The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-18
THE KINGDOM OF HOPE
address Of Gov. Jobu Z. Rogers
At Commencement Exercises
Of the Tacoma Normal TrAiE-
ing School June Ia. 1899.

- HE Kingdom Of HOPE Is an en-
~ psre embracing many things
VOll In advocating It's claims l do
W. not thereby dssrsrsse or deny
the power Of oiaer forces not
an;ageufsfic TO H. II Is my In
sensian. hcweyer. Mt this time 10 allow
every TAB 70 stand upon its oxn bottom.
The wise old Greek told Us. new many
centuries ago, that the summing ap Of all
his teaching was thss: Man. know thy
set To this we of a later day can add
bat little. For. IL one do thoroughly know
himself. our experience with men will
show us that having sais knowledge, he
10 a remarkable man who has in this mas
tered the saving part OF all thai 10 TO ee
known
Men often essay that for which they
have no fitness. and when az q result
brought 20 shame are went lnwardly 20
mourn The absence OF that impossible POW
er which might give US leave to see cur
selves as Others see rs. But this, were Il
possible. Is not what Is really needed. One
must know himself fer what he Ia. not as
other men behold him; far the hehalGer
has ever a Jealous eye and sees a possible
competitor in every performance Of man
II ether mems estimate Of ourselves were
all required one might select = mentor and
20 him and his decision resign hts darling
hope But this were the death OF all prog
ress and all advance. Who could have
foreseen the greatness Of Lincoln and
properly advised the boy struggling with
untoward influences. o. hts ridiculous
failures, his ioa;ish behavior and vulgar
stories. who. having within him the In
stinct OF culture and the mind Of q gentle
man. could in fAneoln's salad daya have
perceived the beginnings Of IN emaneipa-
Tar Az IA ~
himself as others saw him the noble rage
OF that grand spirit would have been for
ever repreesed and the genial current Of
his soul sroGen by the Icy stare Of an un-
sympathetic world.
Thank God Lincoln saw himself az 9th.
ers did not Within his heart hiossomed
the flowers that grow only whom called
into being By the genial sun Of the King
dom OF Hope. Lincoln hoped great things
for himself. This and this only. made the
emancipafor 4 possibility. great hope
Of future preferment possesacd him. lifted
him from the yacuous animAlism Of tho
people by whom he was surrounded and ct
whom he was begot. He knew himself
far better than did the othars who saw
him In the days OF HE carly. or iuieed h.s
later. struHiings Let no man despair De-
cause Of the pre1udiccd frown Of his
neishbor. II he have within the witness
OF his own spirit let him believe In him.
SET and live. For X he accept the juds-
nsnt OF those who enter into competition
with him he 10 condemned already. They
viii damn him with faint praise. or. per-
chance. II more honest. give him the coup
de grace at once and forever.
No man Of mark ever yet accepted Al
final the judgment az other men regarding
himself. OF some completed work OF his
he may and often win do well to heed the
opinion OF the world. but In himself he will
keep his faith TO the md. sure that eom~-
how. somewhere, the brightest visions OF
his youth win YET come tslte. Men u note
Ne are all able to see lived In the Kine-
dom Of Hope And because they did in-
habit II ard were there received ~ citi-
sens they became remarkable. The very
air OF that land IL inspiring And we all
are privileged to follow them at distance
Indeed. great men are examples unto u.s.
eent for our instruction But II one at
tempt TO follow let him be sure OF himself
This nrst Of all. Let him not accept the
honeyed cards OF friends and relatives
who may possibly regard him as very near
perfection already. No loyal wife or dot
ing mother can be trusted here. We must
know ourselves as we ara.
Tho man who does not struggle 10 &C.
Quire that which might help him on his
way fails In HIS life, has indeed lost the
true sense OF things and resigned himself
having first taken leave Of hope-to an
untoward end and desperate fate. For
every man who hopes, and has thereby
become an inhabitant OF the Kingdom. Ii
ever ready. 40 a good soldier. 10 do battle
in rs defense And this animal desire for
be;terment. although from II comes the
reign OF tooth and claw. OF avarice and
greed. IL yet the breeding ground and
starting point of all Improvement
We struggle TO obtain, we live TO ac-
vi hes
the fact that We have hope in the future;
that somehow. somewhere. how we cannot
say: where we DO not know, that for which
we strive shall aid Us. shall make US wiser.
better. stronger. Weather or moro power
full Nor whii. life and reason last can we
escape the absolute mAssery Of this con-
trolling principle Of our nature. But while
not able 10 escape It men still are able 10
say how their conduct shall b. affected by
this desire and upon what plane they will
act. whether upon the lower 81 mere con-
sen,lon and greed. or the higher Of ~mula-
,ion and rivalry In that which In good.
As sane men have never yet escaped nor
desired to escape. the hope Of be,terment
OF condition. 80. In the future az In the
past, the normal man must obey. In some
direction he VIII strive for that which 10
him has greatest vslse and brings most Of
hope.
Hope OF Improvement. Desire 10 ad-
vance. This will never come so an end
either In this wdfld OF In any that may
follow. IL II a Law OF nature. and az God.
Thus. necessarily. the life lead be-
comes struggle. a aght We cannot refuse.
The struggle with our fellows In all the
affairs Of ~. is not only unacceptable bat.
properly regarded and directed. r. seen TO
be the motive power fn that splendid adj
vance mar In making srCTn savaw~ry and
perhaps from stir lower conditions, on
ward and upward toward that bourne Of
unknown perfection which the future may
hold In nfor~. Ard the necessity 10 tlgsau
US. One must bear bis part an a roo3 sol
iser in the eonascf. T<f each accept his
place. In whatever position We are called
10 stand let take ~ and hold II aaairss,
the world ard 20 the end. And amid the
turmoil OF things by which We are sur
rounded. the dust ard sweat and oaths ~
battle. and fear OF possssle loss hope %
future besserment - the white star tina;
ever brilliantly shines beyond the black
wreck cs presen. distress ana TEN sorary
defeat.
can,eS. AMI eonnir. II the lay az life
The apostle teas Us that cur life Is a war
fare. ans hs sp@sks sne truth. We All