CONFORMITY TO ENVIRONMENT 191 



And society will have leaders ; men may set up 

 whatever form of government they will, they are al- 

 ways searching for a king. And this is no sign of 

 weakness or credulity. Man's desire for leadership is 

 only another proof of the vast future which he knows 

 is before him, and into which he longs to be guided. 

 The wiser a man is, the more he desires to be taught ; 

 the nobler he becomes, the more whole-souled is the 

 homage which he pays to the noblest. Is it a sign of 

 weakness or ignorance in students, of adult age and 

 ripe manhood, to flock to some great university to hear 

 the wisdom and catch the inspiration of some great 

 master ? When Jackson fell Lee exclaimed, " I have 

 lost my right arm." Was Jackson any the less for be- 

 ing the right arm to deal, as only he could, the crush- 

 ing blows planned by the great strategist ? 



But is not man to be independent and free ? Cer- 

 tainly. But he gains freedom from the petty tyranny 

 of robber-baron or boss, and from the very pettiest 

 tyranny of all, the service of self, only as he finds and 

 enlists under the king. Serve self and it will plunge 

 you in, and drag you through, the ditch, till your own 

 clothes abhor you. You are free to choose your 

 teacher and guide and example. But choose you will 

 and must. I am not propounding theories ; I am tell- 

 ing you facts. Whether for better or worse man al- 

 ways does and will choose because he must. Look 

 about you, look into yourselves. Have you no hero 

 whom you admire and strive to resemble ? no teacher 

 to whom you listen? You must and do have your 

 example and teacher. Is he teaching you to conform 

 to environment, or leading you to be ground in pieces 

 by its forces all arrayed against you ? 



