The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1877-06-14

estate, bears a responsibility imposed onl
by Republics. Failure of duty, from
whatever cause, admits of no excuse. /
it be true that public prosperity is the re
suit Of individual effort, that the socia
fabric has its beginning, existence anC
end inpersonal and private life, that ever,
movement destined to universal good. re
ceiyes its virtue and power from the sin
! gle hands and hearts that won tiff al
this be true, in position Of trust, incom
potency is a crime, and he who tolerates
it is an enemy to society. Every system
every community, every nation has cling
ing to it, obstructing its progress, men who
deserve to be buried in grave from which
there is no resurrection. 1t should not
be so. Build up defense for unpardona
BILE weakness and the evil is doubly in.
| creased. Strength in the support ofbrain.
less pretentions and the fraud will forev.
er continue. 1t requires no effort to dis.
cover the existence of incompetency. II
| is in the pulpit, at the bar, in the school
room, wherever the peoples interests are
involved there it lifts its contemptuous
front. We need 60 no longer to the ranks OF
politics for the most disgraceful failures OF
duty, or the most glaring inability. Too
much, already, has the public eye been
turned to scrutinize the acts of our public
officials. 1t is a national trait, and bids
fair to become the precursor of national
ruin. No man or set of men can long
Withstand the effect of unmerited re-
buke. The charges are false, absurdly
false. The prosperous condition Of our
people prove them false. One hundred
years Of increased prosperity proves them
false. It is time blame should rest where
it belongs. 1t is time that public officials
should be regarded with some show Of re-
spect. Let US look at home. Let us ex-
anime the pulpit and the school, the
sources OF social, individual and national
prosperity. Every cause suffers through
the weakness of its advocates, but the
most fatal reverses resulting from incom-
petence are experienced by the Christian
religion. We are warned TO be on our
guard against infidelity, but the greatest
danger is not here. Infidelity will dig its
own grave. The enemy Of the church is
within her own borders. 1t Is In the form
of the incompetency Of her defenders.
The incapacity and unfltneSs Of preachers
have almost passed into a proverb. A guard
of sancity shields i'm the pulpit men who
would be heoted from the secular stage.
They are endured year after year for no
other reason than that they are engaged
in good cause. 1t is said ''God chooses
the weak things of this earth to coRfound
the mighty" That the majority of preach.
ers whether chosen or not, are weak. will
not be denied, but that they "confound
the mighty is open to reasonable doubt.
But there is another field where incompe-
tency enjoys special license. 1t is where
the youth of our land are trained for the
important work before them. The intel
lectual and moral development which this
demands is intrusted to teachers Of our
land. The intellectual dew lopment is en-
trusted to them by common consent, and
their influence in morals the world well
knows. Men and women with no claims
to ability, natural or acquired, present
themselves for the patronage Of the peo-
pie in this most important work. How
long shall this continue? How long shall
the people be taxed to support set of
frauds? Let education advance; let school
houses and colleges be built, and let men
control them who know in what an educa-
ton consists. Let incompetency be swept
from this land, from every calling let the
failures and faithlessness of the men be no
longer accounted the visitation of God
its destructive and mournfal effects are all
ar ound US the air is burdened with its
discordant notes. They come from over
the sea, from Ashtabula, from the stormy
waves of the Atlantic, from the battle
fields, and from the hearts and homes of
our people. -s..--. +. .
At the conclusion of above, a song was
sung-"We are two Merry Alpine Maids, u
repeated by request.
President Lucy then announced that
fh;c would concIuda tho axarn;saS for the
forenoon, and requested all to be present
at p. m, promptly.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
First on the programme was music
''The Lord will comfort Zion."
Next, was an Grafton by JOSEPH P.
JACKSON of Oskaloosa, Iowa, of the
Classical Glass,
entitled Liberal Culture Mr.. Jackson
showed by his address that he possessed
in goodly degree what he preached, and
although his elocution was trife faulty
the earnestness ofhis deliy cry fully atoneG
for such defect, and he pronounced one o.
the best speeches of the occasion. His
remarks We're about as follows:
LIBERAL CULTURE.
We live in an age when the mighty
lightning is the messenger and steam /.
the motor power that moves the world
This is a progressive age, and to keep pace
| Herewith demands active men. Undel
| the cry Of practical men, thousands entel
| upon the duties of life unprepared. Wht
are practical men? Those who have not
time to fit themselves for their work, bu
must rush into business ut once. They
spurn all mediate steps and endeavor Il
accomplish their designs by direct or i'm
mediate steps. They denounce colleg,
education and say 1t is spending time Il
no profit. In this age of activity tn,
world demands men Of business and sucl
men have no use for Latin and Greek
| Whatever tends to discipline the mind
develops the individual. 1t is not whai
we study, it is how much we disciplin
our minds; it is the thought that make
the man. Thought is the lever power tina
moves the world. Why can we SO readi
ly see that physically we need culture +,
fit us for our occupation, but in mind w
can neglect this. Mind--that which con
trolls matter; mind-that which distin
cuisines man from the brute; mind, with
out which our physical being would b
worse than worthless. Build up and pro
tect carefully the house for the inmate
and then permit the occupant to starve
What is demanded to-dayis thorough, ear
nest men of culture; men OF broad an.
liberal views; men who have discipline
their minds. BY broad and liberal cul
ture we do not mean simply taking q col
lege course. Many q poor fellow ha
tagged through a college course who doe
\ moi m ha aalfaH adnnafoA
though passing good examination upol
his text books, if he has not thought upoI
what he has read, formed ideas of his OWL
which he can express in language Of hi
own, he has been little benefited. 1t
the thought, the discipline that makes tn
education. One who has thus discipline
bis mind has gained q broad and hbers
culture, is then, and not till then, prepal
ed to choose a vocation in life. The tim
; is at hand when men of culture are d.
manded in all the professions. They ar
demanded in the legal and medical pre-
LESSONS, they are needed in. the ministry
they are needed as Statement; they ar
needed i'm every walk OF life. Brains ar
necessary, common sense is a good thing
genius is noble gift, but genius does nc
make the man. It is application, disc
pline, work with body and soul; it is Ell
ergy that makes the man. Then give U
lawyers who are not only lawyers, bt
men; give US physicians who are not on
|. ly physicians, but men; give US minister
who are not only ministers, but men.
Miss EsTELLE HARRIS Of Happy Hollow
Iowa, followed with an Grafton, subjec
"Why?" We confess we were not a lit
surprised at the many pleasant though
and pungent truths which she elicite
! from this little interrogatory. Miss Ha
ris is a forcible and attractive talker an
lady OF considerable promise. Frol
the following synopsis the drift of her r
marks can be traceds
WHY?
Ghostlike are the shadows fitting o'e
ell: as we stand in the shade or the SUI
shine, as we are YEARLY acting our pa
or joyfully building ourlives, many que
, tons arise demanding solution: question
concerning our country's future an
thoughts Of our duties as individuals