302 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES 



he seeks votes, he also seeks to ascertain the desires of his 

 audience, promises to fulfil them with alacrity if he can, 

 and, if he cannot, his language becomes nebulous or 

 sophistical. The occasions are far too rare when the candi-^ 

 date for power in the city or the State will set himself. 



through foul weather and through fair, to form the public 

 opinion that he fears f ! Are our statesmen not followers_of 



it rather than its leaders I 



Well if this be the case, let our critic see to it that, so 

 far as in him lies, the public opinion which we are doomed 

 to follow shall be an enlightened opinion. But of all the 

 matters that concern our general welfare there are none so 

 neglected in school or college as those of our civic life. 

 The youths in our Universities are taught Latin and Greek, 

 some of them learn something of beast and bird and flower, 

 of chemical agents and physical forces, and even of the 

 laws of wealth, and of literature and history. It is right, 

 nay, it is imperative, that they should know these things, 

 and know them better. The battle between the nations 

 is to be fought more and more in the fields of the intelli- 

 gence ; and men must be fitted for their special professions 

 if the State is to prosper. But who explains to students the 

 structure of the State ? How arethey_to learn the laws 



on which our own social welfare rests? Who reveals to 



them the intricacy of the elements which compose the 

 modern State and the delicacy of its machinery? How 

 shall they judge between projects of reform which are wise 

 and plans which are foolish ? Where, above_all^can they 

 learn reverence for the State, or get some^limpse of the 

 nature_^f_the_ rjghts_^nd_jdjatiej_^f_cj^^n^jrj? Only 

 through the heated debates and passionate utterances of 

 struggling politicians, and in the hurried pages of a daily 



