The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-13

y
/ ourselves in continuing within our owl
borders to solve the problem of self
/ government, thus showing all the nations
of the world that while we honor Coo
/ and regard each other, we are in a Pc
Sition to maintain a form of govern
ment which guarantees the larges
measure of freedom, secures the great
est happiness and is founded upon
rock against which the waves of VIC
lence may beat in vain, because tina
rock is God. The thought of ones obi
cations to society is apt to be very
! vague, because society is such a com
| pick and at the same indefinite thing
| No selfish person can have any JUS
conception of his duty to society. Ht
! is liable to think that if he has KEEP
himself well within the bounds of what
! the civil law requires he has done his
/ whole duty. Such an one surely is moi
an ideal citizen. Some of the most in
teresting as well as the most intricate
] problems which face US today are those
which grow out Of our relation to So
ciety. Leaving aside the questions oil
religion and education, there are queS-
tons which grow out of the considera-
ton of the accumulation and distribu-
ton of wealth, capital and labor, the
proper care of the worthy poor, the
criminal classes and all sanitary meas
ures, besides a multitude of lesser mat
tiers which come daily crowding upon
US. Shall the ideal citizen take the
ground that when he has done his duty
by his family and the state in a gen
eral way, if you please, he has no fur
Their obligations? By no means. Such
persons are mere ciphers in society. No
void will be made by their departure
from this life. They have been mere
leecheS in society. They have gotten
gains, but have never given forth from
their storehouses. They are cold and
heartlesS, mere cumbererS of the soil,
taking that which others would have
employed to greater advantage. It is
taking the very highest and strongest
ground, it seems to me, to say that no
man may say that ought of the things
which he possesses is his own. We are
after all only trustees for others of
all that God has given us-time, talent.
possessions of any kind. Trustees are
we of those things for the society in
which we move.
There are in Utah a great many peo-
pie who are in modest and
quiet way are trying to elevate the
tone of society. We hear but little of
them. Their names are not often seen
in print-they make no noisy demon
strations of any kind. They are among
the ideal citizens who form the best
support of the government, and with
out whose earnest interest, patriotic
feeling and honest loyalty the state
would suffer. In the advocacy Of their
plans they may not always be wise,
but of the honesty of their conviction
and singlenesS of their purpose there
can be no sort of question. We need
in every way to increase the number
of such persons, and invite the coming
of others who will aid us in the task
of developing ideal citizenship. 1
would that they might be believers in
and followers OF the divine for in
my judgment such persons would most
clearly realize the highest ideals of
citizenship. But outside of such rela-
tons there are men and women whose
conception of their duty to society is
pure and lofty, who live not for self
alone, but are concerned for others,
who spend themselves and their sub
stance for the amelioration of the con-
dition of the race, and who believe
that in helping men to become good
citizens, and intelligently to exercise
the right of suffrage they have accom-
plished all for which in the state they
need to strive.
May not confidently hope, members
of the class of '9S, that you will become
ideal citizens of this our new common
wealth? AS you go forth to life's du-
ties in the closing years of the 18th
century, the future for you is filed
with the brightest prospects. You are
to be congratulated that you are be-
ginning your career now. 1t is a mar
Yelous age upon which he are enter
ing. The goth century viii usher in an
order of existence of which our ances-
tors never dreamed. Tt is a quarter of
a century ago that received from my
alma mater the diploma which Signified
the completion of my academic studies.
II is not a long period of time, and yet
what tremendous strides have been
made in that time in every department
of learning, in mechanics, in art, in
as well ASH sociology and in
the science of government. What mar
velous changes shall be wrought within
the next quarter of a century one
would scarcely venture to predict. The
current Of events is moving so rapidly
in these days one wonders whittier
they will bear us. Will il not be an
honor which any one might coVet to
have a, part in working out the prob
lens which shall confront you? Here
in Utah we are laying the foundations
OF new commonwealth. When we
think of the responsibilities incident to
such a task, have we not need of ideal
citizens? In the development of Utah
you are each to have a part, the women
equally with the men. Unless we can
make a distinct advance upon the de-
of the older states, in vain
will equal suffrage have been given.
How many and varied are the re-
sources of the state which await devel-
opment. These are the material re-
sources of which every one first thinks
and speaks. There are other resources
Of a higher order. which await develop
ment. OF these I bid you think more
than of the others. Human
the greed for money, will |
cause the speedy development of that
shane to have the mental and moral
development uncared for or but par
tally brought out. / bid you remember |
hat the ideas which are dominant in
he formation of a community give a !
bias to the entire subsequent history
# that community, just exactly as in
he development of a child's life. God
las given everything here for the max |
ng of a great and glorious state. What |
,ur educated young people are now !
hat this commonwealth will be in af- !
er years. There will be no POSSIBLE |
place for any sort of narrOwness. The |
culture which you have received in our |
University does not deserve the name |
# culture unless it has been broad and |
generous and refining, and being such |
'ou will reflect no credit upon those /
Who have had a part in the responsible |
work. of molding your characters, I'M
ess you rise to the height of ideal citi-
enship and make an impress worthy
f the best training, upon religious po-
itical and social activity. When I
peak of ideal citizens l do not mean
'erfect citizens, as that adjective is
sed and as you well enough know, but
do invite you to lofty conceptions of
he duty which you owe God, the state
nd the society in which you shall
hoose to move. Weighty responsible
les do the men and women bear who
ave been educated. If the problem of
elf-government should fail the respon-
Utility will fall upon those who like