yo Colleges and Public Life 



of man by sitting at home in ease, doing nothing 

 wrong, and confining one's participation in politics 

 to conversations and meetings with men who have 

 had the same training and look at things in the same 

 way. It is always a temptation to do this, because 

 those who do nothing else often speak as if in some 

 way they deserved credit for their attitude, and as 

 if they stood above their brethren who plow the 

 rough fields. Moreover, many people whose politi- 

 cal work is done more or less after this fashion are 

 very noble and very sincere in their aims and aspi- 

 rations, and are striving for what is best and most 

 decent in public life. 



Nevertheless, this is a snare round which it be- 

 hooves every young man to walk carefully. Let 

 him beware of associating only with the people of 

 his own caste and of his own little ways of political 

 thought. Let him learn that he must deal with the 

 mass of men ; that he must go out and stand shoul- 

 der to shoulder with his friends of every rank, and 

 face to face with his foes of every rank, and must 

 bear himself well in the hurly-burly. He must not 

 be frightened by the many unpleasant features of 

 the contest, and he must not expect to have it all 

 his own way, or to accomplish too much. He will 

 meet with checks and will make many mistakes; 

 but if he perseveres, he will achieve a measure of 

 success and will do a measure of good such as is 

 never possible to the refined, cultivated, intellectual 

 men who shrink aside from the actual fray. 



Yet again, college men must learn to be as prac- 



