The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-07-01
Conditions Ct Success.

Il
Conditions Ct Success.
An address delivered by Prof Joseph ES-
tobrook of Oliuet College, before tie Grad
uating Class Of the OvoSso High School
on Friday egening, June "a, 1892.
What mighty revolution would there
be If honor and desert should always eX-
actly correspond How refreshing to
the moral sense to see worth and wor-
thiness lifting to place, instead Of cum
ming, and craft, and clamor. aud cheek,
and cash. We know we'll how this prin-
ciple is violated now. In all of the de-
partments of public service and enter
prise there are clerks who understand
all the workings Of the Office. who have
been retained by successive officials and
even parties, because the work Of the
office could not be done without them.
Yet they are not thought of for the
chief place Or pay, though they Il the
chief work and deserve the emoluments.
The measure of merit i, often reckon
ed by a sys! IN of careful marking which
keeps note Of every days department,
and every days effort. Yet every stu
dent knows and every teacher knows
well that honor to whom honor is due.
is by no means always rendered. The
honest men, the hardest workers the
most thorough scholars, do not always
secure the highest honors. The super
fetal student, like the men on ponies,
will often outstrip the honest, earnest,
hard workers on foot John G.. SAKE, in
his college Retrospect" humorously
says.
recOllect the prizes paid
For lessons fathOmed to the bottom,
(Alas that pencil marks should fade,)
rec0llect the chaps who got EN-
Those light equestrians who scared
Ger many passage reckOned stony,
And took the chalks-but never scored
A single honor to the pony.
The rewards bestowed by him even
when most carefully arranged, are not
always the measure of ability. or worth,
or desert, or actual service. Persistence
and self-asse ton, patronage and impu-
dence break through the strongest hui
man checks and take the choicest prizes
from true, honest, and faithful service.
But be assured my young friends, this
Is not true in the most important results
of life. The rewards which God be-
slows. which really make or unmake
life, always crown actual worth (Gll0ays
crown Uorth) and fidelity and fitness.
They are always Sc f-adjusting, and just
as sure as it is that the lighter weight
will strike the beam. Just as sure as in
the ocean you determine the weight of
substance by the depth to which it sinks,
80 sure is it in the moral kingdom that
you may measure worth by the height
to which it rises for there worth shall
rise of itself to its own proper place. In
that realm you may be sure that merit
will not be overlooked because it is I'M
assuming and retiring, nor will vice be
crowned because it is brazen and noisy,
and clamOrous.
The priniipal thought to which want
TO call your attention for few moments
on this occasion is this There is a SURE,
appropriate way to every proper result,
and he who would gain that result so as
to be of any honor to himself or benefit
to pliers, must reach it by the proper
road. He who would climb up some
other way is thief and robber.
There is a way to the treasures of the
world through industry and honest deal
ing F; there is a way to honor through
fidelity and thorough service there is
way to pleasure through natural, tenn
perate and well-spent life. But men, es-
peciallv in this fast ag', are in such
haste that they cannot wait the natural
process. They are in haste to be rich,
and seek those riches that come fas er
than industry and honest dealing will
bring them. They cannot wait for in
dustry To draw its pay, or worth and =
tegrity to find their level. They are
swept away b. that haste to be rich
which the wise man says and human
expert Ance confirms. bringeth a snare
This ve.y eagerness be rich has filled
our pri- with cOnrictS and asyumns
with ia hates, and even sent thousands
to our pJor houses, for thousands no
c1uld have gained an honest com 'eteuce
have sacrificed even that to the struggle
for sudden wealth. This spirit has
shrivelled and dwarfed and perverted
our manhood and filled society with
bitterness and heartburns aud sorrow.
We are in haste for pleasure 100. The
joys that come from natural cou. Sc are
LOO tame and too slow, and Sd men
crowd life 10y stimulants and excitements
and protra aJed reyels. Many one has,
In a few years, exhausted the vitality
of life time. We see this same haste
for honor and power and sition. Men
are not satisfied with the honor that is
due to service, and crowns desert but
they seek honor without regard to SER
vice, and place without regard to fitness.
But true greatness is quality of the
heart and not name or title or office.
Honor is the result of being honorable.
Greatness is being great. High-sound-
ing titles do not make men great. Ele-
waited position does not really exalt
man the want of it does not degrade
hun. Position is like bank note it is
worth just what there is back of it in a
mans character. The bank note may be
artistically engraved, the figures may
stand out b idly on its face, but it is not
worth one penny more, and no govern
ment stamp can make it one farthing
more than the solid coin which it stands for
The desire to be great Is not realized by secur-
ing great mans place, and the desire to be
honorable is not attained by standing where
IN honorable man ought to be- True great
ness is a mans life, genuine promotion Is the
enlargement of "a mans soul. A tue man
would not want dollar II IL were not fairly
earned aud merited. A true man would be
embarrassed and mortified to receive an honor
which did not fairly belong to him. or which
did not represent an equivalent rendered, or