The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-10-13


lections. Encores were responded
to generously. This wonderful
group of singers is too well known
to need further praise. The singers
covered wide range and then hui
morou> selections were very hap
PLY received d well as their ser
ious ones. The quartet consists OF
Robert Martin, first tenor; Viii
liam Hicks, second tenor, Nelson
RAYMOND, baritone, Frank Can
nell, bass. Miss Lola French as
sisted at the piano.
Bishop Hughes kept his aud
fence at wlapt attention for over
an hour. He 5 a wonderful speak
er and his fund of stories seemed
inexhaustibIe. Every point in his
address "The Perils Of Know
ledge" he illustrated with stories
that run the gamut of the emo.
tons. 1t was broad minded,
straight from the shoulder adj
dress and no one had to guess
about the point at which the bis
hop was driving.
He divided his address into four
points to prove that knowledge
should not be secured for itself
alone. He spoke of the danger of
knowledge unless it is properly ap-
piled. He cited the law of gravita-
ton which if properly used is en-
tirely safe, but if not properly
handled becomes extremely dan
gerous. He said he was safe TO
stand upon the platform where
he stood so long as he maintained
his relative position to the point
of danger which was less than one
foot ahead of him. Should he dis
regard this zone Of safety and step
off into space he would find him
self in serious trouble.
SO it is with the forces of water
and fire. Water if properly stored
up and harnessed is very safe. But
one Pennsylvania town, which
thought it had safely stored up
this power in reservoir, found
that suddenly the barriers had
been carried away and Il whole
city was wiped out by the rush Of
the waters through the valley. The
same applies to fire. Fire if prop
erly controlled is very needful
and comic tn, thing when the
thermometer reaches 40 below
zero in these Vermnt towns. But
let this same Gre get out of con
troll and this great audience sit
ting here would find this building
a mass of charred ruins within an
hour. Thus we must control and
handle the powers that are given
us. This is as true of knowledge
as we of such forces as gravita-
ton, water and fire. Religion is
the greatest force in the world if
properly handled but the most dan
gerous if not properly handled.
OVerdevelopment and self con-
fidence is the first of the peils of
knowledge. He spoke of the young
singer, who, with a naturally fine
voice, is so willing to entertain
with her voice until she gets a de-
gree at a school of music and then
with the knowledge that she knows
just how to sing and can sing, she
acquires the habit of not being
willing to do the things she knows
she cam do. Thus she ceases to
perform Just because she knows
so well how TO perform. This is
the first of the perils of knowledge.
A second peril is the person who
through knowledge becomes crit
cal Of himself and them of others.
The consciousness of some COLLEGE
graduates that they are college
graduates alienates them from the
95 per cent o fthe country's popu-
lation, who have attended college. |
When young college man begins
to talk about the rank and file the
middle classes, the rabble. he has
encountered the second peril of
knowledge. As we have not allowed
a family aristocrack in our nation
let US not allow an intellectual
aristocracy.
A third peril of knowledge is to
make an intellectual life a substi- ,
tute for a moral character. Some
of the finest men I have ever
known or had dealings with have