Show THE MEASURE OF OUR PROGRESS We Ve are living in ii a period of intense intellectual activity Long established creeds are being subjected to the most rigid i examination and old beliefs are on every hand fearlessly attacked nothing attacked nothing is taken on trust tJuSt however plausible it may seem Many J are appalled by this pervading all-pervading skepticism and look back into the past longingly and arid regretfully distrusting our civilization and regarding the future with fear and trembling We Ve see no reason for taking this gloomy view for computed by its results results results re re- the only true hue test no period in the worlds world's history can compare with the last half century Progress in material arts and in thought has far surpassed the wildest dreams of our immediate Well Vell may we point with pride to the fi fruits of inventive genius that fill our ur land and multiply a thousand fold our capacity for production increasing in a corresponding ratio our special comforts But we do not regard these things as 1 the true measure of our progress we look rather to the development of thought and the consequent growth of institutions of learning throughout our land during the last decade A nation of near fifty commonwealths each of which possesses at least one institution of higher learning is indeed a fit spectacle to inspire hope in the heart of the most despondent What a mighty bulwark against the dangers that threaten us liS from the Old World It is true that with the growth of our civilization have sprung many grave evils which now threaten to sap the life of that civilization and it is ib fitting that thinking people should endeavor to discover then then- their cause and cure Many and various are the remedies proposed while the more despondent class mentioned above believe that the prevailing evils of our time are i inherent herent in our social institutions and to remove the former would be to destroy the latter There is a widely prevailing view view view- and we think the true one that one that education tion of the right kind and rightly applied will prove a cure for every evil notwithstanding notwithstanding standing the fact that many eminent thinkers tell us that it it- has accomplished and can accomplish nothing We concede concede con con- cede that many of our older universities and colleges have been and perhaps still are so saturated with ancient prejudices prejudices prejudices dices as to be a to our ad advancement advancement advance advance- vance vance- ment rather than an aid but for this very reason we see our greatest hope in what appears to o some our most imminent danger danger dan dan- ger ger that is in the prevailing skepticism of the day ay and the tendency to cast off all thought fetters and repudiate all creeds which do not favor independent research Widely knowledge stimulating stimulating stimulating lating independent thought must prove a acure acure cure cuie for for all all the evils evils- that prevail and the only against the dangers that threaten We expect great results from our state universities the growth of which has been unparalleled been unparalleled in all the annals of history and most of whom are fostering free thought and repudiating the that pervades many of our older In this lies our brightest hope and we deem these state universities aggressive and progressive as many of them are becoming truer in indications indications indications in- in of our advancement than anything anything anything any any- thing else in the tremendous aggregation of our achievements In any institution of learning much depends directly upon the efforts of the students students indeed indeed much more than many of us suspect And therefore in behalf of the University of Utah we make our appeal direct to the students and through them to all the young men and women of our territory now in the dawn of her increased increased increased in in- creased prosperity to spare no efforts in in endeavoring to advance the interests of this our highest institution of learning We have courses offered equal to those of many higher colleges and no pains have been spared to secure efficient in in- Is there any reason then why our university should not be abreast of the times We Ve claim there is not if we students are diligent steadfast and en We Weare are only beginning it is true and as yet our institution must partake somewhat somewhat some some- what of the uncultured sage-brush sage character character char char- acter inherent in ourselves But this is isas isas isas as much to our advantage as to our det- det for we may if we ve will avoid faIring falling falling fall faIr ing into the grooves of pi prejudice and conventionalism conventionalism conventionalism con con- in which many of our higher high high- er colleges mo move e while we ve need lose lose- nothing of what they have achieved Theone Theone The The- Theone one great evil attending modern ed education education uca- uca tion is its leveling tendency It is unavoidable unavoidable un un- unavoidable un- un avoidable that learners should follow the the- lead of their instructors and it too often happens that all individuality in the student student student stu stu- dent is lost and he becomes the mere vehicle vehicle ven- ven icle of second-hand second thought In one way and only one way can the vast complexity of human problems be be- solved and it is that each individual think out those problems for himself and and- along lines he shall himself lay layout out Thus Thus- only can we reach the goal of truth whither we all are bound and thus only can be attained the highest civilization and the maximum of human happiness Such is and nd has been the genius of of- our university It has aimed to aid without without without with with- out hampering ind independent thought it imposes no obstacles in the way of free free- investigation It recognizes the need off of men and women of positive and progressive progressive progressive sive minds rather than scholars formed after a certain model model men men and women whose souls lie open to the universal in intelligence intelligence intelligence in- in pervading all nature and who who- impress all they say or do with the stamp of their own individuality From contemplating our small beginnings beginnings beginnings begin begin- we turn with hope glowing in our hearts to the ever-brightening ever future future- We Weare are moving in the vanguard of the the- worlds world's foremost civilization there there is is- nothing we may not achieve no height to which our unchained aspirations may not lift us All that is required is dili- dili igent and Independent thought and action that that we repudiate the usurped long-usurped authority authority au- au of superstition and tradition and amI be in our thought and action free as the the- wild deer that roam our mountains yet firm and steadfast as those mountains |