The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-08-25
SPIRIT OF THE CENTURY
salutatory Of Robert Sterling Yard,
Who has Recently Taken Charge

HU HllcI tApicsSiVl' IL .COullluco "
believe THAI success will be attained
only as 1t becomes really the repre-
sentative magazine OF this new ann
spectacular century OF American life.
The Free Spirit of Modern Progress
For the information of many In
quiring friends, it seems wise at this
time to say that there will be no
new" Century in the sense of a
changed Century. There can be
none. In remaining the "old" Cen
fury, merely growing with the times,
merely holding fast to its historic
place in the front of progress, this
magazine, in these richer days of
hard thinking and prompt acting and
strenuous living, these tumultuous
days Of changing eras, remains by
mere definition the organ of what Is
ncblest and forwardest in American
life. The first editor OF this maya
zine stated editorially thai 1t was
conducted in the free spirit of mod
ern progress and the broadcast liter.
airy eathollcity" The fourth editor
joyfully reafiirms his creed. There
can be no simpler and more compre-
heneive statement Of this magazines
present spirit and purposes.
To Promote Coed Citizenship.
In the wentieth-anniversary mum.
Der, Richard Watson Glider, who, on
DR.. Hollands death in 1881, succeed
ed to the edltorship, reafilrmed the
creed In these words
If there is any one dominant senti-
ment which an unprecedented reviewer
would recognize as pervading these
forty hali-yearly yolumns, 1t is, we
think, sane and earnest American.
ism. Along with and part OF the
American spirit has been the earnest
endeavcr to do all thai such a pub
LEGATION might do to increase the
sentiment of union throughout our
deyerse sisterhood of States-the
sentiment Of American nationality
Ii has always been the aim OF The
Century not only to be force in lit
efaturo ana art, but to take a whole
some par. in the discussion of great
questions; moi only to promote good
literature and good art, but good cit
zenshir.
Allowing for different conditions
Mr.. Glider might have written this
fer today tf
In the same editorial utterance Mr.
Glider dwelt strongly upon the spirit
Of experiment" which. he said. hat
always inspired The Century's policy
This we take TO be merely another
phase for DR.. Hollands free spirit
OF modern progress"
Five years later, on the occasion
of Tho Century's twenty-iifth ami
vcrsary, Mr.. Glider wrote in these
pages.
During the next ten years there
should be in America especially /.
revival OF creative literature. L
there Is. or should be at any partlcu
lar time, q lack Of energy. or a lacl
Of quantity or quality, in the Ameri
can literary output. il can be merel!
temporary; for our condition is full
of social. Political. and industrial
problems; life in the New Word i.
repleto with strenuous exertioh q
every kind. of picturesque contrasts
and of innumerable themes fl to in
spiic literary art. American life Il
rich in feeling and action and mean
inc.
American Life Richer Than Ever
American life is richer many times
over in feeling and action. and espe
cially in meaning, than when Mr.. Gil
der penned these words. The inter
vening years have brought to the
sGriace Il myriad surging currents ol
human deslie and necessity and pas
sion. then concealed, almost unsus
rectcd, below the surface.
Ii cannot have escaped any reader
Of The Century that we are living IN
period Of amazing achievement as
well as OF portentous social develop
menL Yet any worker in the fur
rows Of life may well be pardoned
for failure TO realize The detail and
immensely OF our achievement
Could one devo,e himself wholly q
discovering the facts c. modern &C
cor p.l9hmcnj. ii woald take busy
life to get abreast Of the mere news
OF it. and TO keep there Ours are
times OF such variety and completely
tha, none can be exepcted to grasp
much more than the technicalities OF
his own work bench.
Like NEST prophecies. Mf. elders
has been only partly fulfilled Yet
the eighteen years since he uttered
II have proved at least that It was
true, though its realization has been
delayed by the extraordinary activity
of these later years. The history OF
all human progress shows THAI the
art of any period is. so to speak. the
towering OF that period. The bloom
appears only after stem and stalk
have shot to their full growth and
leaves have expanded and darkened
10 their maturity. The bubbling sal
of MIR. elders dime Il showing now
I'm new and surprising growth. and
our problem tcJlay is. net so much &C
enjoy the lowering literature which
he promised. as TO study and q
measure and TO comprehend as near
" az possible the. wealth of scientific
and social and political and indus
trial achievement. which has amazins
" developed.
A Readjustment Of Social Levels
There IS no escaping the faci that
civilization. like he river tumbling
and swirling between ,wo lakes, is
passing imbulently from the old con
vontion Of the last several genera.
lions 20 the unknown. almost I'M.
gues sable convention OF The not dis.
tam future. The feminist movement
the upfisinp OF labor. the surglng oi
fnnurrofnhfa ecrtnffetfc currents ran