The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-12

hHoN dDOut tHeIn afterwards, the man
who thinks with his mind and not
with his emotions; the man of open
mind, who is willing to modify his
views in the light of after discovered
evidence: the man who accepts the
aphorism of Sam Jones to the effec,
that when YOU meet A fact in the
middle of the road there is no use to
try TO get around it; that you had just
as well get off Your horse, unpack
your haversack and make yourself at
home" Such is the basis OF the college
appeal to patriotism. 1t requires its
devotees 10 study all public questions
in this spirit, and to reach all final
judgments by this method. Is this not
the spirit that is needed In many
American communities of to-day?
The most pathetic occurrence with
a pretended patriotic impulse) that
have known occurred some years ago
on the day following a national cleo
don. The returns had been received
from JoneS's Precinct, al Smiths Cross
Roads. in Brown county. Fifty men,
all OF them farmers. with interests
identically the same. had voted TWEEN
ty-six on one side and twenty four on
the other Then followed a great par
tisan bonfire. Neighbor was arrayed
against neighbor. and friend against
friend. These men were interested
not in the result of the national cleo
ton, but in the majority OF two at
Smiths Cross Roads. Was this divi-
sion and this demonstration the result
ut conviction. based on a sound know
ledge of the issues OF the campaign?
Perhaps forty eight of these nifty man
were ignorant OF the fundamental
principles underlying a single one OF
the great Issues involved. With In
forests absolutely identical, they were
about equally divided, and why? Be-
cause the grandfather of the leader
Of one faction had perchance disputed
over boundary line with the grand
father OF the leader of the other fac
ton; because a kinsman OF the leader
OF one faction held a Federal Office
under one political party and a kins-
man OF the leader OF the other fact!oa
held State office under another no
litical party. In brief. it was a case
OF personal prejudice and private en-
nifty, masquerading under the guise
OF civic duty.
Demand Change.
1t IS just here that the college and
the newspaper. each in its own way,
demand a change. Tho college is train
ing the leaders The newspaper Is In
forming the masses Men are o.day
anXiously asking: Will Representative
shat question lies in the intellgen
and the moral integrity OF the masses.
and Of the men chosen to represent
them. How Is this to be guaranteed?
Has the college nothing to do with 1t?
Is not Its work precisely tho work OF
the newspaper. except that 1t ap-
proaches Its task In a different wayo
3. Another point of agreement is this:
You are striving to hasten the great
economic and material development OF
our section: so are we. Your method is
publicity: our method is to train the
leaders in engineering. In commerce. in
! law. in science. in technology. We arc
seeking to furnish the men who are to
plan, to organize and to direct our
marvellous industrial future. Ours. too
is the additional task to temper this
commercial spirit and TO direct Its en-
ergies into safe channels and to keen
1t from running away with u.s. Sue
cess in moneymaking is to-day, in
many American communities, set UP as
the ultimate test of mans ability
and worth. A Philadelphia banker
recently expressed this sentiment: THE
accumulation of wealth is the first con-
dition and prerequisite in the develop
ment of sound knowledge polite culture
and pure religion" The MOTTO of tho
age is: IAN acre In Middlesex Is worth
n principality in Utopia" The mod
ern world is clamoring for mere mag
nitude. and that. too, ins some material
form. Men are thinking in figures and
talking In figures. President Gilman,
in diagnosing our most insistent ma