The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-06-01
woMAN's CONTRIBUTIONS
TO CIVILIZATION.


The following is the excellent ora
ton delivered at the graduating ex-
ercises of the Ocala High School by
Miss Fay Cribbett- OF Largo. who re-
ceived the first honors. II was a splen-
did effort and il gives Us great pleas
ure to reproduce It in our columns:
All through the ages have been sung
the deeds OF valor, the achieve cmesnt
the deeds of valor, the achievements
and the accomplishments of man. but
until comparatively recent years wo-
man has been debarred from assist
ing I'm the great forward movement
of the world-debarred by social re-
strictions. by precedence. the lawyer
you'd say. During this modern age
and I'm those countries In which wo-
man has been regarded as the bet
ter half OF man." she has made rapid
progress and I shall endeavor TO the
best of my ability TO illustrate tonight
what has been done by her in the var
ious fields OF enterprise, simply re-
questing a little patience should my
feelings on the subject cOunteract my
judgment.
In the first place let me say that TO
the mothers OF the truly great men
and women is due the title of ''the
worlds greatest civilizers' no
bile women who have devoted THEN
lives To the training of their sons and
daughters "in the way they should
go;" but i must limit my remarks
mainly To those women who have ac-
complished some great achievement in
the various pursuits of life.
II is a recognized fact that a wo-
man I'm the political field is regarded
by many as "Out OF her sphere" yet
she has proved in more instances than
one her abilities inthat direction. She
has an unlimited amount of tact and
undoubtedly this trait forms an i'm
portant item in the politicians require
ments. In the sixteenth century there
lived and ruled nj England that queen
who was popularity called, Good Queen
Bess.' i'm other words, Elizabeth,
daughter of Henry the Eighth
and Anne Boleyn. Almost every
school girl and boy of more advanced
years is well acquainted with her his
tory. The popularity of her reign has
been attributed TO the wise choice of
her councillors who almost invariably
conducted the affairs of state in the
most plausible manner and in her
long reign the true greatness Of Eng
land began The overwhelming of the
Spanish Armada. her alliance with the
Hollanders. and with James i, of Scot
land. the rise of English letters
mark the reign of this popular Eng
lish sovereign.
But we English speaking people are
so occupied with ourselves. we are so
proud of our own prowess, that we for
get the existence of other nations and
peoples. We are rather surprised to
find that other countries have pro-
duced as great and sometimes greater
men and women than We Indeed, we
are inclined to double the veracity Of
a speaker or writer who informs us
that Russia has had q representative
woman, too,in the political arena. Cath
arine III may, indeed, be called the Eli
zabeth Of Russia, in fact. during her
reign Russia obtained a position of
much greater importance among the
powers.
The foundations were laid for the
later system of colonization and va
rious wars were waged resulting in
the acquisition of much territory.
Catharine always exerted herself in
the interest of the people, and. al
though she was utterly devoid of prin-
ciples, yet she was a woman of great
ability and was entirely fearless. She
accomplished whatever she set in view.
although often by the most despicable
means yet the end justices the means
says Escobar.
From such a woman, trained in
the niceties of court intrigue TO
a little peasant girl, but fifteen years
OF age and ignorant to pitible de-
gree Of the world and its ways. seems
at a casual glance rather a disparag
ing leap; yet there is not such a vast
NlilCICiACC III bllC iCS0At Va thC ActOOi
ing OF Catharine OF Russia and Joan
Of Arc. What nobler example Of pat
riotism have we than this artless
French maid? Appearing at a time
when the whole land of France was
discouraged with it's seemingly futile
struggle against the powers of the
English, she infused new strength in
TO the French armies and even led
them In person. She succeeded in
raising the seige OF Orleans. most
daring accomplishment and at her
command the Dauphin was crowned
king. She seemed about to accomplish
her mission of saving France from
the hated English, but hear you say,
''she did not achieve thi send during
her life" You are partly in the right
and equally as much in the wrong.
True. France was not delivered from
the thraldom of England until years
after Joan endured the tortues at the
stake, but was VI not her example. her
influence which brought this about