The Denver Jewish news., 1923-12-27
by CHARLES +. HUGHES
Secretary of StatpD

We come 10 the university atmO'
| sphere with sense of crowds, If pres
sure. of excitement. of the enormous
difficulties created by the mass OF
things. In taking account of these CON
ditions il should be remembered that
! there is nothing novel in dismal fore
4 holdings. The other day ! came across
i this well-considered appraisal in which
| the distinguished jurist. Chancellor
Kent, over ninety years ago passed
| live" said hcy speaking in 1886, in II
period of uncommon excitement. The
| spirit of the age is restless, prcsump-
tuous. and revolutionary. The rapidly
increasing appetite for wealth. the in
ordinate taste for luxury which it en-
genders. the vehement spirit OF specu-
lation and the selfish emulation which
it creates, the growing contempt for
low and moderate gains, the ardent
thirst for pleasure and amusement,
the diminishing reverence for the Wis
dow of the past the disregard of the
lessons of experience, the authority of
ma gistracy. and the venerable institu-
tiOns Of ancestral policy. are so many
had symptoms of IA diseased state of the
public mind" Kent cGuld see the forces
of destruction. but with all his Keen
ness and wisdom he utterly failed 10
take account of the conserving forces
and the processes of II vigorous and
sound development.
But because we do not yield to pes
simism is no reason why we should
ignore the unprecedented situation
with which we have to deal. Our uni
versities and colleges are giving much
thought to the question how they can
save the Nation, but their first duty
is to consider how they can save them
selves. We are flooded, disarranged,
overwhelmed by the sheer force Of num-
hers. our ancient institutions are com
PEELED to resort to processes of selec-
ton that they do not favor Unable
to accommodate all. they are creating
deemed to he best fitted for their priv
ilegcs enter no objection to this
course where there is plainly no al
tentative. But in some way America
must continue to provide the oppor-
turities OF liberal education for the
average man. We must train leaders,
we must give of the best to the best.
but democracy needs not simply n chos-
en- few. hut the elevation of the stand
ards of life and thought among the
masses of the people to the fullest en-
tent practicable. We need not simply
technical and professional schools.
business and commercial schools, yoca-
tional training. hut wide opportunities
for liberal study for those who may
not be intellectually the most promis
ing. If our existing universities and
colleges are compelled to restrict tGeir
numbers. others must be supplied. No
one who desires and who is reasonably
prepared to take advantage of higher
education should be denied it in our
great democracy because of lack of re
sources.
We find ourselves in the age of the
motor, the movie" and the radio,
which with freedom of locomotion,
novel and easy intimacics, and the
ever-present and constantly expanding
enterprise of the press give us delus-
i've facility in acquiring information.
1t is the day of the fleeing vision.
Conccntrat ton, thoroughness. the quiet
reflection that ripens the Judgment are
more difficult that ever.
Facility of communication is agree
able and useful, but il leads not only
TO making more numerous and impor-
tunatc the demands of every calling.
but to vast waste of time by render
iOus work. \ host of Organizations
spring up TO give an artiiicinl insist
ence to these demands. L think that it
is the experience of public officers that
it is not tlte proper work of the office
that wears but the unceasing require
ments of those who have little to do
with the public business and their con-
stant importunities fOr nNtra-otiicial at
tcntion use up nervous energy which
should he devoted to public service.
But so important is the maintenance
of goodwill, SO generous are our Ameri-
can expectations, that it may be said
that public officer gives about one
half of his time in contacts which are
really unnecessary in order that he
may be in a position to serve the other
one-haf
Despite all changes in condition the