124 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



MEANS OF INTELLECTUAL CULTURE. 



THE question of the just distribution 

 of material wealth is one which 

 to-day is engaging many minds, and 

 which in some quarters is being dis- 

 cussed with no small amount of passion. 

 "We are not aware, however, that there 

 is any theory now before the world in 

 the light of which any material change 

 could hopefully be made in the existing 

 structure of society. The only theory 

 or doctrine, so far as we can see, that is 

 at all hopeful is that which proclaims 

 that governments should not, by arbi- 

 trary interferences with the course of 

 trade, do anything to promote inequali- 

 ties of fortune. It seems to us possi- 

 ble, however, and not only possible but 

 probable, that if we would concern our- 

 selves more than we do with the ques- 

 tion of a better distribution of culture 

 or intellectual wealth, some of the diffi- 

 culties that beset the other question 

 might be sensibly diminished. If culture 

 means anything, it means adequate 

 knowledge and orderly thought, and it 

 is difficult to see how, if there were a 

 marked improvement in the general in- 

 tellectual condition of a community 

 a raising of the level of its culture 

 there should not also be an improve- 

 ment in its economic condition. An in- 

 crease in culture of the right sort would 

 mean an abatement of the feverish thirst 

 for wealth which is a characteristic of our 

 time, and a more or less general adop- 

 tion of more rational modes of life. It 

 would mean the development of a high- 

 er public opinion and the purification 

 of political methods and principles. It 

 would mean an elevation of social man- 

 ners, and would call into existence a 

 finer individual self-respect. It would 

 make people intolerant of abuses that 

 admitted of remedy and more sensitive 

 to every form of social injustice. In a 



word, as the inner man was renewed 

 from day to day, so he would renew his 

 environment, justifying anew the words 

 of the poet Spenser : 



" For of the soul the body form doth take, 

 For soul is form aud doth the body make." 



"What are the means of culture at our 

 disposal at the present day? "We have 

 first of all the public schools. Of these 

 as instruments of culture in any high 

 sense it is impossible to speak enthusi- 

 astically. It is not because they deal 

 only with the elements of knowledge, 

 because much of true culture could be 

 imparted in connection with " the three 

 r's." It is simply because they are not 

 to any wide extent dominated by the 

 spirit of culture, but on the whole tend 

 rather to antagonize culture by attach- 

 ing vulgar ideas of mere personal gain 

 to the acquisition of knowledge. In say- 

 ing this we are fully prepared to make 

 all needful exceptions. Here and there, 

 no doubt, teachers are to be found who, 

 with high aims, throw their whole soul 

 into their work, and thus confer a ben- 

 efit on the community which, in most 

 cases, is far from being adequately rec- 

 ognized or compensated. 



Then we have our high schools, col- 

 leges, and universities. Here, no doubt, 

 much excellent work is done, along with 

 much that is altogether inferior and 

 inefficient. The result of the Boston 

 Herald's prize essay competition of a 

 couple of years ago is probably still in 

 the recollection of some of our readers. 

 Two hundred and twenty youths of 

 both sexes taken from the graduating 

 classes of New England grammar 

 schools competed for two prizes, one of 

 six hundred dollars and one of four hun- 

 dred dollars, and with what result? 

 Let the judges who examined and pro- 

 nounced upon the compositions an- 

 swer : 



