Decorah-posten., 1894-11-06
Rev. j. Halvorson's Speech at
the 84th Anniversary Of
Luther College.
oc,ober IAN, 1904.

Students Teaches and Friends Of Luther
Collegel
In the hrs, place ! wish to assure you that
! feel much pleased aud grauEed al the
kind inv tation extended 20 me az pea er
on this occas on. and am glad o do what
lies in my power 10 commemorate on
| this anniversary some Of the even,S, per
sons and principles connected with this
institution.
A, / understand il. the object OF an
anniversary festival I, TO retain in the
minds Of the older generation and i'm
plant in that Of he Younger the mem r
able achievements, the principles and
the persons which have mad the nsu-
tuition beloved ard blessed by the people
and which have helped to extend and
increase It's influence.
For who Can measure the influence OF
an institution like this Great factories
may employ hundred Of laborers and
may turn on, various implements tor the
use Of mankind. and they are Necessary
for the prosperity Of a community.
Mines OF coal. iron, silver and gold urn
out riches that may prove a blessing or
a curse. as they isll into the hands of
good men or bad. But in themselves
these things have no moral value, they
do not mould character. they do not
make men. They are but inanImate
objects, cas- ly tarnished and lost serv-
ing the world for sustenance and ex-
change Of values, but giving no o or
direction for the mind, save as they de-
base and turn men away from their true
ideals.
The greatest institutions Of a country
are not its mills. turning out flour or
cloth or lumber, nor its factories turn ng
out shoes, clothes or machinery. nor its
centers of trade and exchange helping
TO spread a nations wealth and accumu
late its savings: but the institutions that
teach men to use the wealth OF the wor d
for the glory Of God and the true benefit
OF mankind. For the greatest and most
difficult thing is not the gathering OF
money and gaming Of wealth but the
using It for the nob,est purposes and the
best results.
The gatherer of money and the gamer
of wealth may be a slave TO the ma
terial things which he handles. but the
man who looks on them merely as means
to a higher end is their master and lord,
as he wa designed to be.
Money may buy slaves now as it
would before the Rebellion: brides may
bring votes and workers at an election;
but ideas and principles alone guide men
and control their actions
The supremacy of mind above matter,
Of mora principles above lusts and greed,
Of God above self is the idea that has er
ccted this instltu ion and that controls il
today.
An idea. a principle, a truth may moi
have much commercial value, but Is in,
l,Vanra - neusrthelaCS 0TAatHF mnrp
farreaching, more lasting than the wealth
of a Vanderbilt And give one the choice
between a man rich in money and pro.
perty, but a moral and spiritual paupe.
on the one hand and a man Of a grea
intellect and faith. rich in the possession
/ Of great convictions, NOBLE ideas, true
principles and energetic purpose on tn;
other hand and zone Of you would hest
tate about whom 10 choose or guide anC
-, councillor for father or friend.
= And the moneyed men OF this countr,
j, have ~recogniIzd the farreachlng anC
lasting beneficial influence Of eduCatio
nal institutions and the claim they hsv'
. upon a peoples love and gratitude and S,
when they wish to perpetuate tn ir nam,
and memory and associate It with some
. thing worth remembering they take
j; mill on out of their railroads or mine
or mills or factories and endow a uniyer
: sity. Thus a Rockefeller, a Stanford,
n Pillsbury may still be Bile sed, when tn
' other signs and token, of their wealtl
have perlshed.
4 And II IL still not 20 great a sacrifice
for a wealthy man, who has enough 4
crafty his ambition, to give a part OF hi
. fortune, a. II is for the poor settler Oh
his farm, or the daylaborer In the city
: who has q burden Of debts. a family Il
support. and his own future to mako, Il
erect and support h~lghschools and col
I leges. Not merely educational but Chris
B tan interests erected Luther College
What were the people, who erccte'
this institution Were there many Rot
|. shields among themf am afraid the,
were In unknown quantity among tn
Norwegian settlers in the early ooties
That was a season of war and bloodshe,
and Of internal strife and di sension
when masses OF human lives and human
property were destroyed. by the avenge
Of human injustice, when the Union wen
through its fiery furnace and came gu
/. brighter and stronger than before wit
the dross OF its existence thrown Oh
And even in this great epoch OF GU
d young nations history, when great idea
were being discussed and patriotism ant
. enthusiasm were kindled in so man,
hearts, the Norwegian Lutheran ChurcI
also developed in a short time, bu
\ through a great crisis from q babe II
swaddling clothes, carried by It's parent
' and spiritual sisters to a sturdy youil
= with a will and work of its own
Luther College was conceived in 1851
some time after the war had commenced
when the SYNOD at Rnrk Prairie decide
10 build its own seminary in DEBORAH
: Iowa, and it was born and commence,
T operations the same fall in Halfwa,
= Creek. Wis. For Luther College is nc
properly a building of stone and mortal
!, but an institution consisting OF q facult
= and students. working upon certa
c principles for a d finite aim In the ser
vice of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod
In 1862 the college moved to DEBORAH
and occupied the present site of the 81
!, Cloud Hotel. June goth. 1864 the corneI
y stone was laid 10 a building on the pre-
sent site, and Oct. I4th. 1865, il was de
Dictated in the presence of 6 900 Norwe
gian Lutherans. Glory be to God! Ths
is the occasion that has assembled US to
day. But the sacrifice and faith. tn
n love and the interest needed to brin
things SO far in that crisis OF the natio
and the church makes the task a
achievement, worthy of membranes o
gratitude to men and of praise to God
. that should lever be forgotten. 1t doe
any one good to read the history Of thos
early days from the pen OF Prot. Larsen
J." and observe the spirit dominant anon
= the teachers and students.
TO see the limited room, the amoun
of work, the plain food and ~furnitur