Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1923-05-10
American
MdiuiduaHsn1
A Timely Message to
the American People
BY HERBERT. HOOVER
Secretary of Commerce.


NUR social and economic system
cannot march toward better
days unless II is inspffed by
shlngs of the spirit. lt-is here that
the higher purposes OF lndiyldualisln
must find their sustenance. Men do
not live by bread alone. Nor Is in
d.vldualism merely a stimulus to pro-
duction and the road TO liberty; IL
alone admits the universal divine in.
spiratlon of every human soul | may
repeat that the divine spark does not
lie In agreements. in organizations, In
institutions, In masses or In groups.
Spirituality with its faith, Its hope,
its charity, can be increased by each
individuals own effort. And In pro-
portion as each individual increases
his own store OF spirituality, In that
proportion increases the ideallsm OF
democracy.
For centuries, the human race be-
licved that divine Inspiration rested In
a few. The result was blind faith In
religious hlerarchies. the Divine Right
of Kings. The world has been disil-
lusloned of this belief that divinity
rests in any special group or class
whether II be through creed. tyr
amy OF kings or of proletariat Our
indlviduallsIn insists upon the divine
In each human being. II rests upon
the firm faith that the divine spark
can be awakened In every heart II
was the refusal TO compromise these
things that led TO the migration OF
those religious groups who so largely
composed our forefathers. Our diversi-
fed religious. faiths are the apotheosis
Of spiritual individualIsm.
The vast multiplication Of voluntary
are themselves proof OF the ferment
of spirituality. service, and mutual re-
sponslbillty. These associations for
advancement Of public welfare. Inn
proyement, morals. charity, public opin-
ion, health, the clubs and societies
ment. represent something moving at
far greater depth than "joining."
They represent the widespread aspire
ton for mutual advancement. self-ex-
preston. and neighborly helpfulness
Moreover, today when we rehearse
our own individual memories Of sue
cess. we find that none gives US such
comfort as memory OF service given.
Do we not refer to our veterans as
service menl DO not our merchants
and business men pride themselves In
something OF service given beyond the
price OF their goodsf When we trav-
erse the glorious deeds OF our fathers
we today never enumerate those acts
that were not rooted I'm the soil Of
service. Those whom We revere are
those who triumphed In service, for
from them comes the uplift OF the
human heart and the uplift of the
human mind.
While there are forces In the growth
Of our indlvidualism which must be
curbed with vigilance. yet there are
no less glorious spiritual forces grow
ing within that promise for the fu-
ture. There IL developing In our peo-
pie a new valuation Of individuals and
OF groups and OF nations II Is q
rising vision Of service. Indeed II
were to select the social force that
above all others has advanced sharp
ly during these past years OF suffer
ing II Is that Of service-service to
those with whom we come In contact,
service to the nation, and service to
the world itself. II we examine the
great mystical forces Of the past seven
years we find this great spiritual force
poured out by our people as never
before In the history Of the worid-the
ideal. OF service.
Just now we are weakened by the
feeling Of failure Of immediate realiza-
ton OF the great ideals and hopes that
arose through the exnltation Of war.
War by Its very nature sets loose cha
otto forces Of which the resultants can
not be foretold or anticipated. The In
sensitiveness TO the brutalitIes Of physi-
cal violence. and all the spiritual dis
| locations Of war, have left us. at the
moment, poorer. The amount Of Sc
renity and content In the world IL
smaller.
The spiritual reaction after the war
has been In part the fruit Of some H.
lusions during those FIVE years. In the
presence OF unity of purpose and the
mystic emotions Of war. many men
came 10 believe that salvation lay In
mass and group action. They have
seen the spiritual and material mobil-
izatiOn OF nations. OF classes. and
groups, for sacrifice and service: they
have conceived that real human prog
ress can be achieved by working on
"the psychology Of the people'-by
the mass mind; they yielded to lead
ership without reservation: they con
ceIyed that this leadership could con-
tInue without tyranny: they have for
gotten that permanent spiritual prog
ress lies with the individual.
Cro BE CoNTINUED)
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