Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-01

Il 4. Useless to pras Your Feet
When the people see the young men
and young women Of the American
universities, colleges and other educa-
uonal institutions, breaking away from
the follies that have been handed down
to them, the lesson is impressive. 1t Is
a striking indication Of the times in
which we live, a close-at-hand view OF
the age which Gladstone, and Lincoln,
and Alverstone, and Morley, and Nc
Kinley, and Roosevelt and hundreds
OF others of the first minds Of civiliza-
ton have foreseen and proclaimed.
Today thousands Of students in hum
dreds of institutions are enrolled under
the banner of the intercollegiate Pro-
hibition Association. They are organ
lied. earnest, militant. They demand
q new order Of things. They are dump
ing old usages into the melting pot.
They do not recognize necessary
evils" They, split wide open the hoaiy
idiocy Of personal liberty" They re-
fuse to be counted, when the battle is
over. on the wrong and losing side of
the supreme neral issue. They stand
unafraid before the sneers and the
cowardly dodgers of the forces of So
cial folly. They frankly voice their
contempt for thosein high places, and
those who profess better things, who
tolerate social iniquities because of
their age-entrerched strength.
In Maine three colleges have joined
the worldwide revolt against habit
forming drugs. Their high purpose is
to wipe out the systematic exploita-
ton for criminal profits, of the follies
of the weak and unthinking. The stu
dents of these three Maine colleges
have the hearty support and co-opera-
ton of the college authorities. And
these authorities may be said to have
seen farther than social traditions and
class nonsense: they have recognized
the spirit of the age that has already
begun to show in the preparatory
schools and to be emphasized in the
homes-"We do not want our sons and
daughters to enter the higher insti-
tutions of learning where the greatest
foe to young manhood is tolerated he
cause it is still a social fetish. We do
not wish to send our sons and daughters
where the authorities uphold evil ira
ditions because the over-fed, UNDER
principled rich preserve social idiocy
and ease their consciences by endow-
ing educational institutions"
Henry Louis Smith. president of
Washington and Lee University, says:
"Of all the foes Of young manhood on
the American college campus, alcohol
Is the most subtle and destructive. It
Is peculiarly fitting that the American
college student of today, wiser and
better informed than his predecessors.
should give battle to his ancient and
merciless adversary. If gravestones
PASo VII our Collese grounds to
those slain in the flush Of young man
mood by intoxicating drink, the acres
OF Verdant lawn around even orr hast
institutions would become vast GEM
eteries CHASTITY with thick-strewn head
stones. With a devilish instinct for
maximum destructiveness. this demon
OF the campus seems to pick out for
degradation the gayest, the loyeliest.
the most talented, and to re-enforce
MS assault by enlisting the social and
generous instincts which constitute
the very charm Of youth. Opening al.
ways the gate 10 passion and annette
ne is the aggressive ally Of everything
"hich degrades college life, the pro-
moter OF tragedies innumerable on CIV.
cry campus, the tireless enemv ~ viz
tue purity, diligence and intellectual
development"
anu yet there are college presidents
and professors who not on,v s,,r..
the social idiocy but who frankly o,-
pose the moral course of the Intercol-
'Siste frohibition Association. Their
awakening is coming. however for
'nelr young men are feeling the spirit
OF reconstruction and are for cutting
the chain that anchors them to degen-
eracy.
LOOK. IN the next score Of months to
see the young men and women OF the
colleges reach the front rank of those
who are in TIE work Of replacing social
iniquities with moral standards OF CON-
DUCT IN molcing the characters of the
leaders in coming generations.