Education, enlightenment -- these are very beautiful things. That person is indeed fortunate who has had an opportunity to acquire a real education. An old maxim states: "All that glitters is not gold;" so too can it be said that not everyone is educated, that is, not everyone is a participant of enlightenment who poses as being educated or wishes to pass as an educated person.

We have an article on hand which was graciously forwarded to us by one of our readers, in which this interesting and rather curious subject is treated. It is with regret that the Dziennik Chicagoski must deny itself the pleasure of printing the forwarded article in full. This omission is made purposely because the article contains too many clear and easily understood allusions to the uncultivated wise men, of whom there are many in America, even among the Poles. The reader could easily see the personal allusions in these attacks,and thus the editor requests the author to forgive the omission of his article.

There are many people among the Poles who want to "teach the people." There are however very few who really would be qualified to exercise this privilege correctly. A majority of these self-styled educators are people who have completed but several elementary grades and only a few of them have passed through secondary schools. These individuals have learned something of writing, and after acquiring a bit of external polish, they wish to pose as highly educated personages. They give the impression of knowing all and of being an authority on everything. They know how to talk a great deal, and at times even write voluminously. These people know how to include words and phrases in their talks and writings that are pleasant to every Pole--but which sound sacrilegious in their own mouths. It is due to such talks and writings that they at times actually enjoy success among our people. They pass as luminaries of enlightenment, as examples of patriotism, as great educational representatives and (this pays the most in some circles) as defenders of the poor against the fictitious profiteering of the clergy.

It cannot be otherwise. A truly educated person, one who has studied a great deal and has really learned something in one way or another, that individual is characterized by naturalness in his behavior, simplicity in his association with other people. Experience has taught him that knowledge is gained only 3through effort and sacrifice. A person of that type is, therefore, aware that if he knows something about one subject, another person, even less educated, may know something about another subject--evenmore [perhaps] than he. A truly educated individual arriving in America endeavors to gain [knowledge] systematically and gradually of the new articles he finds here. He willingly allows himself to be taught even by an entirely uneducated person, with this thought in mind, that through his longer stay in this country or through his more frequent association in certain circles, he may gain important information, knowledge which is unknown to a stranger. Simplicity in association with others, which we usually term simplicity of spirit, always characterizes a truly educated person as well as it does an honest and sane, albeit uneducated, individual.

On the other hand, he who has but "sipped from the cup of education," conducts himself differently. A person of that type, upon his arrival here among the "dark people," as he thinks (but says so quietly for fear that someone may hear him), creates a great commotion. He interferes into matters of which he can have no deep understanding, especially in political affairs, and seeing 4that his better-educated superiors obstruct his greatness, he offers to conduct a bitter battle against them. This he does under the guise that in his heart he feels it his duty to defend the people against the personally discovered abuses, especially against those committed by the clergy. He then begins to organize a separate "educational association" of his own.

A Lithuanian example of an "educational association" of that type was seen recently. There is a Lithuanian priest here, appointed for Lithuanians by the Bishop. This clergyman has the right to attempt to organize a Lithuanian church in Chicago. The Lithuanian "educational association" attempted to expose this priest as a new "profiteer." As "enlightened people," in opposition to the "narrow-minded" bans against dances held on Saturdays, they arranged a Lithuanian dramatic production to be followed by a dance on Saturday "for the benefit of the newly formed Lithuanian church." The idea was simple: the priest will either accept or reject the proposition. If he consents then it will be evident that the prohibiting of dances on Saturdays was only for "business" reasons and that such affairs conducted for the benefit of the church 5are permissable. If, on the other hand, he rejects it--then it is evident that this priest, "a profiteer as are all the others," wishes to do everything in his own way, refusing to accept the "noble" work of "disinterested persons." This he does that he may not become morally obligated in the future, and may still hold control over the people around him.

Evidently the priest did not consent. A new field of maneuvers was opened to the "representatives of Lithuanian enlightenment," of which they will undoubtedly make use. In the meantime a new goal is attained: the people, encouraged by the publicity that the income derived from the affair was to be used for the construction of the church, filled the hall. The purpose of the event was then changed; instead of having the affair for the benefit of the newly formed church, the money collected was given to the Kosciuszko memorial fund. The "representatives of enlightenment" have again performed a "great patriotic" deed at a very cheap price.

This is one of the new pictures of our conditions in Chicago.