The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-06-10
THE TRANSMISSION OF IDEALS
CONTINUED from page Two,

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every man have access 10 what he
can use, 10 let every mind get al the
things which that mind can make
the highest use Of In order 10 elevate
the life which II serves. Not only
that but Berea Ia meant 10 do the
fundamental. democratic thing. Al
tree does not derive its strength
from its flower or from its fruit. u
derives its strength from its roots.
II derives all the vital sources Of its
life from the soil and those portions
Of its structure that draws the vital
sources Of the soil into them. And
so with n nation. The nation IL not
fed from the top. II is not fed from
the conspicuous people down. 70 Is
fed from the inconspicuous people
M: and these institutions, which
like Rrea. go into the unexhausted
soils and tap their virgin resources
are the best feeders Of democracy.
What America has indicated
above all things else Is that native
ability has nothing 10 do with social
origin. II is very amusing some
times 10 see the airs that high so
cie,y gives itself. The world could
dispense with high society and new
or miss IL. High society is for those
who have stopped working and no
longer have anything important TO
do. Those who can open up the
great origins Of power are those who
feed the nation: and when one thinks
f that old stock in storage there In
The mountains for over an hundred
wears. unlapped. some Of the origi-
nal stuff out Of which America was
made. waiting 90 be used, one ought
,o bid Godspeed ~ those men who
are going there and using this old
capi,al that has not even been put
on, al interest: that has been, as II
were. kept in n chimney-piece until
somebody shall go 10 IL. and use II,
and find that the usury from II was
that same usury Of freedom and OF
power and 81 capacity which has
been so characteristic Of America
from the first.
81 do not see how anybody can
think " Berea and the work IL has
Ia do without catching fire."
President Wilson SAYS, The oh
ject ~ Berea College Is TO give To
people who have not had an oppor-
,unity - Ia go into the unexhausted
soils and tap their virgin resources"
Now this is a spiritual interpre-
tation ~ things which many people
do no, think are fine or great at all.
TO give 20 people who have not
had il an opportunity" How does
Berea do thats Why by taking the
pain. 10 provide board for si.35 a
week. by preventing our literary So
cieties from running into banquets
and vain expenditures. by undergo
ing the trouble Of supervising the
manual labor Of unframed students,
nv gathering second hand clothing
and small sums 81 money and giving
out this clothing and money In a
friendly. discriminating way. 10
hundreds 81 students. one by one.
Now such tasks as these are 10
many people disagreeable and re-
pugnant. II sounds well To say we
are giving an opportunity To those
who have not had IL. hut when II
actually comes To red table-cloths,
and rules about student expenses,
and puttering with student labor
and begging gifts and making indi-
vidual appropriations from the
student aid fund. then many good
people ask 10 he excused.
And il sounds well to say, we go
into the unexhausted soils and tap
their virgin resources, but when ~
actually comes to doing this thing IL
seems less poetic. We have had
workers in Berea who always get out
OF this task Of tapping virgin re-
sources. Translated into plain IAN
guage this tapping OF virgin re-
sources" which President wilson
speaks Of means 10 get acquainted
Nwith a family that does not send It's
= hildren To school. There are your
virgin resources. You must ride 10
the end OF the road, and walk TO the
head Of the hollow, and enter the
two-roomed cabin. and sit down 10
a table without cloth, among dogs
and chickens and children God bless
themN and make friends with a wo-
man who never saw city ana a
man VINO never wore a collar, ana
then you will have found the unex-
hausted soil, and he ready for the
glorious task described by President
Wilson OF tapping the virgin re-
sources.
With all its imperfections Berea
is believed to be doing this KIND OF
thing more vigorously and success