The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-07-30

or he are without any wealthy or pop
ular relations to offer a recommends
ton; therefore it is to the advantage
of the individual that his desires of
the greatest of life's pleasures rest in
his own hands.
l am certain that among this group
there are some who are contemplate
ing to offer in return for the knowl-
edge they have acquired their services
toward the up-building and promotion
of the ideals which have been taught
them. Let it be remembered by these
few or many whom l have enumer-
ated heretofore that like all highly
developed literature the Bible contains
a great deal of sensational fiction, i'm
agined with intense vividness, appeal
ing to the most susceptible passions,
and narrated with a force which the
ordinary man is unable to resist.
Perhaps only an expert can thor
oughly appreciate the power with
which story we'll told or an assertion
well made, takes possession of a mind
not specially trained to criticize it.
Try to imagine all that is most pow
erful in English literature bound into
one volume and offered to a compare
lively barbarous race as an instru-
ment of civilization and education in
vested with supernatural authority!
Indeed let US leave what we call the
barbarous race out of the question,
and suppose it offered to this glorious
nation on the same assumptions as to
its nature and authority which the
children of the public schools are led
to make today concerning the Bible
under the school board compromise.
Who could stand up against the inspi-
ration and moral grandeur of our
prophets and poets, from Langland to
Blake and Shelley? Let it be remem-
bered that the power of the Scripture
has not waned with the ages. Why
not teach children the realities of in
spiration and revelation as they work
daily through scribes and law givers?
1t would in all events make better
journalists and counsellors of them.
Let us ask ourselves, what is edu-
cation? Above all things what is our
ideal of thoroughly liberal educa-
ton? Of that education which, if we
could begin life again, we would give
ourselves-of that education which, if
we could mould the fates to our own
will, we would give our children?
Well, I know not what may be your
conception of this matter, but 1 will
tell you mine, and hope that l shall
find that our views are very diver
gent.
That man, I think, who has had a
liberal education, who has been so
trained in his youth that his body is
the ready servant of his will and does
with ease and pleasure all that, as
mechanism, it is capable of, whose in
tellect is clear, cold, logic engine,
with all its parts of equal strength
and in smooth working order, ready
like steam engine to be turned to
any kind of work and spin the gassa-
mers as we'll as forge the anchors of
the mind; whose mind is stored with
knowledge of the fundamental truths
of nature and of the laws of her op-
erations; one who is full of life and
fire and whose passions are trained to
come to heel by a vigorous will, the
servant of a tender conscience, who
has learned to love all beauty, whether
of nature or of art, to hate all vile
ness and to respect others as himself,
such an one and no other, 1 conceive
has had a liberal education, for he is
completely as man can be, in har-
mony with nature. He will make the
best of her and she of him.