The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-25

There is no tomorrow. beyond the
mere sound of the word we use to in
dictate the coming today. The Eternal
Future may be pregnant with billions
| of unborn todays. spoken of as to-
morrow until their birth, but not one
| of them is yours. We have heard 1t
said of one called away to the silent
world in the bloom of youth, "Ah, how
| sad that one so full of life, with the
promise of such a brilliant career,
should be robbed OF the many useful
years which lay before him." But 1t
is not true. No one. however young
he or she may have passed into the
eternal Dreamland, has ever been
They were not possessed of it and
therefore could not be robbed of 1t.
No one can be robbed of that he does
not possess. Today is all that is yours
land but a fraction of that. Yester-
day is lost to you forever! Tomorrow
is not yours and will never come to
you! SO that what we are to do in this
life, and what we are TO be in the
Higher Life TO come, must be done in
the work of the todays which may be
allotted to us.
The lesson of this address TO the
principal and teachers of the Ocala
High Sabotage, of all schools-is
this: To you is committed the mental
and moral training of the children
who. in few short years. will enter
upon the stage to play their respect
i've parts in the drama of life. Soon
they will be called upon to assume
the high and responsible privileges of
citizenship in country which is fore
most of all the nations of the earth in
the rights of the citizen and the i'm
portant part each plays in the govern
ment A government where the COM
bined people-the majorfty-is the SOW
ereign. A country where citizenship
means more than in any country
known in the history of the world A
country where every man is at least
a part of a king. and each woman a
whole queen. A country the leader in
wealth, power and scientific discover
les, mechanical inventions and enlight-
ened civilization. A country which in
little more than a century and a quar-
ter has grown from babe in swad-
ding clothes into giant whose prog
ress, wealth and power is gazed upon
by the civilized nations OF the world,
not only with wonder and admiration.
but with alarm.
To properly qualify and equip them
to discharge the sacred duties and high
responsibilities which will soon de-
yolve upon them as citizens of such
a splendid country, rests largely upon
the teachers of the schools of our land
Next TO the homeland you will par
don me If think it debatable cues
ton whether or not you are first-the
school room is the work shop in which
character is builded-the factory from
which our future statesmen, scientists,
heroes, jurists, preachers and teachers
in fact our everything which goes to
make up a citizenship worthy TO claim
such country az theirs and to con-
tinue its progress and prosperity, are
moulded.
Into your hands our children are
committed at an age when minds and
hearts are open for the most lasting
impressions. AT time when each child
carries with him a mind and heart like
a tablet of wax upon which you i'm
print the most enduring impressions
. II &c than % n
DE laid sure. firm and strong, of ma
terial which is smooth and polished
land without flaw or blemish. Upon this
cornerstone the whole superstructure
OF character, moral and mental must
be erected. AS the years go on. from
session TO session. the great work OF
character building progresses. The
men and women who in a few years
are 10 take the places in all depart
ments of government. arts. science
professions and trades which go to
sustain and advance the superb posi-
ton which our great nation occupies
today in the civilized world. mus
come from the school rooms of today
The statesmen. and indeed. everything
which Is essential to make up ma
ton of free. prosperous and progress
i've people largely depend upon the
mOlding and shaping the youth OF oul
country receive in the school room. and
especially in the elementary schoo
/ rooms, where the foundation is laid
which shapes the future course an6
marks the destiny of the young.
. How important is il. then. that the
foundation be laid upon a rock plumb
square and level-and not upon the
sand All of the frills and furbelows OF
, mental architecture. however. beauti-
full and ornate they may be. are bui
! as sounding brass and tinkling Gym
balls if they only adorn a structure the
foundation and bodywork of which i.
/ faulty and defective. How essential
then. that the work of the school room
be carefully. correctly and thoroughly
done That the work of each day be
a finished product with no error how
ever small. if seen. passed over uncor-
rected. for,