Newark post., 1911-11-15
Written for the NEWARK Posi-

metaphysical speculations Of the
SchOlastics, who, shut up in their
monasteries, apart from the con-
cern Of men, busted themselves with
the empty discourses Of subject and
object. essence and cause, reason
and sensation, etc. And again we
know how groundless most part OF
the great German PHILOSOPHERS have
been, because worked apart from
the social needs Of life. To prag-
matte students Of philosophy it is
little wonder that the masterful
work begun by Kant should wind
up in the sollipsism Of Fichte.
When one tries to construct a sys-
tenn of the world shut up in his
study, secluded from the rest Of
things, there is no surprise that one
should come to think that the
whole world around him is his own
creation, the Il posting ITSELF" 1t
is only from the English and Amer
leans that we have in modern times
true common sense philosophy,
because the practical nature Of An
glo Saxon blood did not allow them
to divorce theory from practice.
And now what is the bearing OF
all this upon the subject Of this ar
ticle? One need of course have a
very exalted opinion Of Newark to
attempt even by analogy to bring to
bear the results Of 1000 years OF
experience upon such a small point
of the immense world. But reduc-
ing dimensions, conditions are all
over more or less alike. Progress
is being accomplished by recipro-
cal give-and-take, and the problem
indeed is to know what to give, and
to know how to take. 1t is only
through organized and system
atized work that such beneficial ex-
change can take place. Institutions
by themselves are mere social bod
les. 1t is to the people to instill in
them soul. 1t is only as the soul is
fully alive in the body that the
whole mechanism functions sue
cessfully.
Whether there exists in Newark
that reciprocal and beneficial ex-
change by which both parties are
benefited. that healthy fusion of in
tellectual and social life is as yet
to be proven. Meanwhile for what
appears to the onlooker there seems
to be wide chasm between the col
lege and community life. People
have not as yet gotten rid Of the
notion that what is being taught
and spoken from the college halls
is Of such transcendental and
supernatural character as to be en-
tirely strange to the ear Of the lay
man. A public lecture given under
the auspices Of the college is by
this very fact shut out Of the COM
mon understanding, and no effort
is worth being made by one to go
and try ones understanding, and
perhaps find out that it was after
all the very thing for the layman.
1t surely is not mere speculation
to assert that the same lecture CIV
en- at the Opera House (not to say
moving picture halD, would at
tract at least half of Newark s pop
ulation.
This. however, is not entirely the
fault of the town. There is a lack
in Newark, from the highest to the
simplest forms of social organiza-
tions, of an intellectual atmosphere
of standards of intellectual values,
of methods and means for the cul-
tivation of intellectual taste in the
young.
When cards and refreshments
have been offered at social gather
ings, people feel that they have wei
filled their social functions. 1t II
not that such 'passe time are IL
themselves blamable. All socia
pleasures by the very fact that they
are social are to that extent good
Cards indeed may be very harm
. less, but they threaten to be harm
, full in the degree in which they be
come the standards Of social enjoy
ments, and exclude the intellectual
pleasures which could be so delight
J. fully fostered at the many frlendl,.
t gatherings that we have in New
2 ark.
E There is Of course, in our town
g an intellectual life in the technlca
: sense Of the term, which is found i
0 the college class room laboratory
e library, etc.; but an effort at dill
fusing knowledge by means OF Sc
Y cial intercourse is totally wanting
i Even among the college peopl
:, themselves, l hope they will pardo