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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
July 1924
example. Crime Is increasingly prevalent. The country thirsts for justice; yet we have in Washington the baneful example of an opposition in the Senate that thirsts only for a political triumph. Let each who prays for a better city pray for the power to take an active part in the betterment. Let each make a searching investigation of his own conscience. Let him not ask, What are they doing? but What am I doing? So long as the lust for money, regardless of how it is acquired, prevails in our hearts violence and plunder will prevail in the city. If the respect for the dollar super sedes that for the Ten Commandments no higher power will intervene to preserve us from our folly. A better city does not make itself. It does not come as a special dispensation from heaven. It is the fruit of the spirit, of collective unity, of the personal sacrifices made We do not know what the disagreement was between the professor who is quoted below and his fellow pro fessors, hut no doubt it was purely an intellectual one; and, while we may not be sufficiently educated to properly comprehend it, yet we feel it is our duty to help our fellow pilgrims, if possible, to ascend the heights and sit in the citadel of learning from whence can emanate such words of wisdom, as the following clipped from the “ New York World” : “ College professors have only third-rate minds, hut, at that, they own the most powerful intellects in America. Dr. Alexander Meiklejohn, formerly president of Am herst, who resigned after disagreement with the faculty, said that recently. He described the college as one big football team, a lot of glee clubs, fraternities, sentimental alumni or other silly things. Dr. Meiklejohn charged that college graduates do not read books and have to go to others for information and that the students associate with the third-rate minds when they might easily keep in touch with those of the first class, such as Aristotle, Darwin, Kant and Shakespeare. He explained minds of the second class by saying they belong to those who dominate the intellectual life of their period such as Einstein, Michelson and Dewey. “ The third are ourselves,” he went on. “ The colleges are full of us. This group is the best in America today. Teach ers may be described as third-rate minds, hut that does not say they are second to plumbers and brokers.” Now, we do enjoy the honesty of Professor Meikle john in his admission that he has only a third-rate mind, and that the colleges are full of the same sort. This is the most candid confession we have yet heard from the college people. It follows, logically, that there must be some fourth- rate minds and most of us are compelled to take our places in that category and bow our heads in humility, but it is encouraging that we may put out our fingers and touch the hem of the garments of these gentlemen, with a consciousness that there is something of a fel low-feeling between us. We have been so depressed of late by the attitude of superiority assumed by some of these college pro fessors, hut now to know that at least one of them is conscious that he has only a third-rate mind greatly encourages us. Of course, we have had inklings that this might be a possibility, although we did not dare give expression to such an idea; but now,, thanks to the good professor, we can breathe more freely and state our opinions openly. Evidently, there has been no evolution of the minds of college professors for a few decades. by the individual for the public welfare.” THE PROFESSOR PUNCHES" A BODY BLOW
“ First class, stand up! Aristotle, Darwin, Kant, Shakespeare! Thank you, gentlemen. ’ ’ “ Second class, stand up! Einstein, Michelson, Dewey! Thank you, gentlemen.” ; “ Third class, stand up! Meiklejohn and the other college professors! Thank you gentlemen. I see many of you did not stand up. You object to being called ‘ third-rate.’ Well, that’s first-rate, for we know where we are.’ ’ , In this statement Professor Meiklejohn has hit evo lution a body blow, for, according to him, the mind of man is rapidly deteriorating. We heartily agree with him. Shakespeare can shake his bony finger at us and say, “ You Kant find any minds like ours today,” and Darwin blushes as he admits that his theory has not worked out even in the minds of those who accepted his hypothesis. Shades of Shakespeare and Darwin, what a condi tion of affairs is this! Professor, you have hurt the heart of your fellow-professors. Your announcement will stagger the scholars who have been thinking that they were slowly ascending the scale of perfect knowl edge and broadened minds. You have driven them back to association with us—the common people who form the fourth class. Some of your fellows may even think you should have been discreet enough not to reveal the true facts to the people at large who have always had such high ideals of the professors. Professor Meiklejohn, we have a thought! We do not presume, of course, to say that we have an intel lect (being of the fourth class), but your name is sug gestive of two other names—good Scriptural names— Michael and John. If you will read what Michael said and did (Daniel 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7) and then read what John wrote in his Gospel, Epistles and the Book of Revelation, who knows hut that your soul will be revived and your mind quickened and you will be able to see, no longer through a glass darkly, but face to face with the Glorious Mind! Take courage, brethren! There are some scholars left who will not fall for the fancies and flatteries and fakes of the professors, and who will still strive to stir up our hearts, quicken our minds and aid us as we struggle up the heights, with a consciousness that Glancing at the column devoted to humor in “ The Western Recorder” recently, our eye fell on the fol lowing suggestive witticism: “ Mamma,” said little Fred, “ this catechism is aw fully hard. Can’t you get me a kitty-ehism?” Now, the old-fashioned Presbyterians were nour ished and nurtured on a robust catechism, Bible-built on an adamant foundation, buttressed with Scripture, from the fall of Adam to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and on to the vision of the new heaven and the new, earth. The shot and shell of Satanic enemies never caused a break in its breastworks, and through the telescope of faith in the turret the saints could always see through the opened heavens Jesus sitting on the right hand of the glory of God. Settled in conviction, strong in faith, sturdy in char acter, separate from the worldly wisdom and worldly ways, they stood their ground, maintained their posi- there is plenty of room at the top. CATECHISM OR KITTYCHISM
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