizing what is good in other re- must be at least substratum of im- portant truth in every creed and or ganization that has hundreds of thous- ands of educated and high minded ad- herents.
 Tt has been my good fortune to know some men from your state who have exactly the type of breadth of view which I am describing. My uni- Versity gave a few years ago an hon crary degree to Edgar Gardner Mur- phy, a man who has done Christianity d piece of constructive work for the nation little realized by this genera tion, gentleman inheriting the best traditions of the south who has de- voted his life to broadening the south's view of It's responsibilities to deepen ing it's sense of national obligation and to interpreting it's best traditions to world wide audience I had no personal acquaintance with the late pr. Curry, but l well remember the large mindedness of the appeal of this splen- did gentleman from Alabama as he made an address m behalf of the type of moral and industrial education for negroes represented by such schools as Hampton and Tuskege These men who belong to you who are bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh, have given you an example of that breadth of view infinitely more impressive than anything that l can say.
 Granting, then, the need of a broad horizon and having called to mind some striking examples of it among your own citizens, let me turn to the special op- portunities for it's cultivation presented to men and women in the field of edu- cation. The teacher of history has it in his power either to enlarge the horizon of his pupils or to encourage baseless prejudices, almost equal opportunities come to those giving instruction in liter 1f raphy and every teacher has the same chance at least in his private conversa-
 tlon and i'll his whole point of view in every problem of school discipline and in
 the celebration of every public holiday and in the discussion of current events either formally or informally The schol-
 ars will respect and initiate the teach CT who keeps an open mind, a readiness
 to hear new evidence. a capacity to bal ance arguments, a passion for attaining the truth irrespective of consequences. ]
 have recently visited a school in your
 state, Marion institute founded by
 southern gentlemen, where the attempt
 is being successfully made to unite the
 best ideals of the north and of the south
 There picked Anglo Saxon youth, although
 rightly taught to be loyal to their native
 states and churches, are given the vision
 of a national citizenship This is an ex-
 ample of school mans opportunity to
 teach breadth visuaized and emphasized
 in what 1 hope will be permanent form
 l should consider no teacher worthy of
 his position who was satisfied with
 merely handing down an inherited point
 of view on any subject without an open
 mind ready always to broaden its atti-
 Jude The training of the future citizens
 of this country to q liberal and generous
 vision is matter of national concern.
 Whether the boy be d Connecticut boy in
 Connecticut school or an Alabama boy
 Tn an Alabama school he is apt to become
 narrow and sectional unless the teacher
 applies the corrective of breadth. It is
 heavy responsibility. It must not be
 shirked."