Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-23
SPIRITUALLY ASLEEP

To the Editor Of the Euening LCdge,"
Sir-YOur invitation for expressions of
opinions on the question rs America Spir
ituaIly Dcgeuerate?' is one worthy of the
moist careful consideration. Mr.. Oders ar
ticle is distinctly a challenge which, it Is
hoped. viii have a wide distribution, but,
like all such passionate writing, depends
for its effect largely upon what it omits.
America, / would say, ts not spiritually
Degenerate but spiritually asleep. And
this condition has been induced mainly by
the tremendous strain of living which nat
urally produces state OF nerve exhaustion.
1t is physical reasons that in large part
explain the lack Of response TO appeals
of the more heroic nature of which Mr..
Oden speaks. Not entirelS. of course. for
there can be no doubt that large sections
Of our population are wholly Indifferent to-.
spiritual things The crowds that attend
the movies" attest the moral exhaustion
of our people, who wish, above everything
else to be amused and entertained with
the least possible expenditure of gray mat
ter Vast numbers, too Of our young
people Of better education and opportunity
have no higher aim in life than TO enjoy
themselves in way that would shock their
parents The appeal of the spiritual, though
il is of the most vital sort, finds no point
of contact Belgium! ! have heard scores
of theIn say: What has this beastly war
got to do with us? If they want 10 go to
the dogs that is none OF our business ON
with the dance These deluded mortals
have plenty of money for their own pleas
ure: they often spend in one night enough
TO keep several Belgian families from want
for weeks 1t is from those who are album
dantly able to give, but who are too intent
on enjoyment, that We get so little response
to any sort of spiritual appeal 1t does not
take a philosopher TO see that they are
spiritually asleep.
Another subtle influence. besides physi-
cal exhaustion and pleasure, is the almost
complete secularizatiOn Of our public school
education. If you send ls,OO0,OO0 young
uersons TO school (Which costs them not
nenD and do nothing to enlarge their
moral and spiritual vision you are going
TO send them to sleep so far as their higher
life is concerned. The Introduction OF art
into our schools would do more to awaken
the humane sentiments than anything else,
We at present, exploit the prejudiCes OF the
uupils especially in the teaching of his
tory, making it almost impossible for an
American to feel any sympathy for any
country except his own. All our American
school textbooks of history should be re-
written from the standpoint OF America
as a world power living in a community
of nations, one among the rest not pos
sessng everything and more than any other
member Of the group, This Is the modern
point of view, whether We like 1t or not.
and nobody but an ignoramus supposes or
believes in his heart that we have all the
virtues or that We can ever again enjoy
an .indspendenee" Which virtually amounts
TO selfish isolation,
1 believe too that while democracy is
the true ideal, Il has its weaknesses. Democ-
racy is all right provided every one is
patterning his life on the model OF the
best We have to find some way Of recon
CLING the best in aristocracy (Which means
the power of the besb with the best In
democracy before we shall be spiritually
awake. our present lethargy is due to the
vulgar ideals that animate our sports. our
drama, and to some extent, even our re-
lglon. III. ID.
Easton, Md. January 10.