Valparaiso University - Beacon / Record Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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21 In order to train for good citizenship. The citizenship for which we should strive is marked by at least three qualities: morality, patriotism, and intelligence. A highly intelligent nation may become a highly immoral people, failing to hold its own in the struggle for survival. Individually the Greeks were the most intelligent people the world has ever known7 but their public life became corrupt, their standard of domestic life was lowered, their patriot- ism waned, and in spite of their intellectuality they lost their national prestige and power. On the other hand, an ignorant people can never become a strong and socially effective people. Russia of today has virtually taken its place among the second rate powers of the world. A large percentage of its population is made up of the peasant class, who are steeped in ignorance. The explanation of the result of the late Russia-Japanese war is to be found chiefly in the fact that every Japanese soldier and sailor could both read and write. He was consciously intelligent. The vast majority of the Russian soldiers could neither read nor write. I A citizenship which is intelligent, or moral, or patriotic will not alone insure the future greatness of this country. It must be one which combines all three. . In order to establish a good home. The home is the fountain from which everything must spring. In its peculiar relation to the child it can do more for him than any other institution. The care and education of the child devolves upon the home and home-makers. True, the Sunday school takes upon itself the spiritual education and the day school the secular education, but the destiny of the child is well nigh determined before it ever enters school. It is altogether impossible to accomplish anything unless there be harmonious working between the school and the home. Lord Curzon says, ttIt would have been just as bad to have sent a knight of olden times into battle without armor as to send a young man or woman out into the world in this age without having a good educationf, And the only way to get a good education is to have a good healthy atmosphere in your home life. One of the greatest dangers which confront this nation today is the laxity of the home discipline. In all large cities, among the unfortunate classes, there is Virtually nothing which can be called Home. None of the higher and nobler thoughts of life are ever instilled in the minds of the children. They live on the streets and from the streets they get theirideas. Should this nation fall into the hands of such people it would fail. This nation may be overrun by the influx of foreigners, but such is the Vitality of the Anglo-Saxon race that instead of being overwhelmed by numbers from without we welcome them. May we encourage them to entereto enter, and, as soon as found worthy, to receive the stamp of our nationality. The

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age quad agis fama semper vivat PAUL S. KANTZ my

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22 only aliens Who ever become thoroughly fused into our citizenship are those who not only accumulate capital in this country, but Who keep it here. The only native born American, Who is entirely true in his spirit is the one Whose point of View is sufficiently broad to realize in the foreigner of today the citizen of tomorrow; who realizes that each loyal American, Whether made, or in the making, is an asset of the government at large. The government is the people; it is supported by the people; it depends for its economic inde- pendence on the economic independence of its constituent parts. It is there- fore necessary that the people of a country should, primarily, accumulate wealth, individually and collectively. It is the fundamental social responsi- bility, one which makes all other social responsibilities easier of aequirement.