Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-05

ternoon with patrons and friends of the
Rock Island public schools. this particu.
lar occs sion being the annual commence
ment exercises of the Ninth grades. The
stage was gorgeously decorated with bou.
quets and other floral emblems, these
tokens of appreciation and regard from
relatives and friends of the graduates
forming a bank entirely around the
foot>light space, there being great
wealth of flowers besides. President
Reimers and Directors Thomas, Barth
and Knowlton, of the board of education
and Supt Kemble occupied the box to
the right of the stage. while Principals
Perry ind Kirkpatrick and Miss Plat
and Mrs. Liston had the box on the op.
posite 8 de. President Reimers presided.
THE EXERCISES
opened with march executed by Miss
Maud @. Campbell, during which the
graduates entered from either side of the
stage and took seats. Prayer was offered
by Rev. A. B. Medium and then came
chorus song. "Our School Days
Are Gliding By" Frank Payne delivered
decla nation entitled "The World We
Live In " and Miss Sarah Arthur recited
Zone Standard for Both" after which
Harry V. Cook acclaimed THE Men to
Make State" "Climb to the Top" was
rendered in chorus; Nellie Wilson re-
cited Saving Mother" and Fred Ecker
mann detained The Paper Doesnt Say. -
Then followed the reciting of "Colum.
bia' by Alice T. Hemenway. and the song
by the chorus. Good Bye"
The main address to the graduates was
made By Rev. Fl. G. Leland, of the First
Baptist church. the subject of whose
we'll directed remarks was the
ELEMENTS OF IDEAL MANHOOD.
Mr.. Leland said:
Members of the Ninth Grade, Parents and
Friends
l esteem it compliment that I am
permitted the privilege of speaking to
you upon this occasion. Two classes are
before me. to each of whom / am ex
pected 10 have reference in my remarks
| the ninth grade flushed with success in
attaining much desired stage of pro-
gress in education, and animated with
! the hope of future achievements; and
parents, who are justly gratified with the
CONNER dable progress and abilities de-
! yeloped in learning by those whose every
nj ia daar m rho -
vice and help is not only potent, but
! necessary to the proper use of the pres
ent advantages and successful prosecu.
| ton of plans for the future.
Two questions are suggested as
specially worthy of consideration:
l. how shall we attain to the complete
symmetrical manhood or womanhood,
and most successfully achieve com,
mendabe life task? And
Q. How shall parents render most
efficient stimulus and aid to the youth
in reaching this most desirable end2
Our answer, in brief, to these ques>
tons is by entertaining and acting upon
proper views of life, its privileges, obli-
cations and possibilities. "The life is
more tn An meat and the body more than
| raiment." To live is more than to get
money and ENJOY its possession and use.
We have an intellectual and moral as
we'll as physical nature.
Three elements. corresponding with
| the trinity of our nature must enter into
the ideal manhood, viz A good
| CHARACTER, A VIGOROUS CONSTITUTION
and an adapted culture. Our unrivalled
public school system seems to give the
1 AmprJpan nf
| help toward these than can be found in
any other part of the world, but as a
system it cannot produce the desired re-
suit, without cordial and enthusiastic
sympathy and cooperation on the part
of parents, and recognition and intelli-
gent action on the part of teachers, pu>
pills and parents of the necessary ele-
ments of the ideal manhood.
CHARACTER.
A good character, right moral basis,
is as necessary to the ideal manhood as
the foundation to house Without
character we may have a Bloody Mary
Robespierre or j. Wilkes Booth. Life
is continual conflict, but the grand est
battles and victories are not fought and
won where cannon roar, and sabres fash
and clash. but on the silent battle fields
of the heart, which is truly battle field
possessing immesurably more interest
than Marathon, Waterloo, Austerlitz or
Gettysburg. Herbert Spencer has said
that zee duct is three-fourths of life p"
The education of the moral feelings
should 60 hand in hand with every study
The pupil should learn to restrain pass
sion, be just, generous, humane. pune
tusl and industrious. He alone can
hope to attain successfully toward an
ideal ms nhood and perform well the life
task. whose continual sentiment illus
trated By action is: