Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-20

care which wrought such splendid citizen
ship out of the raw material of youth
Reference to Materialism.
The other world movement to which Mr..
West directed attention Is the tendency to-
ward materialism. He referred to the great
waves of sentiment which had swept over
the entire human family. affecting explora-
ton. art. literature and religion, the ten
dency today being toward materialism. On
this point he said:
In the place of statues we construct
enormous buildings. whose sky lines are
monumental in their proportions in the
place of the poet we honor the inventor:
and, while Of the making of books there is
still no end the fact Is that the man who
deals with material things is the man to
whom the world bows down In alteration
The few devoted souls who preach the
simple life are remarkable because they
are exceptional The fact that / desire to
impress upon you tonight is that the insti-
tuition which now engages our attention Is
the exponent of these two great world
movements.
Through the agency of the public school
the government provides education for the
Individual; but in the Business High School
II goes step further and arranses that
TINS education shall be especially helpful in
the battle Of life. 1t realizes that today in
the rushing, practical hard-headed spirit of
the times It is not the philosopher nor the
poet who sits high upon the throne Of ma
terra! success The demand of the age is
tor the highest manifestation of business
instinct. Nor would l attempt to depre-
cate this tide of rampant materialism 1t
Is doing the world good. 1t Is sending
men OUT Into the highways and byways of
the world seeking new channels for the
exploitation Of trade and commerce.; it is
spreading civilization; it is employing la
Dor; h is giving us as commonplace every
tHn
fathers regarded only as luxuries to be en-
1oyed by the very rich. 1 rejoice there
lore that we have in the District of Column
pia an institution where the children of the
riCh ana Or the poor can alike equip them
selves FOR honest, useful work in the world
They do not go out into the world merely
with parchment in their hands They
carry with them the ability to do some
thing. They go overheard into the all-sur-
rounding sea with life preserver tightly
strapped around them Nor Is this asser-
ton mere rhetoric. 1 believe I am right in
saying that every graduate of the Business
High school finds place to work This
one fact alone demonstrates the value of
this institution to the community Andrew
Carnegie Is not bestowing pensions upon
graduates OF our business high schools.
Iney are able to take care of themselves
And yet, while the value of materialism
is not to be deprecated, let us not forget
that 1t ought not to dominate us entirely
The moment We surrender ourselves To its
powerful and persuasive influence that mo-
ment we begin to fall to get all of the ex-
quisite beauty out Of life. There is so
much In the world besides the mere accu-
mutation of money. There is the vast realm,
of literature, rich with the insured
thoughts of men and with the soaring mag
nations of the dreaming poets There Is
the wonderful domain of science with its
secrets Of the heavens, of the earth and of
the waters under the earth There is the
golden treasure house of art, wherein we see
portrayed the pictures that first dawn un-
seen within the soul of the artist
Growth Of Democracy.
But the greatest movement in the
world, and one which finds It's approprf-
ate expression in these public schools. is
the growth of democracy. AS we look
out over the world we appreciate that
popular intelligence and larger degree
OF popular liberty have Travelled forward
hand In hand. There is not in the world
today. except in a few benighted coun-
tries monarch of the old type In nearly
every country the ruler Is restricted and
held in check by Legislative bodies repre-
senting the people, and even in Russia
Wnlch constitutes the most notable ex-
ception. great social awakening Is In
progress which may produce remarkable
results. Everywhere throughout the world
the people are being afforded a wider
ana treer opportunity to know and to
maintain their rights; and all these
democratic concessions and privileges re
put the final specialization of the con-
slant tendency toward a larger liberty of
action, speech and conscience for the in
diViduaI, toward equality before the law
and the suppression of tyranny and
wrong; No student of the worlds history
can today be downcast or pessimistic The
progress toward universal freedom is too
persistent and effective. In our own coun
try, think. the democracy of our public
school system has been our great saliva
ton.
Let us have democracy; let the people
come. as they are coming, into their own:
but let us not have the democracy which
initiates the ceremony and regalia of the
courts. Let us have. instead, the democ-
racy of our public schools. wherein all
are equal, wherein there Is unfettered
competition and impartial distribution of
rewards and wherein pretension and
hypocrisy have no abiding place This is
the real democracy. the triumphant de-
mocraey. the only democracy which can
lmpart to our country and it's institutions
the germ of eternal life
Scholarship Award.
Commissioner Macfarland paid a glowing
tribute to Superintendent Stuart in intro
ducing the latter. Mr.. Stuart announced
the award of scholarship at the Wash
ington College of Law. of which Mrs. Ellen
Spencer Mussey is president. to Miss Ada
Elizabeth Reese. with Miss Grace Deborah
Thomas as alternate
In the course of his remarks Superin-
tendent Stuart complmented Principal
Davis. referring particularly to Mr.. Davis
perpetual smile. The Business Schools
principal was compelled to appear from be-
hind the scenes and deliver an impromptu
address, earning applause when he stated
that the new school building will probably
be ready for occupancy soon after the
opening of the next school year.
In presenting Mr.. Gordon Commissioner
Macfarland referred to him as the youngest