The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-04-04
BIG MEN TALK
ABOUT y.M.C.A.
IS internationally ENDORSED
Statesmen and Rulers Hold the Or
ganization I'm High Repute
All Over the World.

There are few organizations in the
world that have received the official
recognition the Young Mems Chris
tian Association has. A number of
presidents of the United States have
been contributors to the work and
speakers on its platforms. The late
Queen Victoria knighted and hon
ored the founder of the work, George
Williams, who recently was laid to
rest, and whose name should be ia
miliar to every man who has any,
th' at all to do with the associa-
tion, for he 1t was who sixty years
ago and more started the first organ
ization of the association in the city
of London, England.
The car of Russia sent for a rep
resentative of the American inter-
national committee of the associa-
tion to go to Russia to investigate
the feasibility of organizing associa-
tions on the state railways. A prince
of the Swedish royal house is an
ardent worker in the association
cause, and the king of Italy and
President Loubet of France have
given the organization official recog-
milton. President Diaz of Mexico
has been in the habit of attending
receptions of the Mexico city associa-
tion.
In addition to all this official rec
ognition, prominent leaders and men
of affairs have good sentiments to
utter in connection with the work
which is soon to be established in
North Yakima, thanks to the civic
pride, good sense, generosity and CO.
operation of the citizens and young
men generally in its behalf.
President Roosevelt, speaking at
a meeting in the Washington build
ing, which Is said to be the only
meeting at which he has presided
since he took the presidential chair,
said, among other things, on that
occasion: "All of us will make this
twentieth century better, and not
worse than the century that has
gone before, in proportion as we ap-
proach the problems that face us, as
the Young Mems Christian associa-
tion has approached them, with a
firm resolution that it will neglect
no one side of the development of
the man, but will strive to make him
decent, God-fearing, law-abiding.
honor-loving, justice-doing, fearless
and strong, and able to hold his own
in the hurly-burly of the worlds
work; able, also, to strive nightly,
that the forces of right may be in
the end triumphant"
Here Is an extract from a speech
made by Hon. Grover Cleveland at
a meeting of the Pennsylvania Rail
road Young Mems Christian asso-
citation: II have sometimes had a
shadow of fear that many young
men whose lives are full of hard
work, whose existence is bounded
on every side by physical effort, and
whose ideals are naturally suggest
i've of physical strength and steadi-
ness, might attach to the word
Christian a meaning which indicates
something soft and enervating-good
enough for women and children, but
unsuited to an area where the hard
blows of labor are given and taken.
OF course, such a notion as this held
universally by men as stalwart as
railroad employees would be destruct-
i've of association work among them,
but at this moment and under the
influence of present surroundings
feel like confessing that at least so
this department are concerned, my
fears have done injustice to a body
of men to thoughtful and too sensi-
BILE to permit such a foolish miscon-
ception to gain influential Roadway.
The fact Is that the word Christian
has road significance and various
shades OF meaning, but in all its
meanings it signifies, not weakness
hn al nj q a v, ~
Of an amiable belief, but rugged
men, strength of heart, head and
work and the perseverance that
points the way to success"
William Jennings Bryan, speak
ing at the anniversary of the Wash
ington city association, said: II
have been a member of the Young
Mems Christian Association from the
time / was myself young man.
When l removed from Illinois to Ne
braska I connected myself at once
with the association there. My
membership card bears the date of
my landing in that state, and my in
terest in the association has grown
as I have more fully comprehended
its work and as I have myself grown
in the estimate of the moral virtues.
"The Young Mems Christian AS
ISOLATION is implanting high ideals
where low ones were before, and dt is
giving the hope and courage, the
faith and enthusiasm that help the
individual to be. not like stagnant
pool. receiving contributions from all
the land around and giving forth
nothing, but like a living spring,
pouring forth constantly all that re-
freshes and invigorates. Who can
measure the influence of one life up
ON the destiny of the human race?
Far beyond this, who can measure