The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-06-29
A Grent Sneecll.

were uttered by Mr.. Peter Cooper, at
the recent Annual Commencement of
the institution founded by him. The
occasion was one of unusual interest on
account of the presentation of an ad-
dress from the present and past pupils
to the venerable founder Ct the Union.
This address, unlike most similar pro-
ductions, was remarkably well written,
tender in the expression of gratitude,
beautiful in sentiment. 1t has been
elegantly engrossed, and elaborately
framed for preservation in the great
reading room of the Institute, and is in
better taste than any bronze statue or
monumental device could have been.
The thousands of grateful pupils say
to the world, elf you seek monument
look about you," and Mr.. Cooper's name
and fame is rendered more secure and
imperishable in such way than it
could be in any other.
The remarks of Mr.. Cooper, in reply
to the presentation address, were full of
wisdom. and deserving of preservation
in q permanent form. The venerable
author would blush to have his words
called speech, and yet we venture to
say that greater speech was never
heard in the large hall where have been
assembled from time to time, nearly all
of the wise men of the country. Writers
on political economy devote many
pages to the elaboration of the laws of
trade, the question of demand and sup
ply, the relations of employer and EN-
ployed, the rights of property, and the
duties of men of wealth, but Mr.. Cooper
has condensed the whole matter into a
few words, and if these words could
sink deep into the hearts of all mankind,
we should never again hear of the rich
expressing the poor, nor the poor de-
stroying themselves by /" lock outs" and
"strikes."
We advise every manufacturer, every
mechanic, every laborer to procure
copy of this address, and trade unions
could not do better thing than to have
it reprinted for gratultous circulation
among their members 1t ought to have
the widest possible circulation, and, we
propose to give the greater part of it in
our columns.
Mr.. Cooper celebrated his eightieth
birthday by making MI additional gift
of one hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars to the Union, for the foundation
and support of free circulating library.
This act was all that was necessary to
round up and complete the usefulness of
the Institute.
The laboring poor can now obtain
gratuitous instructions in every depart
ment of practical knowledge, and when
unable to attend the exercises of the
school, can still profit by the benefac-
tion by carrying home with them the
book required for their information.
By such acts of benevolence, and by the
gift of more than million dollars for
the free education of workingmen and
toiling women, Mr.. Cooper has earned
the right to offer advice, both to the rich
and poor. He shows how to earn a for
tune. and how to spend it. He says {:
"While yet child, learned that the
hand of the diligent maketh rich,' and
whatever of wealth have achieved has
been due, primarily, to habits of patient
industry formed at the outset of my
career"
He early learned that the great part
Of the poverty, vice, and crime which
affiict the American people was due to
intemperance, and he carefully avoid
ed all alcoholic liquors as the greatest
curse of the young, and the most deadly
foe to domestic happiness and'the public
welfare"
He next warns against hastily con-
tracted debts, and suggests the wisdom
of trying to keep little ready money
on hand for judicious investments. Debt
is slavery which every young man
ought to avoid or, if assumed, ought
not to endure for one day beyond the
Shnrfaof TINA fn cot hin, frap
"By stunning intemperance, and pract-
Using rigid economy, he was able to grow
in prosperity and wealth, but the op-
portunities of acquiring knowledge
were so limited, there being no free day
or evening schools, that he found it far
more difficult to learn what he wanted
to know than to be industrious, temper
ate, and prudent. Hence he decided
that, if he should prosper in the acquisi-
ton of worldly means, to found an in
stitution to which all young people OF
the working classes who desired to be
good citizens, and to rise in life, could
resort, without price, in order to acquire
that knowledge of their business, and
of science, which in these days, is alb
solutely indispensable to a successful
career"
Mr.. Cooper never lost sight Of thli
resolution during a business career o.
nearly sixty years and all this time, ht
says, that he was "cheered, comforted
sustained and encouraged by the great
est of human blessings, diligent, wise
industrious, faithful, and affectionatt
wife; and by the active cooperation O
his children, who justly regarded, as th'
richest portion of their inheritance, tina
part of his wealth which he desired tx
consecrate to the public welfare"
Having thus given an account of tn
train of circumstances which led to tn,
foundation of the "Union for the Ad
vancement of Science and Art" Mr.
Cooper closes with the following elo
quent words:
~ do not prescribe any standard of ex
penditure for others, and l am quit
ready to subscribe to the doctrine that
Just and faithful trustee should be liber
ally paid for his services, and should no
be restricted in the reasonable gratifca
tion of his desires so long as the right
TO others are not hereby infringed; ant
L desire to give the fullest recognition
to the sacredness of private propert,
and the conservation of capital, as 70
the best interests of society and all tn
members thereof; but cannot shut m,
Eyes to the fact that production O
wealth is not the work of any one man
ind that the acquisition of great for
tunes is not possible without the coop
tration of multitudes of men, and tina
therefore the individuals to whose 10
these fortunes fall, whether by inheri