The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-07
KAMEHkMEHA
BOYS SCHOOL
Commencement Exer.
cises Went Off Well
In Open Air.

School for Boys held their class day
yesterday afternoon IN an open air
theater amid a setting of potted plants
i and palms. just outside of Bishop Hall.
Quite number of people enjoyed a
very interesting afternoons entertain
ment, given by the eleven graduates of
the year.
/ Interspersed in a program of music
were the "salutatory and Glass His
tory" given in a very entertaining
| way by Kaumu Hanchett, the Glass
WILL by Alfred Patteu. and the prin-
cipaFs address, which was as follows:
PRINCIPAL THoMPsoN'S AD-
| DRESS
| Young Men of the Class of 1904: For
| several years now you have been under
| the restraints of school life, and no
doubt you have often rebeIled, in your
hearts at least and longed for the time
| when you could be free to do as
you please. Well, the time is nearly
here, where the gates will stand open
| for you TO go out and TO come in But
as for doing as you please, that is
| another matter
wish to impress upon you that your
/ doing as you please IN this world de-
/ ponds upon what you please to do.
| Nero tried TO do as he pleased; and
l though he was more successful than he
| should have been, he was finally driv-
/. en- by public opinion to suicide. And
men have hated his memory ever since.
| Napoleon tried to do as he pleased;
and though thousands of the bravest
| Frenchmen gave their lives for his
| success, yet there were more thou
| sands OF EngIishmen and Germans
| just as brave and just as willing to die
| to defeat him, and he died unhonored
| and in disgrace. Are you stronger than
these men? Lincoln tried TO do what
was best for all people: and though he
died an unnatural death, friends and
enemies (pass this way but once) have
| united these many years to do him
honor. Every man has to decide
-wether he will give his strength to
whether ne will give hisstrength to
build up his own selfish interests or
the interests of mankind. And the
real success in life depends upon which
he decides to do. There are many
men who put themselves entirely aside
and give their whole strength to i'm
proving conditions for all There are
other men who keep a strong hold up
on their owB interests but at the same
Cime see that the conditions for all |
are improved. Many of our success /
full business men are of this class. |
Personally, I don't care how much |
money a man makes, if he is honest |
in business fair with his workmen, and |
honorable and straightforward in his /
political life. We admire a successful /
man if he has not trampIed upon the |
rights of the many. We despise a /
man who has won success by depriv-
ing others of their rights. And as we
feel towards others, so others will feel
towards US, under like conditions.
You have noticed that rubber tree
near the principals cottage. Some Of
you saw it when it was small and re-
member how it leaned over and tried
to grow crooked. But some one put
in a strong post and tied the tree to it.
The tree didn't like to be tied there. |
and it strained and pulled and twisted
for several years trying to break away
and grow as it pleased. But the post
and the wire held il in a proper posi-
ton till il got TO growing in a proper
way. The wire and the post have been
but the tree stands erect
and viii grow in that way The re-
straints of school life were planned
and carried out to get you young men
right in life They are about
to be removed and We hope you will
continue IN the way we have tried to
start you.
You must not imagine that because
you are free from school restraint that
you are therefore free from all re-
straints. You viii find restraints all
about you The strongest restraint of
all restraints is that Of right public
opinion. You cannot escape ii. If you
conform your life TO right public opin-
ion. you viii find life comparatively
easy and pleasant. If you go against
right public opinion, it viii crush you,
it will grind you to powder.
I wish TO tell you briefly what right
public opinion will demand OF you.
Right public opinion will demand
that you pay what you owe, whether
il be money, or friendship. And this
IS right A man who viii receive
either fayors or money and not pay
IN full, is not proper member Of our
social order. You must trust men;
and men must trust you. A large per
cent. OF the business of the world is
done on trust Let your word be as
good or better than your bond. Pay
what you honestly owe. no matter how
ong il takes You viii grow by this
process, more than by any other. You
know something Of the history Of Gen
Grant His fame as a soldier was
great; but his fame as an honest man
was greater. When he conquered Gen
eral Lee he was in the prime of life
and in perfect health. But when he
his debts.-debts from no
FAULT OF his but debts because OF his
partners dishonesty,-he was weak and
Did, deaths hand upon him; but he
ought of death and in great suffer