The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-02-27
County Supt:

County Supt:
in spite of the fact that all during the
campaign they talked loudly againss
high taxes and the poor down troddeh
taxpayer. A few visits TO Winthrop
and to Charleston and they have for
gotten all about the campaign ana
the promises they made. But, looh
here, | am not going to get into poll-
tics by the remotest degree even III
writing anything about it.
Speaking at a banquet TO the Am
1ierst alumni short time ago on the
College Spirit Secretary Lansing
said some mighty good things. wish
I could quote him in full. He saio
he could not speak Of the supreme
subject OF American thought today.
It was not time to speak. 1t was
a time to think He paid high ana
deserved tribute to President Wilson
and said that the nation could trust
him and that in his hands the destiny
of the United States was safe, to all
Of which I most sincerely agree, Out
what I wanted to refer 70 his speech
for is to quote another thought which
it contained. And here is the quo
tation ] want to make:
THE American people, and | think
they are no different from other peo-
ples, have been growing more ana
more utilitarian in these later years,
their thoughts and acts more anu
more Influenced by what is called the
practical and less and less by what 10
called the ideal. Immediate and tah-
gible benefit is the apparent goal Of
American effort.
1T is indeed a commentary on the
Ameri an people, that not a few
thinking men have been asking with
serious concern: 'Havv American eyes
grown dim to the achievements of The
past? Has the blood of patriotism
ceased to throb in American VEINS {.
Have we forgotten that our heritage
of liberty was sealed with the lives
of devoted men and that it is a sacred
trust which We must hold and trans7
NIT unimpaired to the generations 20
come?'
81 believe most firmly that every,
one Of these questions can be answer
ed in the negative. | believe that at
heart the American people are loyal
and patriotic. Put to, the test, 1 90
not fear the outcome. And yet feei
that the spread Of materialism has
been a menace to our national charac~
ter to which We should not be indlf-
ferent, a menace which ought not ana
must not continue.
"To preserve in their high place
in the life of the republic those great
impulses which have made US Ylrlie
and proud nation we must cultivate
sentiment and emphasize the ldeai
more than We have done in recent
years. We must cease measuring ac-
complishment by dollars and cents.
Sentiment of every sort provided IT'D
object is noble is worth while"
Just what I have said so many
times, that | believe that am getting
to be a prophet. l said the same thing
many times long before this world
war began. This materialism is no
new thing, but the war that is raging
all over the world may be a result OF
that spirit Of materialism which ls hg
no means confined to the United
States. but is world widefin its scope.
To build a great nation and a great
people and fine citizenship we must
cultivate a higher sentiment and have
an ideal that is not purely material.
That is what | have said for many
years. In fact even before | began
to write these articles | was an a.
dent advocate Of the idea OF teach
inc even in our schools more sent1-
ment and not emphasizing so much
those things which were material. Ana
| am glad to have the endorsement OF
so nigh an authority as the secretar!
of State in the cabinet Of President
Wilson. am more than pleased that
he agrees with me, and | am almost
persuaded that he, has been reading
some of my articles. I know they
would be helpful to him and | wish
some one would send him a marked
copy Of some o. my recent articles
along this line as well as this one
which gives him credit for agreeing
with me IN these fine sentiments. But
| am going to write more about this
in another article And I must say IN
closing that this is but another way
Of saying that the things about which
old fogy and another old fogy wrote
are the things that should be taught
in our schools and instilled in the
hearts and minds Of the children OF
this country. More sentiment. Just
another word to express the same
idea. Au revoir.
THE IDLER. !