The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-17
TO COLLEGE MEN



school education. is by the receipt OF
that education by just so much a debtor
to the state. Every graduate mere has
owed the state something for the edu-
cation which he has received. A good
American never owes anything thai ne
does not seek to repay, and the man
who is content to go through life ow-
ing his alma mater for the education
for which he has made no adequate re-
turn, is not true to the ideals of Amer
lean citizenship. He is in honor bound
to make such return. He can make II
in but one way, he can return what
he owes to his alma mater only by
making his alma mater proud of what
he does in service rendered to his fei-
lowmen. OF course the first thing
university man, like other men, must
do is to pull his own weight. You have
got to do that first.
Duties of Citizenship.
Passing through this wonderful and
beautiful state of yours, l am struck
not merely with it's fertility and beauty,
but with the steadily increasing pros
perity. We must remember that no
man is to be excused if he fails to do
his part in keeping up that general
prosperity. / am the last man that
would preach to any audience mere
money getting; but most certainly
wish to preach to every audience that
no man is to be excused if he declines to
do small things that each day demands,
and not want to wait until some, chance
for heroic action comes along. The
man who wishes to be hero must be-
gin by being a good everyday citizen.
Their If the opportunity for heroic ac-
ton comes, let him seize it,, let him
grasp it, let him write his name i'm
perishably among the names written
among the ages; but let him not wait
until that opportunity, which may new
err arise, does arise. before doing any
thing. but let him do his duty TO the
whole state by leading a decent and
Woodworking life, as the average Amer
lean must If the country is to go on
ward and upward.
81 believe in you, believe In your
institutions here in this great historic
university, because here you turn out
meD in whose heads and hearts the uni
vcTsity both in its conscious ana Its
unconscious influence has sought TO
inlplant the primary virtues Of Amer
lean citizenship; the virtues of honor,
of honesty, of common sense and of
that high and devoted courage which
will not finch from the forces of evil.
whether they be physical or moral.
st thank you all for having given me
the chance to speak to you to-day.
Many of you l have known and love
already, and with the history or this
great institution of learning / am al
ready acquainted, and now l can feel
that my trip from one ocean to the
other is ended. and that have come
at tbs close to this place so fraught
with memories, imperishable memories
for any man who joys as all of US mast
Joy that an American President can
go from one ocean to the other and
from the Gulf to the Canadian border.
and everywhere find himself at home
among his own people.
stiE Harping on the Navy.
At the conclusion of the Presidents
address, the various medals were de-
livered to the fortunate students and
then luncheon was served in the gym
nasium. Judge r. T. w. Duke of
Charlottesville presided as POSTMASTER
and introduced the President, who re-
sponded to the toast The United
States" The President said in part:
IT want to say just a word to you
in reference to our foreign relations.
l want the United States to conduct
itself in foreign affairs as you Of Vir-
ginia believe private gentleman
should conduct himself among his fol-
lowers.
II ask that we handle ourselves with
a view never to wrong the weak and
never to submit TO injury from the
strong.
Another thing gentleman does not
boast, buster, bully; he does not in
suit others. l do not wish us ever
as a nation to take a position from
which we have to retreat. Do not let
us assume any position unless we are
prepared to say that we have got to
keep IT,
There is one governmental instru-
ment which is absolutely essential to
our well being from the standpoint of
honor as we'll as from the standpoint
of interest of the United States. and
that is the navy of the United States.
believe that foreign nations wish us
we'll; most certainly l feel that we
should, wherever possible so carry our
selves as to make them continue to
wish us well; but think that the pos
session of really first-class navy on
our part is powerful aid in helping
them to continue to mean us we'll. /
ask that there be no halt In the build
ing up and keeping up of the United
States navy, not because / wish war
Il most earnestly wish and shall strive
for peace), but because such a navy
is the surest guaranty of peace, the
best insurance against war, and II,
which heaven forbid, war should come,
the guaranty furthermore that war
shall end leaving undimmed the rec
ord upon which is written the feats
of American arms
Was "A United Effort.
II ask you for your aid In contin-
uing 10 build up that navy. The navy
that won the battle u Manila Bay hve
years ago had been built up under sue
eessiye congresses Of opposite politi-
cal parties, under successive pFeai-
dentn and successive secretaries o. the
navy representing different political
parties under one secretary ~ the
navy w'hO IN the civil War had worn