The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-31

. can he shown. And II is not difficult
TO support the proposition advanced
my embarrassment is not to find evil
dence of progress is rather 70 find
time in which to present all that might
well be brought forward
Let us begin the worlds advance in
intelligence. Every year finds IA larger
percentage OF the people Of the world
able 10 read and write-able go study
history. and. knowing the past, Judge
the future. every year finds more
schools, more students in attendance
and a higher standard of education
And this Is not true today only. but
every day: not in one place only, but
everywhere.
only few generations ago the best
people thought that God never intend
ed the masses 20 be educated, and now
We say that when God gave brains to
all he gave the best possible proof Of
His desire that all should enjoy the
benefits ~ mental discipline None
Of us think ourselves wise enough
to draw "a line through society and
10 say that the children on oNe
side should be educated and the
children on the other side condemned
to the night If ignorance. The Amer
lean ideal r. that there should be an
open door before every child and that
every child shall he urged to make
the largest possible use OF their cdu-
cntional opportunities. This IL not
only the American ideal. but Il Is the
ideal toward which the whole world
ia moving, our nation leading the way
We have such faith in the value Of
education. as shown by the fact that
We desire IL for ourselves and provide
( II for those about us, that II there
were no other sign of progress this
y.. H.. n n,
world would in itself make the future
bright with hope.
But II would be of doubtful advan-
4 taRc to educate men and make their
minds stronEer-stronger for harm
as we'll as for good--lf we were not
putting back Of those stronger minds
heart development that would as
sure socisty that this large mental
power would be employed for the ad-
vancement of the common veal.
come, therefore. to the second
branch Of my subject and assert that
the worlds progress in morals is equal
to IT'S progress in intelligence. In fact,
liz / were called upon to decide the
question | would he compelled to say
that, Just at this time. the evidence OF
a world wide moral awakening Is even
more abundant than the evidence of
"A universal advance in education
There IL a better understanding of
brotherhood today than there ever has
been before. more of sense Of kim
ship among men. There is more al
trt1ism on earth than the earth has
previously known and more in the
tinted States than In any other coun-
try in the world.
Let me bring to your attention Just
"A few of the many organized efforts
that are being made to lift the stand
ard ~ morals. In this country some
thing like IL million men have, during
the last ten years. been brought into
mems clubs and l}itlc classes. After
tho Individual clubs had been Orga-
nized in the various churches, national
brotherhoods were formed The
brotherhood of the church with which
}, am connected was organized less
than five years ago; now nearly every
great denomination has "A national
brotherhood and these organizations
have in turn been federated under In
ter denominational committees. We
have great organizations, like tic
Christian Eudeavor Society. for in
stance, with four million members
more than .one~third Of them added
within the last four years; we have
the Epworth League, the Raraca So