The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-28

ness and frivoiity. They are exrerts
at playing bridge, but ycriest igno-
ramuses at playing Bridget. IL they
are possessed Of culture, the less We
have Of 1t the better.
The Real Culture of the Educated Man
The culture for which I plead -
that which Matthew Arnold described
A. acquaintance with the best that
has been thought, said and done in
mans history. Such acquaintance
gives dignity, gives charm, gives worth
to Its possessor. Such a person -
refined, genuinely refined. because his
refinement Is the outcropping of his
soul and not the habilimept OF
groom. He is cultured genuinely cul-
tured. because high thinking always
takes practical form In culture thar
cannot fail--a culture as high above
that which comes of fashionable ltv-
ing as real man Is above his pam
pered horse or real woman is above
her fondled poodle. The man or w"-
man OF culture Ia at home in the kitch-
en- or the workshop, In the parlor,
In society, In educated circles, among
the unlearned, amid wealth or pow
erty, everywhere or anywhere and at
any time. His culture does not puff
him UP. but makes him the servant OF
all his fellows and wherever there
Is a human need TO be satisfied, he has
found his friend and neighbor. Sueh
culture comes unconsciousiy, as by
product II comes without being
sought for but when 1t has come, what
a richness. what JOY. what halo OF
glory II lends the life of its possessor
and Of every one with whom he comes
In contact, And nothing else can yield
1t so sweetiy as the college course.
V. CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
But the crowning contribution OF
education to life-eauipment Is Chris
tan charA,ter. Nothing else can take
it's place. And the education. which
fails in this respect has failed beyond
redemption. 1t becomes the enemy
OF progress and should be cast into
cute, darkness man without char
acter. without Christian character, IL
a danger to our civilization. and the
better he is educated the greater men-
ace he becomes to our free insfttu-
tons We want education. and we
will have it: but we want education
based on Christian character even
more and we are determined to have
IT, We will not permit any maudiln
sentimentaiity in regard to the me-
cessity of free thought to rob us OF
the most vital element in any educa-
tion--character and the God that
makes character possible. We believe
in the right Of every individual TO
choose his own religious faith. but we
also believe that the educational sys-
tenn should make 1t easy. not hard.
for him to have faith at all. Free
dom OF thought is not synonymous
with skepticism and infidelity, and II
it liz, we will have no more freedom
, Of thought. The american people
have issued their ultimatum to TINS
fetish OF a deluded age. They have
said to It: You shall not cruelty
the most priceless possession OF life,
Christian character. on your cross or
free thought Christian character has
been our nations bu1wark in all our
generations. 1t has brought us to
leadership in national and private life.
1t has been our pillar OF fire by night
and our pillar of cloud by day. 1t IL
to US evidence that the God of our
fathers Is with us yet, and you
shall not sacrifice this glorious
heritage on your altar OF free-thought.
II your education cannot give w
as it's crowning work the sweet fruit
age and exquisite charm of Christian
character, then we will dwell with the
/ LORD in the tents OF the untutored and
the unlearned." SO say the American
people and 30 say we.
Which, We Are Determined Our Edu-
| 0t1onA System Shall Yield Us.
| And yet there are institutions in
! this Christian land, in this land where
the sentiments. just expressed. repre-
sent the mature Judgment of ninety
| per cent and more Of our people. In
| this Christian land OF whose Christian
! ideals bodying themselves forth In
! most humanitarian methods and IN
stitutions we are pardonably proud.
in this delightful Christian land.
where the weak grow strong, and the
strong grow great" there are educa-
| tional institutions from which young
men and women, the flower of our
country, each year emerge after four
years Of study and research. with no
more conception Of tho true God
and Of their relationship to Him or
, OF His relationship to society than II
they had been educated in the jun
| gles of Afrcia Isn't IL awful? 1t Is
more than awful. but the day of re-
F, demption Is at hand. We have scented
the enemy, and he Is ours. We win
never give up the battle. but will
| fight II out along this line If it takes
| us our lifetime And when we pass
| off the arena, we will transmit the
feud to our children. and they TO
theirs till the virus of this deadiy
Iheresy has been absolutely eliml-
mated from the veins of our national
life. We value education. but we value
Christian character even more. and
the beauty Of 1t liz that we can have
L. rxsh yxsi1