Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-08
Lecture at West RandOlph.


The second lecture Of the citizens course was
delivered last Friday night by Rev. Elbridge
Gerry, subject, "wanted, Man" lie said this
was not strange device We have seen II
standing out on the bulletin board or in public
print. We have heard the call for men to defend
our country in its pressing need. And we still
zee the call for men for the hard work Of life
These calls are easily met, but there is call that
comes up out Of the heart Of human society for
full, complete man, that Is not so easily answered
The article called for Is not In existence. Our
higher institutions OF learning sent out physi-
cally feeble race Of men, but reaction set in and
our universities became training schools for ath-
letes and the moral nature Is neglected. Thus II
comes about that few complete men are sent out
into the business Of life. They are great in some
directions but small in others. They lack the
power to keep themselves pure in heart and life
Society has existed In some form ever since there
were men in close proximity enough to form
social life. It has had It's successive stages Of
development and is shaped by the same inllu-
ences that shape the lives OF the individuals Of
which 1t is composed. The man Of to-day is
made up of influences which sprung out Of a revi-
val of religion that had its origin in Holland and
Germany, out Of a revival OF learning whose chief
seat was Italy, and ont Of n revolution which
upon English soil we trace to 1888 and upon our
own soil one hundred years later. When is our
man wanted2 The answer comes, at once Young
men are sometimes laughed at because when
they step out equipped for the battle of life they
too often assume that the world has been waiting
for them, and now something will be done But
the world has been waiting for them 1t waited
for those that came before, and will wait for
those that succeed Them in the sense that it has
work for each and every one to do. And who
can tell whether this that work is Of the great
est Importance. 1t seemed to men Just stepping
upon the threshold Of life, at the close of our
civil war, that II was grand time to live; that
men were needed. But there has not been n day
since that they were not needed Just AS much
There is need of new and fresh blood in the cur
rent of the worlds life The tendency is ever
toward stagnation. Disappointment chis. II
you wait, some other man will take the place and
win the prize. II you think some other call
awaits you, the very process of waiting will set
you back in the race. Every moment brings in
its changes. Another question is, Where is there
man wanted? Our notice is attracted to the
call for men to take part in the physical enter
prises that form part Of the busy life of the
world Men whose shoulders are broad and
whose will equals their power Our civilized life
is flooded with cheap and dishonest labor. All
trades are open to reform. The professions want
want men. We are told that they are full and
crowded, but we are assured there is always
room at the top The church wants men 1t
wants the best. It is not so much greatness as
manliness The records Of human life abound
with examples Of those who were great in this or
that direction, but one thing left out that would
have made their life complete. There are plenty
OF men who, with some slight change in their
makeup, would answer the ideal of manhood.
But wanting this, they are not wanted lest they
fail in the crisis. Many of our great and learned
men have been noted for their foolishness at
times We look them all over and we can
scarcely find the man we want All graces and
qualities are not conferred in one human being
What kind of man do we want? We are look.
ing for one who is ready to bear his share in what
may be called the public burdens Of life. There
are some who are prompt to do their part for the
general good; others do nothing; they are sure
somebody will do all that is needful. The man
we want must be on hand to do what belongs b
him to do. You can trace the success of almost
any successful man to favoring circumstances
and influences for which he himself was not
responsible. We want man morally consistent,
who does not advocate measures as long as they
profit him and then turn against them. His self
interest does not determine all opinions The
man we are looking for is one who can mark out
policy in politics, in morals in religion, one
that he believes contains the most of truth and
follow 1t closely turning neither to the right nor
to the left He is one who is willing to reach out
a helping hand to the weak He must be an hon
est man, and such a one is among the rare things
of the world. There are those who are said to be
honest but they deviate from that straight
! path. The greatest men are those who have the
profoundest faith in, the greatest reverence for
God The highest forms of knowledge lead men
up to the Infinite Good. He who searches deep
est into natures recesses finds most OF cd.
The man we want must possess, in some measure,
all these qualities and the deeper tho e0nVietOns,
the greater the work he can accomplish. When
he steps forth in the fullness OF his strength and
beauty you may trace along the horizon the
dawn Of that mienial era, the anticipation Of
which has entered into the burden of the songs OF
the poets and the visions the prophets.