The San Francisco call., 1905-05-31

late them upon the good fortune Of having the
fellow citizen who IN and in peace alike
served the people so well TO make IL their
duty not so much 10 him as to themselves to
erect the statue that IL might serve a les
son fc- the generations to come, and my fell
peculiar apprcprIateness OF having thu statue
OF General SlocCm received behalf of the
City of New York by its Chief Magistrate
whose father General Slocums ilustrious
colleague.
LESSON OF SLOCUM'S LIFE.
Surely there is need for me to say but
little IN emphasis OF what has been set forth
before 1 began TO speak as 10 the prime sig
nihcanee OF General Siocum's career. He was
a great soldier, most gallant and able
mander Once the war was over, he turned
as he had during the war turned to the strife
OF arms. He Was one OF those men on whose
career We can dwell in its entirety. We don't
have 10 dwell with emphasis on part of It be-
cause We do not care to speak of another part.
We are able TO point to General Slocum
tnat type OF what a decent American citizen
should be. as a man who was example in
his family life. an example in his business
relations, honest and upright public servant
no less than 4 fearless and able soldier
Now ] want all you people to remember that
two sides OF the lesson is taught by General
Ssocums life. a successful for unright-
eousness is the most dreadful of all things
IL is the thing that sets back more than aught
else the course OF civilization. But people
worth preserving ever existed nor will exist
that was not able to fight If the need arose
and so with the individual. The who
possesses great ability and great courage un-
accompanied by the moral sense, a courage
and ability unguided by the stern purpose to
90 what is just and upright. that man is
and the ability only so much the greater
menace to the community in which he un-
fortunately dwells.
We cannot afford as a people ever to for
get for one moment that ability. far-sighted-
ness. iron resolution. perseverance, willingness
to do and dare. are qualities to be admired
only If they are put at the service of the
right, at the service OF decency and justice.
The man who possesses those qualities and
does not shape his course by a fundamental
and unwavering moral principle is a menace
to each and all Of US; and thrice foolish,
thrice wicked is the other who condones
his moral shortcomings because of his intel
lectual or physical strength and prowess.
TO BE ARMED AND AMIABLE.
That is one side The other side is that
no amount of good intention. amount of
Of decency avalis in the least in the rough
work Of the world find 1t unless back
OF the honesty of purpose back of the decency
OF life and thought lies the power that makes
a man man. II is true of the individual
and it is true Of the nation. 1t is in the last
degree desirable.
1 Will put it stronger than that-it
is absolutely essential that this nation,
if 1t is to hold the position In the future
that it has held i'm the past, must act
not only within but without its own
borders in a spirit of Justice and of
large generosity toward all other peo-
SIes.
We owe an obligation to ourselves. we
owe those obligations to all mankind. More
TO see a corresponding increase in the sober
sense of responsibility which shall prevent
US either injurfng or insulting any other peo-
pie You may notice that L said insulting
as well 'injuring' II there is one quality
Sometimes shown among which is not COM
mendable it is habit of speaking loosely
afo do
not need any of you to be told that in pri-
vate life you will resent an insult quite as
need to steadily keep before their minds the
thought that possible good can come to
US by speaking extensively Of any one else
and trouble may come.
The surest way for a nation to invite
disaster is to be Opulent, aggressive
and unarmed. Now we are Opulent
and 7 hope we will remain so. trust
that we shall never be aggressive un-
less aggression is not merely JUS
tilted but demanded either by our
own seIf-respect, or by the inter-
ests of mankind. Finally, remember
that to be aggressive, above all, to be
aggressive I'm speech and not be armed,
invites not merely disaster, but the
contempt of mankind.
Brooklyn not only furnished valiant soldiers
to the Civil War, but 1t furnished in times Of
peace a most excellent Secretary Of the Navy
to the United States (pointing to General
Tracy upon the platforn). II our navy is good
enough we have long career OF peace before
US. and the only likelihood of trouble ever
coming to US as nation will arise IL we let
our navy become too small inefficient.
first-class navy, first class in point OF size.
above all first class in point of efficiency OF
the individual units acting units and in
is the surest and cheapest guar
antee Of peace; and l should think that any
man looking at what is happening and what
has happened abroad and in our own history
during the past few years must be indeed
blind IL he cannot read that lesson clearly.
NEED OF CHARACTER.
And General Slocum did his first great pub
lie service when the crisis called not primarily
for the softer and mider, but for the sterner
and harder virtues; and we cannot afford In
this day Of material luxury, in this day when
tends to make life easy, cannot
In the work OF the day in the world as II is
not only in war. but in private life and in
public life alike, man has to have the
strength OF fiber or he cannot put into effect
even the best of his efforts and he cannot
afford to let the generation that is coming I'D
grow up with the feeling that any quality
will serve a substitute for the old and es-
scntlal quality OF manliness In a man and
womanliness In a woman.
Mucn. very much has been done in this
country by education. No can overstate
the debt that this country is under to the ed
ucators: but in taking advantage OF all the
are certain qualities which not new,
which are eternal because they are eternally
true and the failure to develop which will
cause a loss which cannot be Offset by any