Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-03-04
SPEECH BY M'KINLEY.
The PRESIDENT TALKsTo PENN.
SYLvANlA STUDENTS.
The Father of His Country a Pattern
for All Patriots, Both in His Private
and Public L.ife-Peerless as a States
man, Soldier and Citizen.
Example for All Americans

uHu upVreclutlHc 0uOlence, composed OF
the faculty and students of the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania and their friends,
on the afternoon of Feb. %, at the Acad-
envy of Music in Philadelphia. Mr.. Nc
Kinlcy was introduced by Provost Chas.
G. Harrison.
The utterances of the President were
greeted with frequent applause. He said
in part:
In its entirety Washington's public life
is as familiar to the American student us
the history of the United States. They
are associated in holy and indissoluble
bonds. With enduring fame us u great
soldier the world recognized his equal ac-
complishments in the paths of statesman
ship. AS II soldier he was peerless in the
time in which he lived, and as IL states
man his rank is fixed with the most illus
trious in any country or in any age. From
the hour when Washington declared in
his Virginia home he would raise Il thou
sand men and equip them at his own ex-
pcnse to march to the defense of Boston,
lie became the mastcrful spirit of the con-
tincntal army and the mighticst single
factor in the continents struggle for lib
crty and Independence.
Apparently without personal ambition.
spirning royal honors when they were
suggested to him, he fulfilled n still more
glorious destiny as the guiding force of
Il civilization frccr and mightier than the
history of man has ever known. Slave
holder himself, he yet hated slavery, and
provided in his will for the emancipation
of his slaves. Not a college graduate, he
was always enthusiastically a friend of
liberal education. lie used to on every
suitable occasion impress upon Congress
and the country the Importance of Il high
standard of general education and charac-
tcrizcd IL diffusion of knowledge as the
most essential clement of strength in II
system of free government. And how
rcvercnt always VAS this great man, how
prompt and generous his recognition of
the guiding hand of Divine Providence in
establishing and controlling the destinics
of the colonies and the republic.
At the very height of his success and
reward as he emerged from the revolu-
ton. receiving by unanimous acclaim the
plaudits of the people and commanding
the respect and admiration of the civil
lied world, he did not forget that his first
official act as President should be a fer
vent s,pplication to the Almighty Being
who rules the universe. But Washington
on this occasion went further and spoke
for the people, assuming he but voiced
the sentiments of the young nation in
thus making faith in Almighty God and
reliance upon his favor and care one of
the strong foundations of the Government
then inaugnratcd. And proceeding, Wash
ington states the reasons for his belief
in language so exalted that it should be
craven deep upon the mind of every pat
riot.
In an age of great activity. industrial
commerce, strife and %pcrplcNing problems
we should never abandon the simple faith
III Almighty God as recognized in the
name of the American people by Wash
ington and the first Congress. But if a
timely lesson is to be drawn from the
opinions of Washington on assuming the
Office of President, so also much practi-
cal benefit can be derived from Il present
application of portions of his farewell adj
dress. q document in which Washington
laid down the principles which appeared
to him "all important to the permanence
of your felicity as u people," In that ad-
dress Washington contends in part ~
for the promotion of the institutions of
learning: " for the cherishing of the pub
lie credit: (3) for the observance of good
LII oio JuSIiSS N0Nkk ga AlhtAoIips
A hundred years ago free schools were
very little known i'll the United States.
There were excellent schools for tile we'll
to-do, and charitable institutions for the
instruction of boys aud girls without
means; but u free public school, open alike
to the children of rich and poor, supported
by the State, awaited creation and devel-
opment. The seed planted by the fathers
soon bore fruit. Rich as are the collegiate
endowmcnts Of the old world, none Of
them excel in munificence the gifts made
to educational institutions by the people
of the United States, and by their govern
ment in conformity with the 'infiuence
which sound learning has on religion and
manners, on government, liberty AMI
laws" l have had peculiar satisfaction
in the fact that Washington in those early
days, when cngrossed with mighty gov
ernmental problems. did not forget his
contributions for the education of the
poor and left in his will a bequest to be
dedicated to free public instruction. Moth
ing better tells the value he placed upon
knowledge as essential to the highest and
best citizenship.
"Cherish the public credit" How much
of both reflection and instruction are COM
bined in this simple aimonition of the
father of his country. The United States
emerged from the bitter and prolonged
struggle of the revolutionary wal exhaust
ed financially, with n hundred existing
perpleXitics and difficulties which remain
ed to be solved before the financial credit
of the new nation could be established ut
home and demonstrated abroad. But
Washington knew how to gather around
him and place in positions of greatest
trust able financiers and economists whose
names the country still venerates and
whose great work it still enjoys. Hamil-
ton, Morris. Gallatin and others were
successful in establishing the treasury and
inaugurating the financial operations of
this Government upon principles which
recognized that the most enduring basis
of national credit was national honor. and
that whatever other assets we might have
or acquire that was Indispensable first,
last and all the time, IL we would cherish
the public credit. We have been full,
rewarded oil along our history by adher
ing to the principles of Washington in
keeping public faith. Before half thu
century passed we had paid off u ma
L Al 1Vx Al A-N----