The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-20
UNWILLING Of BINGHAM TABLET

possibilities. You know how a cat,
falling from a height or thrown into
the air. always lands on its feet. There
are persons who, if overwhelmed by
disaster-losS of health, wealth,
friends, loss of official position, or
even succumbing TO temptation, they
land on their feet like a cat, alert and
ready for the next thing that life has
for them whether it be a new calamity
or an opportunity by which they may
retrieve their fortunes. This trait gives
one an advantage in life; it is the I'M
conquerable soul that Henry speaks of
in his verse,-the quality which keeps
one from being discouraged or cast
down-of giving up in despair what
ever may happen. The other trait is
akin to this or perhaps is a different
manifesto ton of the same thing. 1t
is the quality by which one tends to
take the initiative. You girls and boys
know all about this. You know how
you admire and look up to those among
you who are always taking the lead
in your games or entertainments or ex-
petitions Or it may be in your mis-
chievous pranks and how willingly you
follow them. You may have good
morals, be brilliant scholars be kind
hearted and good athletes, yet if you
have not this quality of taking the
initiative, you will find yourselves at
disadvantage in life. You will not
be useless. You may be in the rank
and file Of the great army of progress
where you will obey orders and be of
service. but you cannot lead or con-
troll men or exert the wide influence
without this quality that you can with
it. These two traits which I have re-
ferred to L submit to you, Mr. Presi-
dent. as the chief objects of educa-
ton next to the spiritual development
in the past. and 1 feel should be still
more emphasized in the future.
ADDRESS OF REV. HIRAM BING-
HAM.
A tumult of applause greeted Rev.
DR.. Hiram Bingham, son of the great
missionary, as he rose to make the
address before the unwilling of the
in clear voice which trembled with
emotion as he paid a beautiful tribute
to his father and mother He said:
In the Commercial Advertiser of July
20, 1897 nearly eight years ago, appear
ed an editorial paragraph, a portion of
which read as follows: THE trustees of
Oahu College propose to set up me-
mortal in memory of the late Rev. Hi
ram Bingham, first missionary on the
Island of Oahu, and a benefactor of the
college. The trustees will select a
large boulder and place it in position
as nearly as possible On the spot where
Mr.. Bingham's house originally stood.
One face of the rock will be trimmed
off to receive suitable inscription"
This plan, let it be remembered, was
originated by very appreciative for
mer President of Oahu College, Mr.. F.
A. Hosmer; but much to his regret, it
was not fully executed before his de-
parture.
The exact site of the cottage has since
then been discovered by the unearthing
of the foundation of the southern cor
ner, and now after the lapse of five
years, the present President. without
any solicitation or suggestion on my
part, has nobly come to the rescue, and
ex-President Hosmer's cherished plan
has been successfully carried out
greatly, of course, to my joy; and we
are here today to dedicate this memo
rial, and to witness to our belief in the
propriety and usefulness of the same.
Because of my very near rela tionship
to the man whom we today delight to
honor, it would be my decided prefer
ence to be entirely in the background.
but I remember the command first ut
tered on Mount Sinai, and reiterated by
the Christ whom / serve viz: Honor
thy father and thy MOTHER so have
at the especial request of President
Griffiths of Oahu College. with much
diffidence consented to assist in the ex-i
ercises of this hour, set apart to for
maIly perpetuate the memory of one of
the historic deeds of my honored father.
a benefactor Of these Islands, who with
his wife and his missionary associates,
Samuel Whitney and Samuel Ruggles,
teachers Elisha LOOMS, printer. Dam
iel Chamberlain, farmer, and their
wives, a pioneer band of missionaries
of the American Board of Commits
sioners of Foreign Missions. landed on
this shore April 10, 1920, just eighty-fve
years ago today, to introduce the Cos ,
pei of Jesus Christ to a heather people
who had for many generations CROPPED
in deep darkness and gross supersti- /
tion. Rev. Asa Thurston and DR.. !
Thomas Holman with their wives had /
beer landed seven days before at Kali |
lua on Hawaii
To me has been kindly and thought |
fully assigned the simple but delight |
full ceremony of unwilling this memo |
rial to your view; but previous to my !
so doing let me briefly but freely speak j
unto you of one of the Apostles 10 Ha-
wall.
Having received the reluctant permits |
sion of Kamehameha II. to spend one !
year with his missionary associates in !
these Islands, Mr.. Bingham earnestly
began TO win the confidence of the high
chiefs and their people. which conf /