Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-04

Mr. Parker spoke for about Is minutes
and was given the closest attention by
the audience, which heartily aprlaud"d
| when he concluded. The people then be-
gan to press forward in their eagerness
to greet Mr.. Parker, and it was arranged
| the Few minutes at his disposal. Shortly
after o'clock, Judge Parker and mem
hers of the party went to their carriages
and We're driven to the station. where all
embarked on special train in waiting.
Many of the persons who had teen iii
the armOry also went to the station. 50
that Mr.. Parker was given a very hearty
seIid-oif as the train left for New Haven.
New Haven, Nov. 3.-Judge Parker ar
rived here, at :; F. NJ, and was received
here he devoted nearly all his time to the
strenuous life He spoke in part rs
follows:
1t has become a fashion during recent
what is called the strenuous life" Not
content with our universal activity in in
dustry. our work in the conquest of a con-
tinent and the effort to spread our popular
ideas into all the world and thus to make
ourselves an example for other people
| who are looking toward freedom and OPP
portunity. the conclusion seems to have
been reached that somehow we have
overlooked something.
We have always had an efficient army
of brave soldiers well commanded. 1t
mas Dtien so SuInc1ent Tor our needs that
We have been able to resist the on
slaugnt of the savage, to ward off for
eign aggression and to settle our own in
ternal troubles But this does not seem
to satisfy. We must be strenuous. not
alone in all things which make for good,
for safety and for permanencey. but We
must be strenuous in adventure for per-
sonal glory and even in looking for a
fight: 1t is apparently not enough that
we shall be active in every moral and re-
IlDJOIlC 1mOvpmanf nUarvfhingr =,
promote education, the training and the
discipline of our youths-these apparently
do not assure real progress. So we are
invited to turn aside from these into those
lines of activity and adventure which
smack of the crusades and of the time
when the moated castle was the only
home in which human beings could be
fairly said to have a right to live.
Even the students in our colleges have
been invited to become strenuous. A lit
tie investigation or knowledge serves to
show that the college student has always
been so, but in what direction? He has
been devoted to his studies as our schol-
arship and our universal education amply
attest. Nor has this activity been limit
ed to the few it has permeated the mass;
it has been n heritage of the country.
But the student has not accounted it to
himself as virtue but as duty: some
thing he owed TO the society in which he
found himself to his parents. who. per-
haps. were making great sacrifices to ena-
BILE bin to be better fitted for the duties
of life and to himself
This activity goes even further. until
we find that in all the great colleges of
our country now fourth. now a third.
again almost half. willingly and cheer
fully take UP any kind of employment
which can yield sufficient money TO carry
them through their college course wheth-
err academic or professional. You here in
Yale have known strong, energetic. able
young men who belonged to families in
which this process has gon on through
several generations They have furnished
to their country great jurists and law
yers, great physicians eloquent div1nes.
men who have carried our traditions into
what ever part of the world they have
gone, and upheld their honor. They have
gone forth to found new communities. to
promote new business enterprises ana 10
rlay strong and effective part In our
life.
How much greater activity In this re-
spect is demanded by our times than we
now show? But even If there were TINS
greater demand there never was period
when sports were more universally/prac-
ticed or when they were more perfect
Our successful rivalry in these has been
shown in every quarter or the world
But this success has not been purchased
by the sacrifice of efficiency IN scnol-
arship. 1t has not made our young men
swashbucklers in school or aiter they !
have gone into the world
No act that ] can think Oh Is more I'M
pOrtant than the first vote. IN great
majority of cases 1t attaches a man for
ali time to one Of the political parties. 1t