Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-15
EDUCATION AND EXCELLENCE

Theodore Roosevelt
EDUCATION AND EXCELLENCE
"America is facing as no other
people has faced before the funda--
mental conflict between two moral
problems-the law of taste, that is,
Of excellence, which recognizes
value; and the law which the Anglo
Saxon practices-the law Of sharing
the good things of life, the principle
Of democracy.
1--WE are tired of world that
gives the good things to the few. we
are determined that everybody
should have a chance, whether 1t be
political or spiritual. ] believe thai
Democracy means education. 1t Is
the only thing you can give to the
people on a large scale to help them
get out of life what it has to give
But when you give excellent things
to the crowd it pulls them down. The
crowd puts down the individual"
These comments from recent ad-
dress of President Mciklejohn OF
Amherst refer to a problem which
many apparently do not know exists
At first one may wonder at the &C.
casion for them in this day when
colleges are turning away applicants
for admission. Why should college
president be puzzling over such a
problem at a time when the demand
on learning, or to be exact on the
ways supposed Correctly or incor-
rectly) to lead to learning, is greater
than ever before? Is 1t possible the
ways bear the wrong guide signs. or
that the demand is really for some
thing else, that the pursuit of learn
ing is not after all animated by q
desire for the truth or for the high
est standards?
In one sense education cannot be
given, any more than experience may
be given to those who will not ac-
cept 1t. A certain amount of en-
lightenment may be and Is forced
on the child. He may be taught rules
of health and led in ways where he
may verify what he is taught, a sort
Of education which will not be COM
pleted during his life. But do we
realize the meagerness of this which
we call education? We think Of those
who pull down EXCELLENT things" as
educated because they have been
taught certain prescribed courses
over certain periods of time and have
passed certain tests, when really
they are no more enlightened in pro-
portion to the understanding which
they may have had opportunity to
possess than is the immature child
who pulls apart the toys thrust upon
him by generous elders.
1.-THE crowd is jealous and hates
excellence hence men are beginning
saying there never has been a
democracy, that it is dream and
that the civilization Of Greece and
Rome were founded on slave labor.
1.-THE slave supported little coterie
of thinkers" and so on.
Is it not reasonable to suppose that
slaves we have with us yet; that
while the slaves Of the old civiliza-
tions were made so by their masters,
the slaves Of today are chiefly of
their own making? Are not efforts
being made in ways, SO numerous as
to be bewildering, to rescue these
from their slavery. to drink, to drugs,
to the mania for gambling and to a
Thousand and one other masters?
Is not comprehension Of excellence
wider than ever before in the world ?
Is not the crowd better educated in
the standards of certain kinds of ex-
cellence, be 1t in baseball, pugilism
or patriotism than ever before? Is
not the alarming feature rather the
hind of excellence to which the COM
mon mind is open with comprehen-
sion, the kind of ideals back of 1t all ?
Assuming this the correct conclu-
sion the problem is none the less
and the solution of it must be sought
in the same place as President
Meiklejohn seeks his. America, he
says, is trying to educate her youth
1--WE cannot at present turn, back,
he concludes, though he seriously
questions eventual success and a,
best does not look for it without 9
long and continued effort to make
the common standard that Of excel
lence, as the human spirit will moi
have 1t otherwise. Even so, we are
confronted with the experience
which has taught that a little learn.
Ing Is dangerous thing, that pearls
thrown before swine are wasted be-
cause the swine better comprehend
the excellence Of appetite and II
educated might seek experiences ir
gluttony. But what human beins
really wants only the comprehension
Of the swine respecting excellence
and how may he be led to a better
comprehension Of excellence? In.
deed "the plot thickens."