Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-06-19
BACCALAUREA?E SERMON.
Two Thousand People turn out
to hear the Address.

Parable Of the Talents Used as the
Textile Theme was Education-An
Abstract of the tddress-Se at
Night to the Members OF the I. NJ.
Z. A.--Program Of the Exercises.
The Baccalaureate sermon was
preached to the graduating class on
Sunday morning by Rev Benjamin
Terry, of Chicago All the church
es IN town suspended their services
and the congregations attended the
exercises in a body The address
was magnificent one and has been
the cause of many complimentary
references.
DIR. Terry is one Of the most pleas
ing speakers that has ever appeared
in Morgantowh and he has more
nearly the idea Of what Commence
ment address should be than any
man who has been here in recent
years to preach the annual sermon.
The text vas the twenty fifth of
Matthew, the parable of the talents.
The theme was education.
The plain ;nterpretion of this text
is that it is every mans duty to
make the most of himself. To seek
to enter into the possession OF all
the powers which may have been
given at birth. We apply these
thoughts to the subject OF education.
tits the duty of every young man
or young woman to seek the best
possible education rs preparation
for life's work. Ii IS pertinent then
in the first place to ask what we
mean by an education? 1t is more
than mental training. Yet the dis
tinction is one of object rather than
method. In training we strive to in
|ject the power of doing certain
things with accuracy and skill. In
education we seek rot TO learn how
to do something butte become some
thing.
We seek to place the young man
or young woman in possession OF
powers whichat birth are only in
prophecy. 70 give them what we
call maturity, ripeness of power.
Education is not learning. Learn
ing is the means Of education. 1T
is not EDUCATION. The mind grows
by coming III contact with facts as
the body grows by coming in con
tact with food. These facts are
more than the simple intellectual
furniturilg of the mind. 1t becomes
part of dvery fiber of the intellect
ual being of the man. What we seek
in education is to impart the power
not to 90 through certain exercises
like trick mule or to recite certain
lessons like parrot, but to teach
the power to think. To gather fact
here and a fact there. And putting
these two together derive third
fact which is our own.
Now in accordance with this dis
tinction we have two classes of in
situations; the educational school
which includes Common schools and
High schools. The College and the
yNSchool of Training which includes
the profession schools of various
Kinds.
Someone has defined College as
the place where nothing useful is
taught. / accept your definition If
YOU mean merely materialistic use
fulness. That is, something which
as we say max be used for getting a
living. But is that all that we have
to live for? Simply what we may
eat or what we may put on? Then
the rich fool in the Bible was not
much OF a fool after ali when he
said, "Come, let us eat and be merry
for tomorrow we may die
IT that is al then we must re-
write our poetry and re state our
philosophy For the true idea Of
! life is not that of the youth with up.
ward look and uplifted banner toll
ing on to the mountain peaks of the
dawn. But that is of the cattle
crossing the prairies heads all down
browsing as they go.
But is it so useless for a young
man or young woman to seek first
to enter into full possession of all
the God given powers before they
face the great problems Of life?
Rather let MS define the two classes
of institutions thus; the education
--Aal school, the place where the stu
dent become possessed of himselfand
the training school Of what ever de
scription, medical professional, etc.
The school where he becomes pos
sessed Of certain knowledge or
loarua ia do partain tbinJG bv w hich
he may become directly helpful and
useful in society.
Now here in lies one great mis-
take. As educators we encourage
young men to begin the second be-
fore they have completed the first.
And many a man to day finds him
self confronted with the great bur
dens of life and he himself un-
able to carry them. And sees him