The daily star-mirror., 1923-02-14
A MENTAL ARISTOCRACY.

10 lllull IuS cuIOllultul " thOoO VIM
may be judged mentally fit to receive
an education, which would result, IN
many cases, in relegating to ditch
digging, or some other manual labor,
many a young man who would be
willing to work his head off to get
college education, but who is, per-
haps, not able to master all the stu
dies which are prescribed in his
course, and must therefore, no matter
how much ability he may have along
some particular line, or how eager he
may be to learn, give up his life's
desires to secure an education The
idea does not smack of true demo-
cracy, and probably won't get very
far, but is nevertheless worthy of
some consideration.
The students of the University OF
Oregon, through their daily news
paper, are taking up the fight against
what tey term mental aristocracy,'
a recent editorial stating in part:
"At the present time there is
geat-yet subtle-movement going on
which will eventually change the
whole complexion of the University OF
Oregon. and other universities of the
country. Quite briefly it may be said
to be an attempt, by means of propa-
ganda and regulations, to sell the idea
of a mental aristocracy" to the peo-
pie at large. Along with this goes
the accompanying idea: All low
brows should go back to the plow
and pick. The ineffable bliss of cul-
ture is not for them, and they
shouldn't be allowed through the por-
tails of wisdom's sanctuary. And more
Of that kind of talk. Quite definitely
and frankly then, the universities OF
the country are class institutions,
open only to men of one distinct
class
We have tried to retain the opti-
mistic philosophy that within GER
tain rough circle of qualifications,
equality is a very essential thing to
the progress and happiness Of our
peculiar form Of government We be-
lieve that the rough and ready ming
ling of all kinds of people from all
of life's stations is the one thing that
will keep us progressive and vigorous.
Despite all cynicisms to the contrary
we Americans believe in equality.
"The man who stands to be most
hit is that kind of chap who isn't /
especially brilliant to begin with
whose mental machinery moves slowly
and sometimes uncertainty. Perhaps
he hasn't much money, but he does
feel that he'd like to submit himself
to the experience of going to school,
wanting something he has never be-
fore had (Men like this want their
hearts desire quite as potently as the
most brilliant of geniuses, you know
Well, he comes to school, works his
way. struggles with unfamiliar studies,
and finally, from the combination OF
circumstances, f1unks out. The pres
sure has been too much. He has per-
haps, sweated and slaved, and fol-
lowed his ideal as humbly and faith
fully as the best of honor scholars.
Yet out he goes. In some way he IS
a better man than the honors man,
for he has bucked strange game,
trying for higher stakes. And he goes
out. Now is it right to bar him?
"What are we trying to turn out
here in this school anyway, scholars,
or balanced and substantial charac-
ters? The two are not synonymous"
"a - -
BACK-SEAT DRIVERS.
1t seems strange that in all the
discussion of the proposed legislation
intended to place additional restric-
tons on the automobiles nothing has
been said about regulating the back
seat driver.
Conservative investigators estimate
hat fully 978 per cent of the wives
If automobilists direct the driving
rom that position by explicit COM
nand, obvious hint, suppressed ex-
,itement, telepathy or auto-sugges-
ion.
Where the wives drive it is esti-
nated that fully SO per cent of the |
usbands do the same thing.
The back-seat driver who has no
ctual control over gears, levers, or
rakes comments on the rate of
3eed, the margin by which the ditch
As missed. the trouble with the en- -