Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01

century produced? We turn out quantities OF
mediocre Violins that just manage to be good
enough for the average man.
Whenever 1t is the taste of the masses which
decides, you are bound to get second-rate stun.
The idea that educating the people will develop
their taste for better things is nothing but q
myth. There never was time when the masses
were more educated had wider access TO
culture than today Yet when it happened that
President Eliot Of Harvard died the same day
as Valentino, the movie star, the funeral of the
famous educator received little attention from
the world, but thousands Of people put up q
battle to see the casket Of the movie star and
to attend his funeral. 1t is only small intelh-
gent group Of people who have an instinct for
what is the best and who demand it.
"one of the reasons why this civilization win
indiferently go ahead to a slothful end Is be.
cause 1t has left the decision of what is good
and what is bad to the wrong crowd In other
civilizations there was the aristocracy to make
the choice and mconscious1y to influence the
others to follow suit. When it went to pieces
we tried democracy, but with no beneficial
results. For when you leave it to the people
to decide what is or is not worth while. YOU win
not get much Of anything but Coney Island" :
THE historian pointed out that the fact the
younger generation wants to get away from
what the older generation is doing and is looks
ferent order Of things.
This younger generation Is beginning to feel
that 1t has missed something by being given
inanimate objects with which to satisfy the
soul. 1t won't do things that it doesn't want
to do and that seem second rate to It. The
war has made 1t see through its elders and to
know that 1t has been fooled by them Perhaps
the second generation Of youngsters may be one
which will not believe with their grandparents
that the great object in life is to make all the
money one can. They will tell grandpa to put
1t in his hat and forget It,
Meanwhile, the older ones still 60 warhlfne
about, and their hold is such strong one that
IT may take few generations before something
new materializes. 1t is also possible that when
new civilization does arise it win take place
In Europe. In Germany, Italy and Russia thew
are already working for something different.
new spirit Is being born there
The worst two evils in the world are poverty
ana boredom. We have almost abolished now
erty-at least compared to what it was In
former years. But it wiz be harder to deal with
boredom One thing is certain Inanimate
things will not remedy 1t. When you have A
bad headache you can't cure 1t by tax. 1g ono
phi after another. All you succeed in doing
is doping yourself
L believe that that person is happy and
interested in life who, through circumstances
Is allowed TO play the role which satisfies him
In his or her own eyes, Our present civilization
IS so complex and so mechanical that there are
few persons who can play such a role Wealth
has nothing to do with it.
IT know that have seen more happy faces
among the dirt diggers in Naples than have
in New York or any other part Of the United
States. They are graphic illustration that
you don't need material possessions to extract
some flavor and zeSt from life."
copyright. 1884,,