Evening star., 1925-06-14

ington Is as potent as 1t was when our
Constitution was formulated and
adopted.
Manifestly, however, we are not 60
ing to be satisfied until some new de-
partment of government ls created.
We have not created one since 1912.
What sort of government is this. !
for 13 years without creating in Wash
ington some new department with a
secretary, corps of assistants and in
umerable employees? 1t would seem
that as a nation we are not as speedy
as we are supposed to be in the matter
of providing skilled workers to take
charge of the affairs of our people.
There has grown up in some quar-
ters a belief that a man is a mere in
tellectual machine of whom or of
which 1t may be said that the more he
knows the greater will be his output
Being nothing to man except his brain,
he Is just a thinking device regardless
of heredity and his environment He
Is not responsible for what he thinks
and, as thinking leads to conduct. he is
irresponsible so far as his cnoluct is
concerned. Therefore, no man should
be held liable for anything he NAV do
fnimical to peace and good order or in
injury to Il fellow man. provided he
can show that his act resulted from
thinking he had a right to do what
he did. So, in brief. modern thought
in certain quarters runs.
Trend the Other Way.
This line of reasoning naturally has
produced its own antidote in the belief
in other quarters that it might not be
bad thing If people knew less,
thought not so much and felt more.
Plato and Aristotle could not save
Greece from its ruin by the intellectual
training which they gave the Grecian
people. Marcus Aurelius, notwith-
satnding his fine philosophy. could not
stop the decay of the Roman people.
Yet John Knox, with his cry of Give
me Scotland or 1 die" so touched the
hearts and consciences Of the Scotch
people that they today are as strong
and virile both in body and mind as
any race which inhabits the earth. The
time may come when we shall grow
weary OF knowledge and crave for sen.
timent and finer feeling.
If the progress of the Republic real
ly demands the creation of a new de.
partment of Government in Washing.
ton, let 1t be a department of public
morals rather than a department of
education. And let It be conducted
pS ciliCiAis VINO DeUeEe that in man
Is something more than his cold ca |.
culating. logical brain; who believe
that the Government can not be pre-
served through mere intellectuality
who believe that love of country and
love or ones fellowmen are essentials
who believe that men are not mere
thinking machines. but humans. chill
dren of the self f-same God. and who
believe that democracy demands OF
all OF us that we shall prove our faith
In this brotherhood by our works.
This depa artment of public morals
could investigate why a people who
undoubtedly are all right at heart
nevertheless produce instances of i'll
venile crime which shock the world
1t could inquire whether or not too
much stress has been placed upon the
mere possession of knowledge
whether too much time has been de
voted to convincing young boys that
they will be splendid machines when
they grow up; whether too little at
tention has been paid to the inmor
tality of souls; whether It would no,
be advisable to reorga nize our public
school system in order TO foster the
belief that 1t does not matter so much
how one thinks as how he feels and
acts toward his fellows and towards
his country.
Copyright. 1928. by 21st Century Press)