The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-12
SPEECH OF WALTER L. MILLER, ESQ.

The NOblest Purpose of Education IL
to ExempIiCy Bible Truths.--Tht
Highest Development is Moral
(haracter...A Thorough, and MOI
Superficial Education, Is What
is Needed -. Valuable Work OF
Newspapers No Royal Road IA
Learning.
The Chairman said {:
I now have the honor Of presenting to you
one who Is we'll known to this community
one who has been with us on former occa.
sions. He has had experience as teacher
ments eminently qualify him for the learned
pursuits. and his study and training as teach
er, orator and lawyer, is sufficient guarantee
that his speech will be both instructive and
edifying-Mr. Walter L. Miller:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
It affords me pleasure to be present here to
ly interesting to me- Here my father In his
youth and my grandparents OH the paternal
side regularly worshipped once month for
many years. II Is pleasant for me to reeog:
familiar and whom 1 count among my
friends. And am glad to see so many inter.
ested In the great cause OF education. con.
graiulate you on having for your teacher SO
would regard any community peculiarly for.
tunate in securing the services OF so excellent
a teacher.
/ have had time OF IL preparing q speech
for this occasion. In the first place, in com.
pairing notes with my friend, Mr.. Gary, l
found that he had appropriated my subject,
and then another Of my friends,-and by the
way he Is with us to- day.--said not to say any
nf AlpYQnhpr NQDnp0n- | had
to tell him that I had both Alexander and
Napoleon in my speech, and unfortunately II
was too late to take them out. then thought
1 might say something of prohibition, but on
picking up the Press and Banner this week
saw that Mr.. Wilson had an editorial on that
subject, SO that ! could not say anything
about II. In fact he claims kind OF monop-
oily of that subject So you see L have been
beset on every side
At the very threshold OF this occasion 1t Is
both appropriate and pertinent TO inquire
what do we mean by education? What is Its
grand end and design? What is included In
It and what is embraced by it? If. as we have
often been told, we learn more from example
than from precept, then many and varied Will
be the answers. The lips OF the school boy
will ut once refresh our memories, and as we
watch the career OF Alexander the Great and
follow him on from victory TO victory, we Will
learn that education has for It's end,-nay
more than life Itself has for Its aim, TO lead
the serried hosts on to battle, 10 listen 10 the
plaudts of assembled thousands, to vanqush
Kingdoms and then to weep because forsooth
there are no other worlds to conquer. Or
standing by the side OF Napoleon rs we see
to the pyramids Of Egypt. and saying TO them
that forty centuries are looking down upon
them and thus inspiring them with fresh
should tit ourselves for the soldiers life, that
military renown should be the ultimatum OF
our hopes, and that martial glory should
be the polar star of our aspirations.
Ing at the present with its diversified life and
manifold experience. II we attempt TO solve
this question from the examples set before us,
then curious indeed will be the lessons taught
US and varied still will be the answers unfold
ed. Summon before you Jay Gould, the rail-
rond magnate and money king, and ask him
what's the lesson OF his life? What's the
guiding purpose of his course? and as he tra-
verses the continent In his palace car or
wings message over the electric wire. he Will
tell you that you must be rich; you must pull
down your barns and build greater ones; you
must accumulate millions OF money; you
must control great corporations; you must be
the central spirit of huge monopolies. and
that thousands and thousands of operatives
must obey your every behest and answer your
every call.
Leaving the business walks OF life and ell
terlng the social circle, suppose you Interview
Ward McAlllSter and his famous four hum
dred. Here you will be told that you must
your ear 10 aPprecatet tasta nnv HS 5s
dishes; you must sip the choicest
wines you must wear the nobbiest dress, and
with artistic skill you must trip the light
fan taSiic toe.
Now crossing the waters and with charac-
teristic American boldEess yenturing Into the
presence of royalty and touching the shoulder
of the Prince of Wales say to him, What's
the lesson Of your life? And you will be told
that the highest ambition is to make love TO
pretty women, to grace the club room, and TO
be Il leader OH the turf.
And then in sharp contrast with these we
have the examples of the good and great
We can stand with the thirty thousand who
only a day or SO ago assembled at Lexington,
and witnessed the unveiling of Jackson's
statue, and drawing inspiration from the sur
and from the life OF the COnfeder-
ale chieftaln, we can learn that the noblest
purpose is To exemplify In our lives those SIM
pile but grand Biblical words, Fear God and
/ eep his comma ndme ents, for this Is the whole
duty of man" So at last we are compelled to
among the variety or examples
set US and each of US Is forced to answer for
himself the question asked at the outset,
What Is the end and aim of education: What
Is It's main design?
We answer that education means the train |
Ing and discpling of all our powers, the or
lerly and symmetrical development OF all
our facuties-moral, intellectual and physl- |
cal. so that we may best accomplish our pecu- |
Iinr mission and may be able To fulfill the !
highest duties of citizenship. Accepting this
as its correct definition It follows that educa-
ion is not confined to the school room. A
nan may have the very best primary and
lcadenical advantages; ne may 20 TO college
md be graduated thereirom with the highest
lonors OF his class; he may then attend the
and take an extended post grad