Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-12-14
THE TESTS OF BROAD CULTURE.
BY ]. o. Knott.


worth League OF the Methodist Church,
and presented the results of some two
or three million votes on the ten great /
est men of all time.
do not write with the list before
me, but give the names as far as can
recall in their order. Thomas Edison
headed the list, with T. r. Roosevelt,
as second. Then William Shakes
peare came in for his vote. II. w
Longfellow came fourth and Alfred
Tennyson fifth. Herbert Hoover came
sixth, and Charles Dickens seventh
If mistake not, Mr.. Emerson came in
as the eighth. General Pershing came
ninth. have forgotten the tenth, but
he was an American.
Now, one of the most curious things
about this selection was that a bright
young woman took tine list to her Of
fee in one Of the most important de-
partments of the government, and
thought TO have good laugh over the
concensus of Epworth League opinion.
Office force warmly commended the
choice of the list, and looked upon the
young woman, who thought TO hear
pcals of laughter as she read, with sus-
picion of her red -blooded American
ism
call on my good friend, Mr.. st,
John Dyer, to help me in the task that
feel is too much for me. | cannot
men of all time, as given by several
million young church people, makes mo
laugh. Deep in my heart | feel some
thing of sinking sensation, a pang
of more than regret, for see in this
list shame for our country and for tho
church, as we'll as for the schools Of
our land. And when the opinion of the
millions of young people Of the League
is endorsed by an Office full of civil
service men and women, with their I'M
usually rare opportunities for broad
culture, then | am dismayed
To begin with the church: These
young people of the League have been
in touch with preaching and missionary
information for a large part of their
lives. The Epworth League is not
made up of children, but men and wo-
men of something like an average of
twenty years. Their school days are
behind them, and they are old enough
to appreciate what is said in the pull |
pit and from the rostrum on world
topics and world-known men.
I say without hesitation that the list
OF men selected by this numerically
powerful organization is blot on the
church as culturing force, and as an
inspiration to unbiased, comprehen- |
sive, and discriminating thinking.
If we cannot get glimpses Of larger
life from the pulpit and the church |
press, where are we to look for it? |
have criticised myself for almost Sc
verify at times, when in happening to
enter church am treated to the most |
narrow and grotesque interpretations
OF history. have tried to bring my
self to believe that these superficial
men whom | have heard do not rep.
resent the American pulpit. I have
hoped that the monotonous cry of |
America First" and genuine Amer |
icanism,' which are often used to
back up our Cooking out for number |
one" and regarding the whole world |
outside of the United States as thieves |
and robbers would not be taken SER
iously by any considerable part of the !
audiences. But we have reaped what
we have sown. Our American church |
people, as indicated by this large body 7
Of men and women of more than aver
ige intelligence, are shamefully want. |
ng in the very rudiments of history |
and the facts of the human race Our /
teachers need to be taught We bring |
down on ourselves contempt. More .
enlightened nations must laugh at our
larrowneSs and national short sighted ,
ness.
Such judgment of the ten greatest
men of all time is a severe reflection
IN our schools. Do we teach nothing
)ut American history in our inStitu-
ions of learning? Are we no better
IAN the Chinese of other days? Are
We so practical" and so modern" tina; !
men like Socrates, or Sir Isaac Newton. !
II Moses, or CoperncuS, or Paul, or |
Lharlemagnc are too far behind the
ines to have any interest for us? In .
Ieaven's name, where are We drifting
%, if We think that General Pershing