New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-04
AMERICAN IDEALS
A Sane Optimist's Inspiring Lit
tie Book.

AMERICAN IDEALS. By Clayton seigwick Cooper
ilmo. ~. - 37s Doubleday. Page n 60.
Here are the words of Ursa Major
fulfilled unto us. "Who drives fat oxen
should himself be fat" Who writes
Of ideals should himself have ideals
Assuredly, Mr.. Cooper has them. His
every line sets forth the fact. He is an
idealist in education, in his conception
of what il is to be an American, in his
attitude toward the immigrant. in his
consideration of the getting and the
using OF wealth, in religion. in soci-
ology, in politics and in patriotism.
Idealism, and again idealiSm, and yet
once more ideaism.
He is, however. the most practical Of
ideaists; for an idealist may be as
practical as Gradgrind himself. There
are those who walk with their heads IN
the clouds. and the vapors prevent them
from seeing the earth around them and
the things that fill IL; wherefore they
misjudge the things around them, and
stumble. Not 50 Mr.. Cooper. He does
get his head pretty high; so high that
many readers will have TO stand tiptoe
end stretch their necks 70 gain his
level. But there are 10 vapors TO bar
his vision. He sees the earth at his
feet as clearly as though he lay prone
upon il. And he sees not merely the
forms and outward appearances OF the
things about him, but also their inner
meaning, and his power to tell ac-
curately and convincingly what he sees
is comparable with his power to see IT,.
Americans, TO his mind. are idealists
in high degree; their nation IS found
ed upon ideals, FOR the most part
worthy and lofty. They do not always
live up 10 all OF them. Who does? Too
often, indeed, they are unconscious Of
their idealsms; or are, like Mohere's
hero, idealists in spite Of themselves.
Moreover. as IS not unnatural IN these
circumstances, they sometimes let their
ideals run away with them to sucn an
extent as 10 defeat their own aims.
What is needed, then, is that they shall
realize definitely what American ideals
actually are, or should be; next. the
extent TO which they are themselves IN
sympathy with them, not only theoreti-
calIy but also practically, and 10 what
extent they are upholQing them and
striving Tor their fun mcnt; and, final
Is, in what way they may more eff
ciently and prontably cultivate them.
The book aims, in brief but compre-
hensiye compass, TO meet these needs.
II tells US what an American is, and
what he should be-not always the
same. 1t DO h compares and contrasts
American with Oriental ideals /.
links up ideal!sm with util.tarianisn..
and reminds Us how successfully the
two have been comb ned in some Of tn
most typlcally American careers
Where the two most fail, perhaps, o.
such beneGcent Union. is in our educa
tional systems. .kough that is precise
ly where their cooperation should mos.
prevail. On this point a fine contra
IS drawn between the American and the
English school spirit. which ever.
American schoolmaster might profit
ably study IL may seem s,artl ng
say that West Point a.d Annapolis ar"
the only two schools in Amer ca that
really give disclp.inarian training for
hard WORK equal to that which tn
youth IS 10 experience in the compel
tive struggles in The world. Yet ther.
can be no doubt that these two i'm
measurably surpass all others in IN
doing of that supremacy essen.ia
thing; and they are the very Two H.
which ideals are most influential an
are most cheri shed.
On the whole Mr. Cooper is mos
buoyant optmst. He sees our ma
tional faults plainly enough. but h
also sees our virtues, and our aim oSt
l.mitless potentaltes. and he has un-
wavering faith in our ability 10 work
out Il triumphant destiny. Nor L. thi'
the least profitable feature of the book
1t is good thing now and then to
appreciate ourselves. That does no,
mean that we are all 20 be Jefferson
Bricks, or that our school biographies
are 10 teach that the United States il
bounded on the north by the Aurora
Borealis, on the south by the preces-
sion of the equinoxes, on the east by
primUal chaos. and on the west by the
Day Of Judgment. But then. neither
are we 10 pose as a sort OF St. Simeon
Stylites among the nations. Between
the two Mr.. Cooper traverses most
safe and sane course, and his converse
with US is invariably helpful and in
spring. He is. in the words OF Lowell
which he quotes. on, OF those who be
lieve that the real will never find an
irremovable basis till it rests on tn
ideal; and in this luminous little vol
ume he does fine work for making US
all believe that, and for inspiring u
all TO work in turn for the establish
ment Of the nation upon that basis.