The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-02
THE PRESIDENT
SPEEDS WESTWARD.
CONTINUED from Page one.l


through life by what he does, by what
he does for himself and for the com
munity. If he has leisure which makes
it unnecessary for him to devote his
time to earning his daily bread, then
all the more he is bound to work just
as hard in some way that will make
the community the better off for his
existence. (Applause) If he fails in
that he fails to justify his existence.
Work The capacity for work Is
absolutely necessary. and no mans life
is full. no man can be said to live in
the true sense of the word, if he doesn t
work. That is necessary, and 1t lsn,
enough If q man is utterly selfish, if
he is utterly disregardful of the rights
of others if he has no ideals if he
works simply for the sake of ministering
to his own base passions, II he works
simply to gartify himself, small IS his
good in the community. I think even
then he is probably better than if he is
an idler-that is he may be better than
if he is an idler; but he is of no real use
unless, together with the quality which
enables him to work, he has the quality
which enables him to love his fellows,
to work with them and for them for
the common good of all And it seems
to me that these Young Mems Christian
Associations play part of the greatest
consequence, not merely because OF the
great good they do in themselves, but
because of the lesson OF brotherhood
that they teach all of US.
EVERYONE IS DEPENDENT.
Gentlemen, all of us here are knit
together BY bonds which we cannot
sever. For veal or for woe, our fateS
are inextricably intermingled. All Of US
in our present civilization are dependent
uDon one another to a degree never be-
fore known in the history of mankind
and in the long run we are going to go
up or go down together. For the mo-
ment. some man may rise by trampling
on his fellows; for the moment, ana
think they viii rise or crafty their envy
and hatred by pulling down others; but
any such movement upward is probably
illusory, is certainly shortlived. Any
permanent movement upward must
come in such shape that we all of US
feel the lift a little. And If there is a
tendency downward, all of US viii feel
that tendency, too. We must, if we are
to raise ourselves, realize that; realIze
that each of US in the long run can with
certainty be raised only if the conditions
are such that all of US are somewhat
raised. and in order to bring about those
conditions the first essential IS that each
shall have a genuine spirit OF regard
and friendship for the others, and that
each of US shall try to look at the prob
lens of life somewhat from his neigh
boris standpoint; that we shall have the
capacity to understand one another
position one another's needs, and also
the desire each to help his brother as
well as to help himself. To do that
wisely, wisely to strive with that as the
aim is not very easy. Many qualities
are needed in order that we can con-
tribute our mite toward the upward
movement of the world The quality or
self-abnegation, and yet combined with
it the quality which will refuse to sub
NIT to injustice. Mind you that, gentle
men I want to preach the two qualities
going hand in hand. don't want a
man to fail to strive for his own better
ment, 1 don't want him to be quick to
d f-.1 tn
stand for his rights. Of course, / want
him to stand for his rights, but I want
him to be very certain that ne knows
what his rights are and that he does not
make them the wrongs OF someone else.
(App1ause.)
AMERICAN A GOOD FELLOW.
Il have a great deal of faith in the
average American citizen. (A00lause)
I think ne is a pretty good fellow, and
] think he can generally get on with
the other average American citizen if he
will only know it. If he doesn't know it
and erects him into a monster in his
mind, then he won't get on with him, of
course. but II he VIII take the trouble
to know it and to realize it that he is a
being just like himself, with the same
instinctS-not all of them gOOd-the
same desire to overcome those that are
not good, the same purposes, the same
tendencies to shortcomings, the Same
desires for good, the same need OF
striving against eVil-if he will realize
that, and if you can get the two to-
gether with an honest desire each tC
try. not only to help himself but to help
the other. most Of our problems viii be
solved. (Applause-) 1 can imagine no
way more likely to hurry forward such
q favorable solution than to encourag e
such institutions as this: and therefore
1 congratulate you with all my heart
upon this meeting today, and therefore
esteem myself fortunate in having the
chance of addressing you.
1T < 2 Pond thing a c006 thing
to attend to the material side of life
Indeed that is not putting it strongly
enough. We must in the first instance
attend to our material well being at
tend to our material prosperity Unless
we have that as foundation. we can
not build any kind of life upon it, but
we shall lead a misera bic and sordid life
if we spend our whole time in doing
needs If the building up of railroads
If the building up of the farms, of the
factories. Of the industrial centers
means nothing whatever but an increase
in the instruments of production and an
increase in the feVered haste with
which those instruments are used, Their
progress amounts to but a little thing
Il, however. the upbuilding of all ma
terial prosperity is to serve as a foun-
dation upon which we raise a higher q
purer. a fuller. better life. then in
deed things are well with the republic.
MENACE OF SELFISHNESS.
dom CT our use Of the wealth increase.
in even greater proportion. then the
wealth has abundantly justified its ex.
! istence many times over. If with ths
/ industry, the skill the hardihood, o.
those whom I am addressing and theil
I fellcws-if with those qualities of their:
i nothing comes beyond save a selfish de
4 sire each to grasp for himself whatever
+ he can Of material enjoyment. If such b'
the case, then the outlook for the future
! is indeed grave. If such be the case
4 then the advantage OF living in tn,
I twentieth century. surrounded by al
/ our modern improvements and our mod
ern symbols of progress. is indeed small
But if we mean to make of each fresf
i development in the way of material bet
terment step toward a fresh develop
ment in moral. spiritual, intellectual
betterment then we are to be eongratu
lated.
ITO me the future seems full OF hope
! because. although there are conflicting
! tendencies, and although some of thest