The Iola register., 1902-06-06
CLASS Or 1902
commencement Thursday and the
Address was Delivered by Prof.
Olin Templin

with appropriate exercises celebrated
the event and received diplomas.
The program of the evening began
with an invocation by Rev. ID. b.
Shuey, who asked the guidance OF. Gods
hand in the lives of the young people
jus. entering upon their duties as men
and women. The High School chorus,
composed Of undergraduate trained
by Prof j. e. Henderson, then
creditably rendered the chorus:
"Joy, JOY, Freedom Today"
Miss Mitchell then introduced Prof.
Templin, 'of the chair OF philosophy
at the State University, who delivered
the commencement address.
Mr.. Templin said that deep interest
was always felt in graduating classes
and in young people because Of the
possibilities they represented, and
there was always a temptation to
speak words of advice. But he did
not wish to be remembered solely as
part of the joyous ceremony which
marked their graduation; rather as
having given them food for reflection
and action.
He took as a text the Biblical verse;
Whosoever shall seek to save his life
shall lose it; and whose shall seek to
lose his life shall preserve it. This
has been interpreted in various ways.
But the speaker believed it might be
understood as a statement of the bio
logical law, although it is considered
far cry from the theory of natural
selection and the survival of the fittest
to Bible teaching. The idea of the sur
vival of the fittest is not pleasant as
applied to humanity. Throughout
Nature it works harmoniously for the
betterment of the world, but as regards
man the theory is not acceptable to
man. 1t means selfshness and greed
and the rule of might makes right.
So the text is interpreted not to re-
fer to Mans physical life but to his
spiritual life. Certainly Man is not
expected to 60 against all his natural
instincts and deliberately seek death
for the body. The selfish man is
Stunned and disliked universally and
the unselfish man is admired.
The grain of corn remaining alon
and preserving itself never accom-
plishes anything. II it is destroyed
in the earth it brings forth many
grains; If consumed by man it creates
brain and muscle and good works.
The grain must die to accomplish
good.
With humanity it is the same way.
Unslfishness, kindliness and helpful
ness of others are necessary for the
accomplishment of real good in the
world And the struggle, the never
ending contest, are beneficial and help
make men strong. Better the life of
Sisyphus, -doomed forever to roll
huge boulder up high hill, only to
see it roll again to the bottom, than
no struggle at all. What if all Nature
wearied of the struggle and gave up?
How barren the world and our lives
would be without the flowers, the
fruits, the numberless creatures which
struggle for existence on the earth.
Would it be we'll for Man to exempt
him from this struggle of the survival
of the fittest?
Yet humanity demands sunselfishness
of man. The bee stores honey for un-
born bees; the collie dog risks and
loses his life to preserve that of
others. Throughout!the animal king
dom the unselfshness of the maternal
instinct is universal. This is always
admired and there is a demand by
humanity that men make sacrifices for
the good of civilization. Like Plato's
Republic, where every man was busy,
doing the things for the good of the
Republic for which he was best suited,
so should the world be. The struggle
of life is beneficial, yet he who seeks
solely to preserve himself loses the
better life. The martyrs of old who
gave up their lives freely, yet live to.
day more fully than did the strong
men who sought to preserve but them
selves.
He who seeks to save his life shall
lose it; and he who seeks to lose his
life shall preserve it.
The address required about thirty
minutes, after which the girls double
trio pleased the audience with pretty
selection. The .singers were Edith
Sucher and Birdie Hoch, sopranos,
Carrie Clayton and Elsie Pepper, Sec
ond sopranos, and Grace Morrison
and Alice Gillian, altos.
Mr.. f. G. Remsberg as president OF
the board of education made short
speech before distributing the diplo-
mas. He said that of the infant class
of nlnety-four members who enrolled
IN tho achOola alaVan wears ago inst