Page:The Wisconsin idea (IA cu31924032449252).pdf/326

 for good or evil, great and sudden changes are emerging from this turmoil. We are encountering but the first wavelets of what appears to be a flood of mighty forces. Will our grand old constitution stand the shock? Will the splendid American spirit and ideals of the past be submerged? The best there is of our sturdy individualism must be preserved. In Wisconsin, the wise leaders have foreseen this and are determined to keep intact every bit of the spirit of the men who made the "Iron Brigade" and hence are building slowly and surely the beginnings of a new individualism.

This little book advocates no new philosophy or doctrine; there is no "ism" in this plan. It urges simply logical consideration of one thing after another as necessity appears. Every other plan of man, however wise and complete it may have been, has failed. Place before the American people the ideal of Lincoln and search keenly into our conditions to discover why there are not more Lincolns. If in our modern life, conditions are not conducive to the highest type of American manhood, we should attempt to find some way of helping men to help themselves. What is the need of a philosophy or an "ism" when there is obvious wrong to be righted? Whatever has been accomplished in Wisconsin seems to have been based upon this idea of making practice conform to the ideals of justice and right which have been inherited. If the weak ask for justice, the state should