Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-25


courage and buoyant hope. You will
need 1t. Life will press its need upon
you, and the more you test 1t and live
by 1t, the more compelling will be to
you its truth. The Nazarene liz not one
of many. God is still in Him, reconciling
the world unto Himself There Is yet no
other name given among men whereby
the conscience Is so melted to repentance,
and whereby tho forgiving love of the
eternal God is so mlnistered graciousy
to the needy spirit.
THE AGE NEEDS FAITH.
"Our own particular generation has
need of mature and thoughtful faith. not
the creature of tradition and authority,
but the reasoned conviction of men who
are determined to be men, put away child
ish things and arrive at the stature of
manhood in religion not less than in 9TH
err matters.
THE passion Of the age is in two fields.
first economic, Industrial, commercial,
and secondly social, charitable, and phil
anthropic. The earnest workers of to-
day seem to be divided into two camps,
the one striving to promote the wealth
of the world and all that furthers in
dustrial and commercial progress, the
other eager for all that makes for social
reform and proposing often seemingly
radical and violent plans for the correc-
ton Of abuses and the establishment of
an age of even justice and general well
faro There Is much misunderstanding
and consequent conflict between the two
To the masters OF industry the builder
of railways the merchants and bankers,
the social reformers seem misguided en-
thusiasts. enemies OF business, impracti
cal iconoclasts, who II they had their
way, would pull down the pillars Of So
csety upon themselves and everybody
else. and destroy all prosperity and CIV
ilization Itself. To the social workers, on
the other hand, the men Of business. at
least in the person Of their leaders, APP
pear little better than thieves and rob-
bers, blind followers of a cruel social or
der, princes of unequal privilege and
priests of exploitation and oppression.
WHAT is BEYOND?
ION both sides there is strange short
sightedness as to their lack of a suffi-
Client goal. Business is not an end in IT.
self. neither little business nor big bust
ness. 1t has to do with tho means Of
| life. not with life itself. He was fool
who had much goods laid up for many
| days. and rested his ambition there. The
truth that man can not live by bread
alone is commonplace. Strangely enough
the social reformers who condemn the
materialsm Of our Industrial and COM
mercial life are often equally material
! !stic.
hot
Their ambitions are limited by food and
clothing and the supply OF material
wants, only they are concerned with
these in different proportions and for diff
ferent classes of society. The things
which the Gentles seek are their goal,
net less than in the offices Of great cor
porations. They deal In the same terms,
although in different measures.
There is a further question, a higher
question, which should be brought home
to both. What Is beyond? What is the
aim and goal of 1t all. when the ambbi-
lions are achieved? When business Is as
big as It can be. and as prosperous as
need be. how about the men? When
prosperity Is fairly divided, and none suf-
fer and none are hungry among US. Is t.e
millennium then achieved? a whole world
OF rich men and starved souls were no
nearer paradise than one rich fool alone.
THE SUFFICIENT GOAL.
The sufficient goal Is within the man
and can not be elsewhere. The treasures
of mind and heart are alone beyond the
power of moth and rust The worlds en-
during wealth Is not in the Golfers OF
banks, but in the ideals of the seers
the beauty of artists, the truths Of the
men who discover We must have spirit.
ual value for our striving. else life vii
be a monotonous round of getting the
means to live for the sake of gettinl
more means to live, and there will be No
end to the circle, and small difference
whether the means be less or more.
"If you have heard the call of your
college for service in our own State, dc
not forget that a worthy spiritual life Is
her first and chiefest need. You will fine
all about You passion for material de
velopment, for the development of in
dustry, for larger gain from agriculture
for increase of the trade OF the cities ant
the fertility of the fields. In many o.
the most patriotic workers for a greater
Vermont you Will catch no other not,
warn you OF the insufficiency Of such en-
deavor.
THE NEED OF VERMONT.
"A new Vermont can be built only upoi
tie foundation OF the old Vermont, which
was laid In the fear OF God on the basil
of religious faith. The education whicl
will lift Vermont Is not one which vii
enable us merely to haul more stun t,
market and quarry more marble ant
granite. Vermont has been great from
her men, and the education of full grow
manhood will alone satisfy the Vernon
spirit We must learn the masters o
great thoughts, who have clothed In i'm
, perishable language the far truths of tn
spirit We must be taught our knshil
with the heroes of great deeds of al
the ages and of all lands. We must traii
ourselves to value truth In the realm o
science, not for its bearing on crops an
trade, but for its pure beauty alone
; materialized education would disappoin
, us ir our search for wealth, and it woul
remove far from us the glory OF our pas
, and blast the hope of our future. It 4
) men Vermont needs and men live b,