Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-10-25
Only FeU Understand,
Says Wizard of MenIO


/ thing over. If the people Of the United
States had Imagination they could under
stand thing the first time they were
told and be ready to act at once"
NO CHANCE
FOR SELF-GOvERNMENT
IF only 2 per cent can understand"
Mr.. Edison was asked, what chance is
there for self government?
Not a chance on EARTH" he replied.
1--WE have no self government. We have
government by a little group Of men,
most of whom are lawyers. You know
what Herbert Spencer said about govern
ments? He said the average intelligence
represented by governmental acts WITS
lower than the intelligence Of the least
Intelligent memter of the government.
ernments."
HUMAN INTELLECT
HAS MADE PROGRESS.
Edison was asked If human intellect
had gained anything In power since the
days of the Greek philosophers.
II think 1t has gained a good deal in
power" he replied. THE Greek philos-
ophers were pretty blind Almost every
thing we have today was before their
eyes, but they could not see much of
anything. The lathe was looking at
them. The turbine was staring them in
the face. The internal combustion engine
that is being so wOndrously developed to-
day could have been produced almost as
easily by the ancient Greeks as 1t was
by US. 1t is astounding how long things
can remain right in front Of US and not
be observed, or at least, not understood.
Humboldt said It was a standing re-
Election upon science that 1t did not I'M
Gerstand and therefore could not ex-
plain the passage of force between the
two ends OF a horseshoe magnet. 1t Is
just as much of reflection upon US that
we do not yet know how a tird sustains
itself in the air without tapping Its
wings"
The fact that each generation produces
per cent who are able to understand
a self-evident fact when plainly stated
seemed to indicate that there were laws
in operation that inexorably produced
the . per cent. Mr.. Edison was asked If
he did not consider that the per cent
were created by the fortnitous operation
OF natural laws, and he said he did. He
was then asked II he believed 1t might
be possible to discover the laws that
create superior beings and consciously
gS~about it TO accelerate the speed at
which humanity is intellectually improv-
ing.
The possibility already exists in the
Ory," he replied, land It will exist In fact
as soon as we learn more about the laws
that produce brain power.
WHY PARTNERSHIP
FAIL
AT present we know very little about
these laws. 1t is all a matter OF associa-
ton. l mean by that, It is a matter OF
-. FnIl e..
side OF US that contain whatever intellect
we pssesS. We are made OF cells, and
some. but not all these cells manifest
whatever intelligence We possess. Some
parents happen to be suited to each Othe-
and their product has exceptional brain
power 1t is just Ike two men going in
to partnership. IL they happen to be
just the right kind OF men and also
happen to be suited to each other, they
make a wonderful success at business. I
thousand other partnerships fall and no.
body knows why one succeeded and the
others did not"
The important thing, he said. "is not
to make young children study things
they don't like The moment school is
not play 1t is an injury. l don't know
quite the age at which a child's mind
atrophies. but it is somewhere between
the ages Of IL and IA. Make a child
study what 1t does not like and keep this
up until 1t is II years old and Its brain
IL impaired forever.
THE kindergarten is the place to begin.
Children like to learn II they are taught
right They have great curiosity. But
they want TO be interested. Our educa-
tional methods do not interes. them.
Change these methods and many mo,e
freaks will be produced"
Mr.. Edison stopped, as he often does
during an interview. and remained silent
almost a minute. Then he looked up and
said:
The possibilities for the development
of the human brain are almost infinite.