Newark post., 1914-03-25
Ideals In Education


The poet seizes an imperishable
fact and robes it in well-nigh i'm
perishabIe words. as when Tenny-
son describes man as Heir Of all
the ages. in the foremost files Of
time" The more closely We study
our heritage. the more fascinated
and Interested do we become. We
retrace step by step the ages that
are past our minds expanding as
we become acquainted with the leg
acy each has left us. Overwhelmed
by the magnitude Of it We come
back to our little round Of life
which has become enriched and
made worth while, and look at our
fellow heirs with greater love and
comprehension. Then we say
From whom came my heritage 2"
and we trace life through all its
manifestations ever endeavOring
to cOntne it in a definition. seeking
that which eludes all forms until at
last the question is answered by the
Interrogation, "Canst thou by
searching find out God 2" and once
more We return, beffied yet strange
ly eXultant, to the days work.
Proud perhaps Of the name We
bear, We trace its source TO justify
our pride of blood and name at the
end of only a few hundred years
we find tens Of thousands of men
and women whose lives have merg-
ed TO make ours. Our little man
tie Of pride falls from us and We
say my brother" with a new en-
phasis And while in all theseways
we have been tracing the continuity
OF life a new joy in responsibility
has grown up within us. Part Of it
lies IN the knowledge that we are
factors in the heritage Of ages yet
to come, and if natural law 50 Or
ders it that our blood be not trans
mittcd in flesh and bone we can
leave heritage Of the spirit that
may be potent for centuries. Grad
ualiy. though, all the activities Of
our lives We come to see that which
we sought and found not with seek
ing, is with us giving meaning to
all lips. One Of the first stories
made familiar to many of US are
here, was that Of the Garden Of
Eden with its wonderful tree of
knowledge. It's origin is shrouded
in the mists Of antiquity but it
shows that cO-existent with man S
conscious life was the desire TO
know more than that which his
senses recognized. The beautiful
words woven into our literature
come often to our lips, Where
there is no vision the people per
ish. =" TranspOsing it into a posi-
tive form this thought has animat-
ed much Of the choisest work Of the
world, Where there is a vision
the people live" Because Of this
vision ever before the soul of man
has he risen and developed, until
all the arts, sciences and literatures
III the world are not sufficient to ex-
press the varied emotions by which
he is moved. In all ages were those
who dreamed their dreams and by
reason Of whom man did not per
ish. Ever the vision grew clearer
though but dimly apprehended
even by those who held it. Slowly.
as man rose from rudest garb and
bestial habits, to luXuries Of silk
and gold, to finesness and deIicacy
of answer,-not by chance but be
cause the realization Of one ideal
created another for which he
strove--so also rose the soul of man
from intensest egoism to the pur-
est altruism from individual well
fare, family, tribal and oratorical
pride TO universal brotherhood and
wodl welfare. We, who live in
these wonderful years, see the
vision of still more wonderful age
to which our achievements viii
seem but a beginning.
In each generation the subject
of education is truly the most vital
one. Because it is not merely
matter of intellect but is bound in
dissolubly with all human activi-
ties, it is a question requiring ever
new adjustment Even when the
strictest Journalism prevailed in
teaching there were among the
teachers those who recognized their