Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-30
Blu Bishop w. 4. Gambler

There are certain ailments which pre-
vail among men VINO pursue certain
avocations, such as "clergyman's sore
throat" among preachers, and painters
collie" among painters. A disease OF
this kind peculiarly besets certain type
Of college men. and may be called there
fore. 'Morbus Academicus- II Is
mental aiIment. but is not the less IN
furious and dangerous on that account
AT this season OF the year, when so
many young men, with various diplomas
.nd degrees. are going out from the col
Ieees il may be well TO warn them
AGAINST this distemper and give them
some idea OF its characteristic symp-
toms.
Its most frequent manifestation takes
the form OF an unsympathetic state OF
mind towards all mankind outside OF
narrow circle OF literary clansmsn OF
superciIious and conceitej type II has
no heart for common people" and COM
mon things. II becomes ridiculous in
its excIusiveness and despicable in its
petty selfishness. II makes more OF
what il calls culture" than it does OF
conscience and prates OF scholar
ship" 10 the neglect OF duty.
A great American writer has describ-
ed il thus: There is nothing outside
of its circle to be admired or tolerated
Whatever work it does, is done for the
few. To contribute by kind and self
adaptive purpose to the wants Of the
many is what IL never does II Is too
proud to be useful. II would be glad TO
command or 10 lead. but II VIII not
serve II works away at its own re-
finement and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, but re-
fuses to come down into the dusty ways
OF life. TO point men upwards, and 70
help them bear their burdens"
As might be expected, this mental dis
order infects its victims with all sorts
az silly affectations Some Of these ten
denotes TO affectation break out in the
style Of dress, the cut of the hair, or
the manner Of walking, which the dis
eased parties assume They rarely. II
ever. fail to fall into some peculiarittes
OF speech or mannerisms of accent Like
the fallen apostle in the palace OF the
high priest. their speech betrayeth
them By these tokens they are cas-
lily discerned by even casual observers;
and on account OF these eccentricities
they become the laughing stock OF all
sensible people
An exclusive set of any sort Is al
WAYS more or less ridiculous and repre-
hensible. but never more so than when
such a set is composed Of men who have
had good advantages educatiOnally. Men
who have had collegiate education ought
TO know history and they ought to have
some acquaintance with good manners
and. hence, they are the more ineNcus-
able when they practice snobbish eX-
clusiveness and affect airs" Of any
sort A truly intellectual and cultured
man IS too broad-minded and well in
formed 70 succumb TO such small and
contemplate selfishness- Genuine Gull
ture broadens ones sympathies and
tends TO simplicity of speech and mod
esty OF manner; IL is never exclusive
and pretentious-
In nearly every college or university
faculty may be found some men of real
culture and others VINO have fallen vic
tins TO the morbus academicus; and a
man with half an eye can see that only
the men Of the former class are worth
their salt; they alone influence students
in a wholesome and inspiring manner.
Unfortunately, however, the teachers
who belong TO the latter class have the
ability 70 propagate their kind among
students; and just as insects have more
offspring than lions these men engender
not a few scholastics in their own I'M
age and likeness By them and their
sort collegiate education is brought
into contempt often.
They talk OF learning for its own
sake" and culture for its own sake %
and other such shallow stuff.
Now. nothing can be more senseless
and selfish than culture for its own
sake. One might as well talk OF taking
food for its own sake The end OF knowl-
edge IS not knowledge itself but IL IS
a higher, nobler. more generous. and
more useful life. One may stun him.
self with knowledge simply because II
is palatable TO him. but If IL enter not
into the processes Of his life. he simply
becomes an intellectual glutton, and in
the end a sour dispeptic-
The seeking and attaining OF intellcc-
tual culture. merely for the sake OF
holding II in possession. has the same
degrading effect upon the human soul
as that which comes TO the miser from
boarding gold Some of the meanest
narrowest men in the world are the
most bookish. AS they have become
more learned by study, more exact in
their scholarship. and more delicate In
their taste. they have become more
fastidiOus. disdainful and selfish al
last they become utterly frigid and
forceless incapable OF sympathy With
the world of common life and unable
to warm towards any of their fellow
men except such as praise them for
their supposed attachments and set ar
extravaGant value upon their scholastic
accommodations.
IL were better 10 be the most inlet
tered hind. that homeward driving the
iowly steer. tells how mans daily work
rOes forward here than to be one of
these Ruthless forms OF finished flu
uiity.
To save the educated classes from be-
coming morally infertile by the preva-
Ience OF the ''morbus academicus
among them. all our educational insti-
buttons ought to be permeated by the