The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-06-08
"vITA BREvIs, AIRS LoNGA."
The High School Turns Out a Glass Of
Nine.
Rev. Samuel Smith on Men and
Money"

Rev. Samuel Smith on "Men and
Money"
Graduation day is looked forward to
with ever increasing interest as the
years roll by. The elimination ofschool
days is an event of too great Importance
to be passed lightly by and it Is perhaps
one of the best features of our national
existence that we take so much interest
IN the progress of the Young as to offer
such encouragement and 70 many incen-
tives to emulation to them o n the crown
ing day of their educational life, or,
more properly, their theoretical educa-
ton. Mankato has ever showed herself
alive to occasions of this kind. Thursday
night she filed the opera house to over
flowing with her intelligent population.
So great was the rush of late ones that
the speaker was seriously ANNOYED and
the doors had to be closed.
A new departure was made this year
and instead of the customary and time
honored essays and orations, a speaker,
whose reputation as a thinker and an
orator was only bounded by the limits
of the state, was secured.
The stage was handsomely decorated
with flowers and statuary. A large bank
occupied either side, while the lower
boxes held their quotas of green's. The
class motto, ''Vita brevis, ars longa,"
meaning that life is short but art is long,
was suspended over the front of the
stage in large letters.
at promptly eight O'Clock the Ger
mama orchestra struck up a brisk over
ture and at its conclusion the graduating
class, school board, High school teach
ers, the clergy of the city, the speaker of
the evening, Rev. S. G. Smith, and n
or two invited guests, occupied the
stage, the class sitting on the right. The
young ladies were in front and their
pretty faces and elegant snow-white
dresses presented a captivating sight.
They, with the young men, made up a
fine class. The following are the names:
Latin course-Maria j. Chapman,
Frank P. HOerr, Herbert L. Howe,
Harry Paddock, Harrison l.. Schmitt,
Fannie Sheppard and Lenore NJ. Roblee.
Classical course-Anton Serumgard.
English course-Eva E. Gable.
Rev. r. NJ. Carter gave an earnest in
vocation, after which a male quartet,
composed of Messrs Clement Schroeder,
c. d. Milliken, E. w. Washburn and M.
H. Bromley, with Mrs. F. B. Root as &C
companist, sang 80, hail us, We free" in
a manner that showed the more than
ordinary talent of the singers.
Rev. DR.. Samuel q. Smith, pastor of
the Peoples church, of st. Paul, was
then introduced by Supt. Bechdolt and
savo on elegant address on "Men and
Money" He is one of the most promi-
nent divines in the state and he thor
oughly maintained his reputation on
this occasion. The subject was
treated in a statesmaniike a
ner and many of his ut:erances elected
applause. He said:
Money is the great need of society,
government and the church. To define
the meaning of the two p%ronouns,
"mine" and chime" has been attempt
ed from time immemorial. The first great
war of this country was " taxes, the
second over fleets, the third vel more
territory and the fourth over the owner
ship of men. Moral questions have not
been uppermost in the great polItica |
struggles, but rather desire for wner
ship, for power. The speaker traced
the history of the acquisition of proper
ty, both personal and real. Every civil
ization may be measured by what it has
done with property. The ~Israelites
made real estate the basis of property
owning, from the very first. No interest
was allowed among themselves and
therefore no money was loaned. Some
men became poor and had to sell their
labor. Every fifty years a readjustment
of property took place and that year was
called the year of Jubilee" The an
cestral estates then fell to the original
owners. In Greece all real property was
at first owned by the state. In Rome
the point of danger to the state and peo-
pie was supposed to be in real estate.
The farmers were feared and the owner
ship of land was considered very danger
GUS. The people rented the land and
thus furnished the taxes. The feudal
system came next, followed by the COM
monwealth, to which the world owes it's
present civilization. Communism was
also tried. But men only rise and
grow great when they can enjoy the
fruits of their toll, and upon the pros
perity of the individual depends that of
the state. Men and women must under
stand the fundamental principles and
truths upon which society is founded.
When men are hungry 1t is hard for
them to reason. So it is needful that in
times of peace and prosperity these
principles and truths be taught. In this
way hard times will eventually become
extInguished in a continuous good time.
Capital and labor are required to make
property. When they work in harmony
there is prosperity and when in conflict
there are hard times.
The speaker gave a fine word picture
of foreign Immigration and the forma-
ton of the new nation. The foreigners
came to make more money and acquire
property. Nothing is such a civilizer al
hunger. The places where the prices
paid for luXurles were shown to be
the pockets of the poor of all countries.
Articles of luxury are the tax levied on
the rich for the benefit of the poor.
| Which is the enemy of the poor, the
man who saves every cent to reinvest
and gain power, or the man who ex-
ponds his money for houses and articles
of luxury? 1t is the latter. In the d.
versity of industry is found the life and
hope of civilization.
1t is as much robbing to buy that
which you cannot pay for as it is to rob
- ..o.J .neo UhArnunr thnrn ro horA
times IN this country there are always
harder times in Europe. Any idea that
seeks to do away with hard times by leg
islation is useless. Among these schemes
is high protective tariff. Times are be-
coming easier as the years go by. New
er before could money buy so much as
to-day, and labor is better paid than ev-
er before. Laboring men can now live
better than Charlamagne could as En-
peror of Germany. The greatest prob
lem that confronts US to-day is the con
gested foreign population of cities that
will not become citizens. The time has
come when from every platform and pa
per the idea should go forth with no I'M
certain sound that one flag is enough for
the United States, and that the black
and red flags are not needed. Foreign
ers must come here to become Ameri-
cans, and not retain their w national
characters, and the time has come to say
that these free states shall no longer be
the victims and dumping ground of the
paupers of Europe.
When you want to find out any thing
you must 90 to those who know the
most about 1t. If you want to find out
about the Chinese question you must ask
the sober business men of California
about it, not the long-haired men and
short-haired women of Boston. The
speaker showed up the various obiec-