The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-24

under the operation of this iniquitous
system annual incomes which are the
envy of monarchs, but they do not hoard
them. They are constantly giving of their
abundance. They are not sordid, but gem
erous, but their generosity is misdirect-
ed. A college is a good thing, but only
the favored few can go to
college. A library is good thing but the
toiling millions out of whose sweat these
enormous fortunes have been coined, have
but little time for reading. If the object
of these gentlemen is the greatest good
to the greaest number they should en-
dow hospitals for the sick and asylums
and retreats for the orphan and the aged
and the infirm. Then those out of whose
toll their fortunes were amassed will be
reached, but they cannot go to college
nor can they to any considerable extent
profit by libraries. This orphans home
is of more Importance and of more bene-
fit to the common people of Savannah
than the University of Georgia. The lit
tie Methodist Orphans Home at Decatur
is of more Importance to the great mass
of Methodists in Georgia than is Emory
College. The Baptist Orphans Home in
the village of Hapeville is of more bene-
fit and Importance to the masses of the
poor Baptists of Georgia than Mercer
University with all it's glorious history
and traditions. The Hebrew orphans
home in your capital city is of more BEN
eft to Hebrew orphan children than all
Of these venerable institutions of learning
combined.
do not conclude from these utterances
that 1 am inveighing against our colleges
or libraries. So far from it. wish that
each of them had an endowment of a
million dollars. I as a Georgian, love all
of them and am proud of our col
leges and their glorious achieve
ments. Their alumni have honored our
state, and largely through them and their
efforts she is recognized as indeed and
in truth the Empire State of the South.
They have sent out all over the South an
alumni of which Harvard or Yale or
Princeton might we'll be proud, jurists
and divines and governors. and lawmakers
and educators and soldiers. God bless
them and their alumni and sanctify their
work and their influences to the good OF
all the people of every class in our glo-
rious Southland.
THUS calling down benedictions on our
institutions of learning l pray God to In
spire our people with full realiza ton
of the fact that education in the text
books is not all that is required. May
they be endowed with the spirit of Whit
field and of the venerable society under
whose auspices this home for the orphan
has been conducted for hundred years.
May they speedily realize that if we had
more orphan homes for those whose
parents are dead and more reform schools
for the waits whose parents are worse
than dead, and who are left on the streets
of our cities to drift into crimes and
early graves, We would have fewer I'M
marked graves in dhe potters field and
fewer convicts in our chaingangs.
"But, young gentlemen of Bethesda, I
fear I have acted like the man
who built him a house with a
portico in front. and the portico was
bigger than the house. / started out to
speak briefly of Bethesda and it's objects
and founders, and those who have been
it's patrons and guardians, and then to
speak more at length to you, but like the
boy running down hill got a-going and
couldn't STOP But now I've stopped, and
I'm going to start again and talk to you,
not long but very earnestly. l have adj
dressed you not as boys but as young
gentlemen because you are not only boys,
but 1 trust you are young gentlemen also.
You are obliged to be boys for you can't
help it. God made you boys, but you
must make yourselves gentlemen. When
God made you boys He endowed you with
the power to make yourselves whatever
else you desire to be. You may be a
vagabond or a gentleman, as you prefer.
You may be an honorable, useful man, or
a drone in society, whichever you please.
l spoke to these older people without an
nouncing any subject, but like priests of
old and the apostles at the beginning of
the Christian era did. They took no text
when they preached, but spoke from the
inspiration of the moment, and said what
ever came uppermost. But, now. in speak
ing to you / am going to do like our
preachers do in these days-take text
and preach from 1t, not from the Holy
Scriptures, but from the writing of the
poet philosopher. Alexander Pope, and my
text is in these words:
Honor and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part; there all the honor
lies
''There are no two lines I'm the English
language more replete with wisdom and
truth than this coupRet. 1t is not holy
scripture, but it is as true as holy scrip
ture. A man is always just what he
makes himself: God has created each one
of you boys equal to the others, and
EQUAL. so far as natural endowments are
concerned to every other boy of your age
circumstances and environment do have
great influence in moulding character, but
naturally God has made all equal. You
are orphans, bereft OF the love and care
Of father and mother, and In this those
who have fathers and mothers had an
advantage of you until the Union Society
became your father TO provide for your
wants, and Bethesda took you In her
motherly arms to love you and teach you
the ways OF righteousness and wisdom
with these parents you may prepare your
self 10 enter the battle OF life on an equal
Footing with all others whatever their adj
vautages Of wealth and position may be.
Indeed. my observation during life OF
more Than three score years has been
tbat wealth and distinguished parentage
a. a handicap more frequently than an
aavantage 20 the boy who has the eie-
roents Of truth manhood IN him. Too much
n expected OF hun ANA he
relies 100 much on his wealth
"a his fathers character and
al~tinctlon, whereas the poor boy without
money or family prestige relies GA him
~ and his own individual EFFORT for sue
cess.
..what then. are che elements IN his
character that viii insure sueeesaY Boys
4 vii feu sou. n Providence has en-
aovsd you u1fh reasonaby Nood heaith.
fgir thlnFa va insure successes ena pyefS
80 al them n within yepf reucH' feu
nv posrfas eyNry one ~ ihfm 40 Yop
800 ~ Cod hes NlEru toV Nii ihN feNt
al