Evening star., 1922-10-22
BY THOMAS r. MARsHALL.
Forner Vice President Of the United
States.

= sSosS-S
States.
r IS fortunate In the midst Of
turmoil and confusion in Eu-
rope and the doubt and un-
certainty that surround the
relations which the United States
should assume. that now and then
our minds should be diverted by
some question Of really internal
Importance. How many safety
valves our republic may have / do
not know. It Is such a complex
bit Of machinery that our extra
head Of steam need not be dis
charged at one single point. When
we are oppressed In mind and
doubtful as to the real course
which we ought to pursue, 1t is
just as well for some internal
question OF moment to arise: In
its consideration we may fnd re-
lief from the brain fag which rem
ders us unfit for useful service in
1t was. therefore. with pleasure
that I noted that President Hop
kins Of Dartmouth College had in
the classic language Of the street
thrown the educational fat into the
fire. II he be not a man with
boilerplate -sensibilities. he will
eter is low neUt winter. Indeed. II
the sudden outburst Of criticism
against him continues. we may ex.
pect resolutions and petitions to
the Congress Of the United States
seeking his deportation to Smyrna
or some other desolate city Of the
devastated east. He: aceording to
pardonable sin by suggesting
rather modestly. 1t seemed to me.
that opportunities Of higher edu-
cation ought to be increasingly
restricted to an aristoctacy Of
brains composed OF the tntellec-
tually alert and eager. II this de-
mocracy Is to become quality
tity.
Too many men are going to COL
lege. he believes. He was quoted
as saying:
THE opportunities Of obtaining
an education by way OF the college
course are definitely a privilege
and not at all q universal right. es-
pecially since funds. either publical-
ly or privately given. are limited.
A working theory that will coop
crate to define the individuals to
whom in Justice to public good the
privilege shall be extended and to
specify those from whom the priv
ilege should be withheld. Is essen
tial. Too often men reputed to
be seeking an education are only
seeking membership in social or
ganization which has a reputation
compatible with all the concep-
tions Of democracy to assume that
the privilege Of higher education
should be restricted to any class
defined by the accident Of birth or
by the fortuitous circumstances of
possession OF wealth. but there is
such a thing as an arfstocracy OF
brains, made up Of men intellec-
tually alert and intellectually
eager. to whom increasingly the
opportunity Of higher education
His talk has been declared by
critics to be un-American. foolish,
un-democratic. hold no brief to
defend him IN the forum OF public
opinion and am not called upon
BY anv dutv that I know Of TO give
my UndUANd6d assent TO the ian.
gage that he used. Nevertheless. II
his address shall result In a sober
consideration not alone Of educa-
tiona1 methods. but Of American
life in relation thereto. much as the
criticism may be unpleasant to
him. he will have done a great
service to his country.
We long have heen obsessed by
the word democracy" used as a
shihboleth for all sorts of causes.
and we long have had an In
grained distaSte for the word
"aristocracv." To most of US one
spells perfection and the other
spells perdition. As a matter Of
fact words in and Of themselves
cannot be used to describe char
acteristica A good word may be
used for a bad purpose and q bad
word for good purpose. Aris:
to0acy. has been In the world
from the beginning Of time; It
will be here until centripetal and
centrifugal forces shall cease to
be- a part of the laws OF nature
and this old world is sent whirling
into space or consumed by the
sun The worst aristocrats in the
world today are those distfn-
guishetl democrats. Lenin and
Trotsky. and the greatest demo-
Gratis in the world today are those
who are trying to fashion their
lives along the lines Of that great
est Of democrats and greatest Of
~ No~o YAth