The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-28


actual lives would be sadly shorn O
their glory, Nevertheless, exactly al
strength comes before beauty, 90 char
acter must ever stand above intellect
laboye genius. Intellect Is tit TO be In,
most useful of servants. but II Is an
evil master, unless itself mastered b,
character. THIS H. true Of the individ.
aal man. It is far moro true OF Ia,
nation, of the aggregate of individuals
a Truth Often Lost Sight Of
yet it is u truth of which men ten1
constantly to lose sight; and the Am
orican republics, north and south, hay,
in the past shown again and again q
curious forgctfulness of H. I'm my own,
country we tend 10 lay far too much
emphasis OF that but one
sided type of intellectual vigor which
shows itself only in commercialism. IN
business achievement; kind Of in
tcllectual power which is absolutely
| necessary L. either individual or ma
tional success under present day con-
! ditions, and indeed under all proper
conditions, bat which becomes a curse
instead of "A blessing If treated az in
itself an end instead Of the carefully
regulated means TO an end
In some other countries the intel
lectual manifestations, instead Of be-
ing subordinated TO materiaistlc ach-
ievement, ere turned almost wholly
into artistic, literary or philosophical
channels. Here again, there must be
such intellectual development if the
nation is to make "A hish and lasting
impress on history; and yet there must
also be far more than such develop
ment If the nation Is 10 accomplish all
that its intellect warrants. From the
standpoint of national greatness neith-
or the intellect which finds its express
sion in commercialism. nor the intel
ioct which finds its expression in ar
tistic achievements, can permanently
avail unless based on a foundation of
character.
This is the lesson taught by the
careers Of three of the most famous
peoples Of antiquity. In the third CEN
$50 y ''A'A = 'uA 'iti Allt Wv IlItu NbIiu
was under the divided sway of the
Romans, the Greeks, and the Phocn-
ician dwcllors in Carthage. The Greeks
were beyond question the most bril-
liant people that ever lived and from
that day 20 this all poets, artists, phil
Csophers ANA historians have bowed
TO them as masters. They developed
TO the highest point TO which it has
ever been developed the cultural side
of the intellect ON the other hand.
the totally different form of intellect
which finds it's expression in purely
commercial success has never been
more highly developed than I'm the
rich mercantile obllgarchy which ruled
Carthage as similar cigarettes had
once ruled Sidon and Tyre
Michael Angelo. Rafael. Dante,
Cervantes and Camoens, and all the
scholars and philosophers of the most
famous medieval universities, where
the spiritual heirs Of the Hellenic re-
publics and Hellenistic kingdoms: and
al the achievements OF the modern /
lords of finance and captains of indus
try, when we consider the relative |
means with which the ancients work.
cd, DO not surpass those Of the marve-
lous masters Of commerce whose keels |
iurrowcd tho waters of unknown |
oceans i'm order to swell the princely
wealth OF the Mediterranean merchant |
cities. Yet the Greek aud the Car !
tina. inian alike were struck down by |
the iron hand Roman; because, al
though the Roman had neither the
line culture Of the one nor the COM
ncrcial genius of the other, he pos
'csscd what both Of them lacked the
srim strength Of character which
which showed itself in scorn of mere
luxury, in sense Of duty to the COM
in power to command and
o obey, and in the mistaken forti-
ude ana endurance which enabled
i'm to wrest ultimate triumph out of
disaster
Under present day conditions.
character needs TO show itself in diff
erent fashion. Nevertheless, IL is as
italy necessary as ever to the we'll
icing of u nation. If the men of
wealth and social standing grow idle
nd luxurious, if they shirk the per-
ormance Of the duty to the whole peo-
lie which their position ought to en-
all, if they lose their sense of pat
iotism and, whether at home or in
ONE alien city, lead lives devoted to
oft or vicious cf-indulgcnce-why
such is the case, no cultivation of
mind, no adroitncss i'm financial trans
ctions, viii avail TO save them from
he contempt Of all those whose re-
pcct Is best worth having.
Honesty the Root Virtue,
"Of course corruption in any form,
'hethet Ia the world Of politics or in
he world of business, represents an
ffense against the community Of so
rave character that the offender
hould be hunted down as a criminal;
nd the greater his ability and sue
ess the greater is the wrong he has
and the heavier should be
is punishment The sneering indif- /,
erence to or connivance at corruption
, almost as bad as corruption Itself. /,
honesty, rigid honesty, is "A root vir- =,
Ne; and Il not present no other viz
ue can atone for its lack But we :