The Teacher and the State 77 



they lacked that particular knowledge our California 

 critic would despise; they lacked intelligence. It was 

 not that they knew no Italian or Latin, or anything ab- 

 struse; but simply that they did not know the meaning 

 of Florence; not even where to find the needed informa- 

 tion; they did not know the meaning of their time, the 

 history of the world. They had missed entirely intel- 

 lectual satisfaction, intellectual joy. The only pleasure 

 that wealth can not buy; only the teacher can bring us 

 in sight of illumination such as this. 



But in the second place your opportunity lies also 

 outside the school room. 



A former president of the University of Illinois, not 

 long ago, as reported, gave to a graduating class this 

 advice : ' ' Keep step with the procession. It is a pretty 

 good crowd, and it is generally moving in the right 

 direction. Act with the party; yell for the ticket; and 

 whoop it up for the flag ! ' ' 



Dr. Draper was a very eminent man, commissioner of 

 education for the state of New York. He no doubt was a 

 thoroughly patriotic and useful man ; but in this speech 

 we can not agree with him at all. To take such an atti- 

 tude is virtually to throw to the winds on the streets 

 every ideal we set up in the school. Dr. Draper's inten- 

 tion was good. He meant that we should be in sym- 

 pathy with the enthusiasm of our fellow-men, that we 

 should be loyal to our own institutions as we find them, 

 no doubt; and yet not for a moment can we agree with 

 Dr. Draper's careless statement. He has the whole case 

 turned wrong end to. 



The business of the teacher is to be informed and to 



