The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-13
ROOSEVELT TOUCHED MATCH
Which Ignited the Cancelled Mort
cages on Y NJ. C A Building.

San Francisco. May 13-President
Roosevelt, by request touched lighted
taper to the documents which represent
ed the total indebtedness of $115,2S0 on
the Y. M c. A building, and as the
flames licked up the paper he Joined
with the .assenblage in singing Praise
God. Fromf Whom All Blessings Flow:
The president made an address as fol-
Few thinggs Could have given me
more pleashre5 Than tfteh privilege Of
taking part at the dedication, free OF
debt, of this building to the uses for
which il is dedicated. 1t would be hard
to over estimate the amount of good
work done by the Young Mems Chris
tian Association and the Young Wo-
mems Association. This association
represents the effort to provide for the
body as well as for the mind to help
young men to educate themselves. TO
train themselves for the practical life
as well as for the higher lie ana TO
give them amusement and relaxation
that win educate and not debase them
In other words the Y NJ. c. A in all its
branches is working for civic and social
righteousness, for decency, Tor GOOD
citizenship. There is no patent recipe
for getting good citizenship. You get 1t
by applying the old rules of decent con-
duct, the rules in accordance with which
decent men have had to shape their lives
from the beginning. A good citizen, a
man who stands as he should stand IN
his relations to the state, to the nation,
must first of all be a good member OF
his own family, a good father or son,
brother or husband. A man who does
right the thing that is nearest, a man
who is a good neighbor tand l use
neighbOr broadly. who handles himself
as his self-respect should bid him to
handle himself in his relations with the
community at large, in his relations
with those whom he employs or by
whom he is employed, with those with
whom he comes in contact in any form
of ht1c relations in other
way. If there is one lesson which /
think each of US learns as he grows
older, it is that it is not what the man
works at provided, of course, 1t IS re-
spectable., and honorable in character
that fixes his place; it IS the way ne
works at it.
'sIf we are sincere in our professions
of adherence to the principles laid down
by the founder of Christianity, If we are
sincere in our professions of adherence
to the immutable laws of righteousness,
we will honor in others and ourselves
the power of each to do decently and
well the work allotted to him and ask
nothing further than that. If we can
get ourselves and the community at
large really imbued with the spirit
nine-tenths of the difficulties that beser
President Roosevelt's address to the
students of Stanford University was one
of the most important he has delivered
since his visit to the west. He spoke OF
educated man and woman has over
those who are compelled by force Of cir
cumstances to forego attending great
university and urged upon his hearers
the necessity of performing their tasks
with continued fervor and enthusiasm
The president appealed for deeds. ca1-
tioning the students to do their best at
all times and warning them that one
great deed, one work more meritorfous
than the work of others counted for
more in the making of a great nation
than any other one thing.
The president spoke feelingly of the
men that Stanford university had sent
to war, numbering 50, and said that It
would be a bad day for this country
and a worse one for educational institu-
tons when college men did not feel It
incumbent upon themselves to answer
Ia call to arms
The president concluded his address
with an earnest appeal to the students
to work for the preservation of the for
eets Of the country not only for their
they were placed by nature; the con-
servation Of water for irrigation ana
other purposes; the necessity of which
had appealed to him in unbounded fash
ion during his trip through the western
states where he has seen the benefits
Of irrigation illustrated in wonderfully
productive tracts but which few years
since were barren wastes. The land
/ lsws of the country needed changing,
/ of unreasonable benefit in building Ut
/ the resource Of the country the time had
come when more laws are required t.
forestall the Spectator and to foster the
ownership OF the soil BY actual home
makers.