The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-20
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
CLASS OF 1904, OAHU COLLEGE
Getting on in the WorId--Character, Education,
Health, the Essentials of Success in Life.
tiawaii's Duty and Opportunity.


business purposes. 1 think every mer-
chant and professional man in Homo
lulu does this and he does it in the
way 1 have shown even if he smokes
and drinks himself Why a capable
saloon-keeper, when he hires a bar
tender. tries to get one of good habits,
and if the bartender doesn't drink him
self and is honest, he keeps his job.
If he does drink even his honesty will
not save it for him.
THE START AND FINISH.
There is nothing for a boy in Gull
tivating habits that won't help him
in after life. Many a reckless lad
thinks it will be easy to reform when
older; but he viii find out that he
bequeaths the faults of his youth to
his own age: that as man he in
herits the weaknesses of his own boy
hood. And so with his abilities and
virtues. The young Macaulay, who at
twelve, had learned to make pure
Latin verse, naturally became a great
master of English literature. Benja-
min Franklin, in his youth cultivated
spirit of scientific inquiry and a
quality of rare common sense, and he
grew up into great philosopher. Abra-
ham Lincoln as a boy formed for him
self a noble, patient. self-reliant char
acter and as a man he was able to
use these qualities for the saving of
the nation. The Princess Victoria,
shocked by the depravity about her
resolved to be a good girl and so she
became a good Queen. 1t is true in
a broad sense that every youth is the
architect of his own fortunes; not that
T he o-+ 4o1r 10
himself into President of the United
States, or a multi-millionaire or great
poet or preacher; but that he may so
build UP and strengthen his character
that he can deal in the best and wsest
way with the duties and opportunities
that fortune brings to him. That is
what the young Napoleon did at school.
He did not start out to make himself
the sovereign of the French and the
master of Europe: but he meant to
make the best of every chance that
he could get; and he put so much iron
into his character and ambition into
his soul that, when the prize of en-
pire came in sight. he was able to
thrust all rivals back and mount the
throne of France and make for political
history it's most illustrious chapter.
THE THREE ESSENTIALS.
Character, Education, Health-these
are the three qualities of the success
full man and woman. The qualities of
energy, persistence, self-reliance and
industry go with character
CHARACTER.
Some are born with character, some
acquire it and some have it thrust up
on them. He that is born with charac-
ter has a better dowry than riches. "a
lad that is started in life with 100000"
as some one said the other day, rarely
STARTS" but the one who is started
with character rarely stops. One may
acquire character by means of will
power, by keeping in wise and clear
headed company, by suitable reading
and by fidelity to the Ten Command
ments; and in course of time he does
the right thing as naturally, as the
needle, no matter how much the COM
pass may be shifted, seeks the pole.
AS for character thrust upon one that
is usually the gift of adversely and 1t
is a noble compensation for the ills of
life. In whatever way it comes it is
the greatest human prize. Poionius
said to Laertes first of ALL Get thou
character" Emerson said: Character
is centrality; the impossibility of being
overthrown.'' Brains and character
rule the world said Wendell Phillips.
THE most distinguished Frenchman OF
the last century said: Men succeed
less by their talents than their char
acter' There were scores of men who
had more intellect than Washington |
He outlives and overrides them all by |
the influence of his character
EDUCATION.
Now as to education. We used to !
think it was merely book-learning;
storing the mind with facts about the |
history of nations, the progress of sci |
ence, the derivation of words, the shape |
of continents, the speech of alien races
But this is only phase of education
and not the phase most to be valued.
The great thing for the student to seek
and the best thing education can give
him, is the absolute control of his men
tai powers and processes. The man
who has only booklearning has no edu-
cation in the better sense. He is like
the one who seeks to become an athlete
by knowing anatomy and physiology.
The latter knows just what muscles
are to be depended on in lifting or
jumping and can describe them to you
perfectly. He can tell you where the
strain of the special exertion will fall
and what food to take for muscle-build-
ing, but ne can't lift and he can't jump
The other man may know these things
also-he should know them-but he Is
the better of the two because he has
not stopped with mere knowledge but
mas trained the muscles of which the
books taught him so that he can out
lift or outjump his riyals-he has turn
I'd knowledge into power.
1 say this to you now, as you may
hink. at the wrong time. 1t is advice
cor the beginner; but your education
has only begun as you emerge from
school and it is not too late and never
90 late for the rite and duty OF mental
discipline. You cannot stop Without
becoming stale anymore than you can,
n the athletic field. cease physical
raining and keep all you have gained