Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1900-09-12
Address by C. l.. Holcomb,
Delivered at twelfth annual session Adams
County Teachers Association.

WOhucE IL ~ Uc pUssIule iOf lie 10
add new creation OF thought to the
countless myriads already created and
accumulated into a vast sea OF learn
ing. A sea, the waters of which, it
seems, contain the properties neces-
sary to sustain our travels along any
road OF life and Il philosophy to clear
away the dust and cobwebs gathered
along the byways already Travelled.
Here, mingled, is the record OF many
warsi the history OF the lives and pas
sions, and the joys and virtues of
many tribes and nations. Here the
virtues of Plato and a Ruskin soften
the statecraft of n Macchiavelli, a
Richelieu or Cleveland. Here
Democritus ripples, with merriment,
over the follies of "Willie" Waldorf
Aston. Admiral Dewey demonstrates,
ON the water, theorum calculated
by Napoleon at the battle OF Lodi.
The present clasps the hand OF the
past and experience lights the path Of
the future. Ii we get tangled in the
jungle it is because, like evil men, we
wander off in the dark. We should
be happy; call experience worketh
unto good" and we are the heirs to all
the ages. Can not all the centuries
teach us one truth that may safely
guide our wanderings? One maxim
for the motto Of or lives? SECT
wisdom" saith Solomon; "get under
standing" "To thine own self be
true" says Shakespeare; "the proper
study of mankind is man." says Soc
crates. The old Grecian philosopher
came near the true mark, but per-
haps modern students would have
understood him better if he had en-.
larged little on the line of study so
that it would include man in his rela-
tions to external objects and the kim
ship ofspirit and matter. The maxims
OF all the sages teach different lessons,
but all in the end, teach one lesson,
which contains all knowledge.
This is an age Of rapid evolution,
wherein writers and politicians in
their desire to play on some popular
chord, handle the various questions OF
reform with superficial ease and famil-
iarity. They hypocritically temporize
with an existing fact without study
ing the underlying causes, and have
not yet learned that the greatest pub
lie welfare is the greatest private well
fare. Reformers would transport us
as once into an Utopian state with.
out having first prepared the subjects
to establish or maintain the highest
conditions. The American people
have reared this country in an amaz-
ingly short period OF time to the high
est rank among nations, but oppor-
tunity for individual advancement
can not be in the future what it has
been in the past. The haste with
which we have moved forward leaves
this generation and posterity at dis
advantage by not having earlier paved
the way for civilization under future
conditions. in the America OF the
past, with its boundless resources,
thoroughpess Of preparation was not
necessary to success. With thrift and
industry most any man OF reasonable
intelligence could acquire competent
store OF worldly goods and in many
cases accumulate q fortune. Under
these conditions, the haste with which
fortunes were made and fame achiev-
ed, and the eagcrness OF the young TO
enter into the arena, preparation
along all lines has been much abridged.
There 10 come truth In the assertion
that our literature and at are not adj
vancing. This is not due to any in
feriority in the order OF intellect, nor
to want Of ability in our authors or
artists. Why is itf The depths OF
learning are not preoccupied and the
realm OF thought is infinite. 1t is be-
cause wrong conception OF life actu-
ates the motives Of too many men.
Ambition 10 the rock that has wrecked
the lame and fortunes OF countless
Observation-Disclosures 70 reach defin-
lite goal and attempting to find ANY
means to the specific eiid. Men have
not grown famous BY fixing pima
Gle toward which their efforts were
directed. nor rich by saying they de-
ejEed . pertain spnl: GREATNESS is the
offspring Of virtie and not Of ambi-
ton. The sfs-~ that have frightened
tbs horosc human annals have
nieen int III step BY step upon
deeds o. .uty and in obedience
70 nat sletch>- ID: aNan