Daily Republican., 1881-06-20

|ignoramus Is better than dead Solon
and vet it would be lamentable If tn
world were filled with ignoramuses
We must, said he, have wealth enough
to enable some to Withdraw from mer'
bread-getting that they may apply
themselves to study and work ont theil
benefc ent results Let us believe
then, said Ae, in the force of wealth
Let us welcome it. II is a most impor
tant force in the world, but it is not th'
supreme force, except in so far as Il ac
companies and does the bidding of edu
cation.
With these limitations, exceptions
and explanations, the speaker turned tt
his chosen line of argument. He
claimed that education is the supreme
force for the highest well being of man,
when his existence is confined to this
life. He urged that these two thoughts
be kept constantly in mind during the
discourse First, that education is the
generalissimo of all the forces for good
in the world and secondly, that this is
true if we were to Contnc ourselves t.
this present state.
He supported his argument by the
| following reasons 1st, the great dis.
tinguishing feature between savage and
civilized nations lies in the difference OF
their education; ID, civilized nations
would soon be remanded to barbarisu
| if all schools were closed; Sd, the most
powerful nations have been the best edt-
cared; 4th, educated nations must come
to the front, no matter what the coun-
try: 9Th, what is Urueof nations is Tue
of indivi,luals-iS true of churches.
While referring to the latter reason
Mr.. Williams said it has been the pecu-
liar mission of the Methodist church to
minister to the maSseS-to 90 among
the poor and gather them into the fold
OF Christ. He said no one prizes the
record more than he, and no one would
frown sooner or more severely npon any
step or policy of Methodism thai fosters
even suspicion that she is about
to ignore the masses. He would
say to the phalanX of MethodiSm
recruit from the humble and loWiy,
throw your arms both of love and OF
warfare about those for whom Christ
died, whether they be found in the
highways and hedges, or in the
shady walks and bowers Of wealth,
ease and influence. The time is past, if
it ever existed, when Methodism must
address herself only to class of the
entire population. Her fathers have
laid the foundations of SchoolS-laid
them modestly at htst-laid them hun
bly,. The only mementoes placed in
the first corner-Stones were prayer,
faith and sacrifice. Upon these corner
stones stand to-day structures and in
sti1ut )ns that begin to lay successful
claims to an honorable place among the
halls OF learning throughout the world.
From these schools are going
forth the peers of any and all men i'll
science, religion and the arts-their
peers in philosophy, metaphysics and
the industries. These gentlemen
of culture have lifted MethodiS1n
into the foreground of social life, have
transformed the log churches into stone
structures Of lnagniticence and beauty,
and have rolled them from the obscure
outskirts of the village into The heart
of our largest cities. They have filled
the pulpits of the most populous and
atlluent churches, thrown about theil
Sons forensic strenghth and clothed
them III robes of spOtleSs ermlne. Ihey
| have trained incumbents of the White
House, until Methodist influence il
affairs of state has become an ENJOY
and until card, bearing the impress
| Rev O. II. Tiffany, ID. D., pastor OF thu
Metropolitan Methodist Episcopa
Church, Washington ID. N.-the Presi
dents chnrch-iS in itself a patent oi
nobility sufficient TO welcome that pas
tor to the home aud table of the queens
chaplain in England.
The speaker then referred to Grace
church as being the pride and wonder
Of the Methodisrs throughout the world
in 1866. He ecomplimented its members
| for their sacrifice and zeal in erecting
the building. He spoke of the many
difficulties which beset those who wert
engaged in the work, and said he had
been deeply touched by some of the sac
rifices that had been made in paying
off the church debt. He thought that
the church, now that it does not owe
ANYTHING, should establish a college fol
women in this city. In all the bounds
of Methodism, said he, there is not q
college for women wcrthy the name. II
his Judgment the church had an oppor
tunity Of doing something commen
surate with its past accomplishments
The Wesleyan Female College, he eX
plained, is Al years old-so far as ht
knew the oldest college for women il
Methodism. The graduates, numbering
hundreds, are scattered throughout the
land, and if any significant advance
NOV emer1t We're made they would ust
their influence in filling new college
He thought the country did not present
q finer location for an institution O
learning and besought his hearers t.
seriously think about the matter.