Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-06-20
AndDefendS COmmerCiafiSm
Does BOurke Cochran
Eloquent New Yorker De-
livers Thrilling Speech
Magnificent Audience Hears
Great Orator at ArmOry

war waged for anything else than plumber,
and plumber is the acquisition of wealth.
The phrase military glory has been in
yOked by rulers to enlist the sympathy OF
the Masses and while they We're deluded
by the phrase of military glory the pur-
port which the men who made war were
always governed by was the desire for plum
der and loot. Is there in history the re-
suit of a war which is not measured by the
booty that was won? Did not Caesar cul,
tivate popularity by undertaking to rebuild
Rome from the spoil of the vanquished
Gaul? Is there trophy a flag treasured
anywhere except one that has been cap
tured? The very names of ships that nave
been taken in contest are preserved, al
though the foreign origin and context are
of mysterious significance to the captors,
and they are preserved that all the world
shall know they are the fruit of conquest
and not of industry. Military glory has
been the phrase which has perverted the
judgment of men, and changed peoples
from the direction of greatness to abase-
ment. 1t is the gospel of hate. Under its
influence men have been induced to under
take long Journeys, not upon missions OF
to disease, to incur wounds, to suffer all
manner of privationS, and even to suffer
death that their fellowmen might be in
jured, that they might be Impoverished DC,
tons given up to it, and never with any
other result than their own destruction.
We can see the country that was the great
est of Europe. We can behold in its fate
the influence of pernicious phrases upon
popular judgment. We have seen that
country, whose people overthrow a grinding
tyranny under the stimulus of a love of lip-
erty, abandon its ideals and seek to estab-
lish it's own military despotism Oh nations,
sacrificing its blood and it's treasure, and
now at tic emf of The century we behold it,
still suffering Iom the intoXicatiOn which
led it on, its pfImacy gone, its possessions
narrowed, the glory which it possessed fled
forever, the lust of conquest still in its
blood, but the power of conquest gone for.
ever from it's arms Here we see in south
Africa today military glory bringing three
hundred thousand Englishmen across the
feeble republics. They are led there by the
cry, of military glory, and the lust of it,
| and they have missed it, while the few
sparse troops opposed to them have gained
an Unreasonable glory in defending their
Cwn soil.
If you are to be good lawyers if you are
to become prominent in your profession
you must know what the spur of necessity
is. The man who undertakes a profession
for any other reason than for necessity is
an amateur, and while an amateur is often
excellent, he never reaches supreme dis
tinction. When, therefore, we wish you
success, we mean success primarily i'll max
ing a livelihood. And if your true success
is in making livelihood, the degree of your
| success will be measured by the quality OF
the livelihood you make. You cannot be
successful and conspicuous in your prOfes
sion, you cannot be honOred by your fellow
citizens unless they regard that as sign
| tune. If you ever get that fortune they
will not consider that an evidence of de-
prayity.
Gentlemen, my advice to you is to &c
! forth into your profession and struggle fol-
all it's prizes. And if you ask me how is
success in that profession to be won,
if you go further and ask what l mean by
| merit, l will answer by another word, hon
esty. Be honest with yourselves, with your
community, your client, your adversary and
tlin nnrt hay oil ~
success that is necessary to achieve hap
: piness, respect, fortune, and 1 mention
them in order of their Importance.
Now it is very easy for man to be hon
est with his neighbor; in fact, any man who
is not is merely stupid. But it is exceed
ingly difficult for a man to be honest with
these dangerous phrases are apt to misead
him. The number of persons who have rec
onciled themselves to questionable acts by
vague and mysterious phrases is andy in.
himself by figure of speech! How many
man has boasted of drunkenness by cali
ing it good fellowship! do not believe
every act had applied to it its proper de,
scriptive term. Be honest with yourselves
in deciding whether this is really the pro-
fession for which you are qualified. Every
man has got qualifications for some calling
or other. The failures you see in life are
the men who have not chosen their proper
theaters of industry.
1t is along this great pathway where the
good Samaritan is active. where the sue
cessful man is he who renders the greatest
services to his fellows, that the lawyer
must take his stand in the world No
gloomy isolation for him, but vigorous par
tfcipation in all the activities and interests
of of life. He must help his fellow man along
the road, lessening its difficulties. taking
their burdens, which upon the shoulders
will crush you and down you, but if placed
under your feet will help you up, leading
others forward to higher conditions and up
ward to nobler ideals and wider horizons