Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 51.djvu/134

126 regard to party or condition, would probably deem him faithless to his principal duty."

If such things are done in the green tree of Massachusetts, what may we expect in the drier wood of less happily conditioned States? The Atlantic Monthly would render a great service if, taking this article of Mr. Lowell's as the first of a series, it would give us a dozen or so of similar studies of other State Legislatures. Nothing would more effectually hold up to us a mirror in which to see our true social and political status. Meantime let us first ask how such a condition of political intelligence as Mr. Lowell depicts tallies with the vast apparatus we already command, and the vaster we are daily acquiring, for the promotion of higher learning. When do our learned men propose to swoop down from their heights with culture in their wings for the help and inspiration of the masses of their countrymen? Or is this a matter which they think may safely be left to the common schools?

In this uncertainty as to what the learned classes are going to do for the commonwealth, we sometimes wonder whether it might not be possible to divert advantageously to purposes of popular culture some portion of the wealth which is now finding its way in lavish streams to already well-endowed seats of learning. How the money, if available, could best be applied is an interesting question as to which we should be glad to receive suggestions from our readers. We have more than once heard regret expressed and we share the feeling ourselves at the almost complete disappearance of the lecture system which was doing so much useful work a generation ago. The newspaper has superseded the platform; and yet the platform, we do not hesitate to say, was a more civilizing force in some respects than the newspaper. For one thing, it "uttered nothing base," which is more than can be said for the newspaper. It gave the people high thoughts, interesting ideas, pure sentiments, and useful knowledge. It was not occupied with idle gossip, or mean personalities, or the criminal side of life. It is not fully replaced even by good books and papers. As Prof. Corson says in his interesting little book on The Aims of Literary Study: "The intellectual coefficient can be apprehended through silent reading; the main object of vocalization is to exhibit the spiritual coefficient, which is indefinite to the intellect, and needs to be vocally rendered as much as a musical composition needs to be vocally or instrumentally rendered." There was, moreover, a certain social stimulus afforded by the lecture system which the private reading of even good literature does not supply.

We conceive, therefore, that a wealthy man. desiring to benefit the people at large, might with great advantage establish not lectureships but rather readerships. The literature of to-day and of past days contains ample material for the instruction and delight of popular audiences if read aloud by a properly trained elocutionist. Our idea would be to have such readings entirely free, except that local expenses in the way of hall hire, etc., might be met by the locality; and we should further propose that the reader should in each place that he visited give a course of lessons, also free, in correct reading. For the results which might be expected to accrue from such measures we would refer to the little work by Prof. Corson already mentioned, and to another by the same author entitled The Voice and Spiritual Education. If Prof. Corson is right, culture, no less than faith, comes mainly by hearing; and an