The Appeal

WILSON AND BEREA.

President Wilson is at it again. He was the principal speaker at a meeting held in Washington in the interest of Berea College, Kentucky, and as usual said some things which were long on rhetoric and lofty sentiment, but short on fact and sincerity.

For instance, in speaking of the work of the college, the President declared that its object was "to do what America was intended to do, to give people who had not had it an opportunity and to give it to them upon absolutely equal terms, upon a basis not of birth but of merit."

There was a time when that was the object of Berea, but it is no longer true.
When John G. Fee—God bless his name—the founder of the college was in charge Berea stood for opportunity upon a basis "not upon birth, but of merit." The white people and the colored people were being educated together. Both classes were learning the great lesson of human equality by studying together in the same class room and Berea was doing a great work in breaking down ancient prejudices.

Then came one Frost and like his name he was a great blight upon the school. While pretending to work in the interest of the institution he was really trying to disrupt it and it is said that he more than any other worked up the sentiment which culminated in the infamous act of the Kentucky legislature making the teaching of white and colored students in the same class room a penal offense.

"What America has vindicated above all things else," said the President, "is that native ability has nothing to do with social origin. It is very amusing sometimes to see the airs that high society gives itself. The world could dispense with high society and never miss it. High society is for those who have stopped working and no longer have anything important to do."

This is very true, but President Wilson has himself drawn the line between the classes even outside of social lines. It is not nearly so wrong for "society" to assume "airs" in social matters as it is for the President to advocate that one-tenth of the people of the country shall be set apart as pariahs, not even fit to work in the same room with other citizens.