The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-06-28
eAccALAuERATE ADDRESS,
coNr1Nurp raoM PAGE one.

wise observer regards'it as a struggle.
There are burdens TO be carried. There
are loads to be pulled. There are battles
to be fought. In such world, and under
such conditions every one must have a
heart aud that heart must be interested
in LIES struggles.
Students go off tocolleee. and they are
never the same aiterward, They come
back to trifie with LIES realities. They
make light OF sin. They sneer at Chris.
tianity. Fathers and mothers see that
their SONS and daughters have lost the
elements OF a white life that to them
were beyond value. And then goes up
the cry that it was the college that
ruined the life. No, 1t was not the col.
lege, 1t was the temptations peculiar
TO life. If you are overcome by evil
temptations it is because you bow down
before them, and do not stand up before
them and fight them. People go down
before wrong because they do not think
IL is wrong or they have not the courage
to stand up before wrong determined to
conquer. Wrong is conquered only by
fighting to the death.
There is q story told of q naval officer
who commanded q blockade squadron in
southern waters during the civil war.
One day q man came to the officer repre-
sentipg himself as the agent OF certain
foreign firms, whose commercial need for
cotton was great. No vessel had been
allo wed to pass the blockade for weeks.
The agent said III you will allow one
ship load to cotton to pass will give
you fifty thousand dollars." The officer
said: This thing is absolutely impos-
sible sir, good morning" and bowed him
out. / am authorized to offer you more
than did before. 'If you will do as /
ask here is one hundred thousand dollars
which will leave upon the table. he
began to unfold bis roll of bills. The
officer. took him by the neck and kicked
him out OF the officer, saying as he did
so, "Get out OF here, you scoundrel, you
are coming too near my price," Now
that was an exhibition of good sense.
You know it is said: EVERY man has
price," Perhaps so, but the man who
knows that his price is being approached
and has the courage to seize the tempta.
ton by the throat and thrust 1t out is
safe. Don't quarrel with your tempta-
tion, don't debate with it, but attack it,
get in the first blow and strike It to kill
il. Do not fight it secretly, but commit
yourself openly before all the world as a
man or woman at war with the devil.
In this world you will be called upon
to take sides between right and wrong,
and in taking sides you will show what
you are and where your treasure is.
When General Grant was in Paris, the
president OF the French Republic, az "A
special token Of respect invited him to a
place on..the grand stand to witness the
horse-racing which occurs in that
country on Sunday. General Grant de-
clined to accept the invitation in note,
saying, 1T is not in accordance with
the custom OF my country, and it is not
in accordance with the spirit OF my reli.
gion to spend Sunday in that way"
When Sunday came instead OF attending
the races, he went to thes house OF
worship. Now that was a noble reeog-
milton o.. Gods claim upon him and that
was splendid exhibition OF species OF
backbone of religious faith and convic-
ton that is very greatly needed in our
time and in our country.
The young people of the graduating
class may think you have no opportuni.
ties to show what you are, but you do
have them every day. A young woman
was at party, wine was served with
refreshments. She refused repeated in.
vitations to take glass of it. A young
man told another as the two were talk
ing of the entertainment the next day.
II came very near breaking my pledge
last night. The smell sent cold shiver
down me, ] thought must have it.
But when / heard Miss Blank refuse
wine that gave me courage. Thought
now will watch her, and If she drinks
will drink. But every time she was
asked to drink she answered no with
more vim each time. If it had not been
for her / would have broken my
pledge" No one doubts that the brave
girl that stuck to her principles and ran
them down like iron spikes into that
dangerous social ground, was as heroic
and deserved as much praise as General
Grant who stuck to his colors and saved
the christian honor Of his country.
Brave young woman, brave young
man, you pride yourself in being brave,
but which side are you on? There
never was day in the worlds history
when such conflict was waged as Is
being waged today. We see every
where an inclination to compromise
with SIM The Son of God never made
any compromise with wrong. and he is
calling for volunteers who will make
no compromise. Young men and
young women can not do drawer
thing than to respond to His call. The