Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-02-11
GROWING BETTER,
President Rsoseyelt's Striking ADJ
dress at Washington Y. Nj. Q. A.

PfenlQeut k9ObeVelG6 Striking AGs
dress az Washington Y. Nj. 9. A.
Tue President was recently he guest
Of honor at banquet commemorative OF
the fiftieth anniversary Of the v shipg-
ton Y. M. c. A. He made striking adj
dress, which Is reported az follows:
1t is no accident that we Should meet
here to celebrate record OF fifty years.
That period covers the half century which
has seen the gigantic industrial change
Of the world, revolution, sociaiiy and
indusirislly, such % WIS hardy seen
within any preceding five centuries.
Life during that haif cebtars has been
carried on At higher pressure than ever
before. That means. OF course, that all
the fofce have been raised to 4 nigher
degree Of power, the forces of evil and
aiso the forces Of good.
Ii II hau not been Tor the work 81 such
organizations as this the immense mate
rial progress OF the world durii x The past
half century would have been a progress
that would have told for Ia to he na-
tIoDs, not for good. And We cansay with
truth that we are better off sid not
worse off than we were Wese sli sfound
US people who say, "Ob, vel, thiDgs
they will come out all right not bscsuse
there are those who are content 10 say
tbat they will come out az rig h, but be-
cs use here are q sUG1efeni Number Of
earnest men wat b the root of righteous
ness ID them who are bound TO rec that
they come out all right.
Ahundred y~sFs aye there ives no such
needFfOr be Y0uug Mems Chr,-sisp ssso-
cation Rho other Inovsme his VI tni- KIND.
Life was sinp or. The tenpisi ion would
come surely to Every man, but it would
not come sof eQ1entty and In 30 intense
a nrFva AIT ka. fs.pa nj evil r.fe Tod
b, mseives la str oDger and stronger foim
they had to be met, IL they were to be
successfully crippled with, by organized
fort, ana the soccessfui eff.ris to COM
bat the forces Of evil had to take just such
shape IS has been given to the growth Of
the Young N. MS Christian ast o,asrion.
IL had to take the 4shape of cam btning
decency ana e121cieBcy. There have been
pb1lantbropic movements led and sup
lported by most excellent people, which
nevertheless hsve produced results alto
X ther 1nc0mrnt H4urable with tine efforts
spent because t. ~ failed to combine, ~
this movement has com bined, a recogni-
ION Of he need OF human u al ure at the
same time that the res. lutte fort was
made, and nake thar human nature better.
Ihave be-n acquainted espe cia.iy with
three types OF your work, the work In
the army and navy, among railroad men
and among college students. Now these
three cAsses are not going to be effee-
lively reached ~ classes by any effort
which fails to take account OF the tact
that they demand maniiness as well as
virtue, and you can make them strsight
on coDd tioB that you keep In mind that
1t Is necessary for them to be strong.
An old and fayorite quotation o: mine
has been Wesiey's remarks, when someone
criticised him because his "bynn tunes"
were SO good. The answer WIS that he was
not going 10 save all the good tunes to
the devil. And we want to he exceedingly
careful that the impression snail not go
out that good men intend to leave
strength to those W bo serve the devil
In tine long run the man who is de-
celt is apt to be the man who is the best
soioier. The work among the railroad
men always particularly appealed to me
because OF the Willingness of hese men
tske risk. to accept respoIs' biilties.
We viii uske this tue"tieth CENTURY
better and not worse than any century
cat has gone b. toie II L.tau-, We will,
he this society, approach the prob
lens hat face US with firm resolution
hat We VIII strive to make the young
men decent, God. fer ring. law abiding,
honor loving Justice doing and viii also
make them fearless and strong, abe to
hold their own In the hurly- hurry of the
or d's work; able to strive mig htity that
the forces Of right may be in he end tri-
umphant,