The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-02-13
SAID IN SHORT WORDS.
A Strong Talk In Monosyllables Made
BY an Ohio Man. l

"A
BY an Ohio Man.
In these days of turgid eloquence,
which public speakers seem to vie with
one another to see how many triple
|jointed words they can lug into aspeech
and seem to scorn the strength and
beauty of short words, an address de-
livered many years ago by A. P. Edg-
erton, of Ohio, has peculiar weight and
is an eloquent argument in favor of
short, direct methods of speech. Mr..
Edgerton served in congress and was
civil service commission under Presi-
dent Cleveland. The address was de-
llvered in 1882 at the commen cement
of the Fort Wayne high school, in In.
diana, and, while it was impromptu,
and not at all studied effort at mono
syllable diction, each of the words con-
tains monosyllable. Not. only that,
but as an oratorical effort it ranks high
The address is as follows:
"rhis day we close for the year the
Fort Wayne free schools, and we now
part with you, the girls and boys we
are no more to teach.
II say girls and boys, for when
threescore and ten years have come to-
you you will be glad to have your
friends say that health and peace Of
mind have kept your hearts warm
that you wear no brow of gloom, are
not borne down with age; butstill, in
heart, are girls and boys When
three-sore years come, and I hope they
will come to all, the tide of time will
roll back and tell you of your school
time days, when the fair, the kind and
the true found love; but the false
heart found no friend, no tongue to
praise. These days bring rich gifts to
age, and when you shall cease to think
of them your fire has burned low and
your light has gone out. You have
been here taught in the hope that the
free schools of Fort Wayne would help
to make you of use to your friends and
to the world, would give you faith in
all that is good and true and lead you
to seek work, for that you must seek
and do if you would have good name,
wealth, a home, charge to keep or
trust to serve. 60 forth with q bold,
true heart to seek the work for you to
do.
keep in your mind that the hours
to work run through each day and
that Gods great law of life is, In the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread
"Now, for you,young man,this truth
is told.
go where you will through the
world and you will find on the front
door of shops and mills, of stores and
banks, and On ships, on farms, on
roads, in deep mines where men toll
for wealth where laws are made that
make some men too rich and men of
worth and work through all our land
too poor where men by law are taught
to plot with sin, to spurn the right,
that charge and cost and spoil may
make old 'Quirk's' law firms rich
where law Is so plead that the judge
must guess to find what's law; where
uuacks most fight o'er sick mems pain
and dead mems bones; where types
are set and none to mind the proofs
where priests do preach and pray and
where schools are taught this sign,
Brains Will Find Work Here
Don't fear. Step up and ask for work;
brains will get it. Don't let dare not
wait on Il would'-like the cat that
loves fish; but dares not wet her foot.
If it be said, what can you do? will
you learn trade ?" say, Il have none;
but can learn one and put brains in
it, When you 60 to place where
brains should hunt for work and be
sure to find it, it may be said to you,
DO you see that plow? Can you hold
and drive 1T deep?; That plow in its
wise use, gives all men food.
"Do you see that wheel and that
crank and those shafts and that press,
and do you hear the rush and the hiss
of the steam which moves them? Can
you make and hold and run them I?
Can you build and drive the works
and wheels which make the wealth of
the earth and cause it to roll and to
float to and fro from place to place,
where it is the best man to use it?
"Can you spin the threads and
weave it which makes robes for kings
and silks for the rich and vain, and
dress for the poor and all that skill and
art have wrought by loom and hand
for mans use?
"These things are all shot through
with threads of light-the light of
mind and art and skill which shines
each day more bright and dims all the
old by some new found light as the
years 60 on"