The Advocate and news., 1899-04-12


gives to life. In fact the great philosophy
of social evolution is found in giving and
receiving. 1t is apparent that the indi-
vidual who is in the wrong place in life rs
also out of harmony with the controlling
thoughts and ideas of his day and, cODse-
quently, he is not in position TO give much
to society and as result he does not re-
ceive much in return. believe that / am
safe in saying that modern social ills are
due, not only to unjust laws, but also to
unwise education. Laws cannot make men.
Education can. If we hope to reform So
ciety, it cannot be done by simply drafting
resolutions in party conventions; it cannot
be done by simply urging party Organiza-
tiOns to fulfill certain prescribed conditions.
These things are necessary, but they are
not enough. We must go down deeper,
We must come closer to the disease. We
must not only tickle the popular ear, we
must educate it to listen to the crying needs
of humanity. We must teach the young
men-the future citizens of our country
that above everything else society expects
them, religion expects them, and God eX-
poets them to find their proper places in life
in order that they may become instruments
for good in the service of a common race.
A well directed life is an inspiration in
itself. In the degreQin which you prepare
yourself for the dutes of life, in the same
degree will it become possible for you to
capture the position of trust and honor in
life. Young men don't court popularity;
win it. Don't imagine success; make it..
Don't stand at the bottom of the ladder
and look at the positions of usefulness and
influence; climb up. A place will be ready
for you as soon as you are found worthy
OF it. Success will crown your efforts not
when you try to do what some one else has
done. but when you do that work which you
can do best We realize our possibilities in
life only when we place ourselves in those
positions where we can use TO the best ad-
vantage the abilities which God has given
us. This is the broad philosophy of life and
education. II makes for social equality. It
leads on to an exalted and dignifed cit-
zenship. 1t makes the business man Just as
important factor in society as the lawyer.
It places the tiller of the soil on an equal
basis with the teacher in the classroom.
1t makes the laboring man worth Just as
much as the minister of the gospel. 1t
makes life uniform, equal and full of hope
and inspiration for each and all. Teach
men correct doctrines and men will be sat
isfed. Make the young men feel that life
is worth living and that they have a place
to fill and work to do and in return they
will help to make the world better.
+
There is another problem confronting the
young men of to-day and that is the prob
lem of citizenship. The first lesson that we
should teach in the line of citizenship is a
proper appreciation of the government un.
der which we live. We are satisfied with a
thing only when we appreciate and
we appreciate thing only when
we understand it. Our appreciation
when we understand it. Our appreciation
OF thing is prOpOrtiOnate to our knowledge
of that thing To illustrate: A man who
has no knowledge of Shakespeare cannot
appreciate his master works To the ignOr-
ant mind beautiful poem is but cOmbi-
nation of words. So in the realm of gov
ernment Where there is lack of apprecia-
tiOn on the part of the citizen, there also we
htAu AnIulC w CACICibC IlkuJly JIIt eA-
allied privileges of citizenship. Intelligence
is a necessary condition for proper appre
citation of the rights bestowed by the gov.
ernment upon the citizen. This il the more
imperative because at the present time the
ignorant and vicious citizens are endeavOr-
ing to Overrlile the intelligent minds in the
affairs Of government and state. As intel
ligent patriotic men and women we dare
not deny the fact that we are to-day
threatened by silent and lurlIingfOe, whose
strOngholds are found in our large centers
of population, and whose leaders are slyly
attempting to poison the minds of our
young men, to undermine our institutions
and to violate our laws. We may preach
patriotism from the stage and the public
platform; we may eulOgize our honored
dead; we may boast of our glorious past
replete as it is with noble sentiments and
heroic deeds, but these things alone will not
alter present social conditions There is