River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-06-26
still fresh and expectant.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.


their places and President Brier
addressed them, saying in part
"As l have sat here to-day and
looked into your faces have Won
dered what would be the most
suitable thing left for me to say to
you, and under the circumstances it
seems that some comment on your
future responsibilities as teachers
may not be inappropriate. You are
twenty-one today. By this | do not
mean that you are twenty-one by
count, though that is true, but |
mean that, educationa1ly speaking,
you are of age. Metaphorically,
YOU are free, free from the restraints
of school, free from the school
thral1dom, if it is that, free to step
forth into the world of action and
exercise your birth-right. Hereto
fore you have been under instruction,
and when perp1exities have arisen
in school you have felt at liberty to
call upon the members Of the faculty
to assist you, in shaping your
judgment, and they have willingly
done so; but, hereafter, you will
enter new field of responsibilities,
some of them of SO grave nature
as to we'll make you hesitate about
assuming them. There are many
responsible positions in life,-the
druggist, the physician, the locomo-
tive engineer and the judge on the
bench; all of whom sometimes hold
the lives of their fellow men in their
hands, but place the responsibilities
of the teacher second to none. Any
day there may fall to the lot of the
teacher to decide by advice, by
action, by precept the veal or woe
of some boy or girl placed in his
charge by confding parents. A
chance remark, and not studied
expression, may be the seed dropped
by the wayside which will grow and
bear according to it's nature poison
Gus fruit or heavenly mama. l do
not bring this matter of response
bility before you to alarm you.
After having watched you as you
have worked through this long
course, and some of you l have
watched from your entrance into
school at the very beginning, and
at last seeing you reach the goal, it
is not strange that / should be
anxious to make impressive this last
occasion when it will ever be my
privilege to speak TO you as your
teacher. The question in my mind
this afternoon is this: What has
the school done for you to make you
better fitted 10 meet lifes duties and
possibilities? 1t has given you
the power to discern right from
wrong or has helped other forces to
give you that power. If it has not
done more it has not done enough.
1t has no doubt helped you to have
the desire to do the right and shun
the wrong, but if it has not done
more than that it has not done
oh h fro Cd
and | think it has done that, to
have that power by which, knowing
the right, you will not only desire
to do the right but you will have
the power of will to do right. We
have heard a good deal today from
your lips concerning the influence
of the school in forming character,
and I believe in the doctrine. If
then, the school has not helped the
other good influences to give you
that firm moral character, that
moral fiber which will make you
answering and uncompromiSing
where questions of right and wrong
are involved, it has not done enough
for you and has not well served it's
purpose. In the great field of moral
rectitude there is no middle ground
for the teacher. His position must
be unquestionable. All falsehood
and deceit, all tricks and double
dealings in trade, all hardness in
meeting financial and other obliga-
tons, all indecorum in speech will
not only interfere with the teachers
professional progress but will surely
weaken the confidence of the pupils
and patrons of the school. When
you have entered the new field of the
teacher, look difficulties squarely
in the face, manfully shoulder the
responsibilities which fall to your
lot, have no fear other than that you
may fail in the discharge of the
duties which come to you and above
all else keep honor and integrity
unsullied."
There was a perceptible hush
throughout the church as the Presi-
dent addressed the class, and it was
plain that not only the graduates
but the audience as we'll were seri-
OI1S1y immersed with the Sio-nifl-