The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-06-07

couutrys history, At times dangers
have threatened and real crises have
boon met once or twice the very life
of the nation has hung In the balance
Quiet in Chicago In 1898; riot in Chit
cago In 1894 Quiet In Colorado In
1905 riot In Colorado In 1904. Thus
II has been, aud doubtless always will
be- we have had agitation and unrest
In the past and will have agitation and
unrest in the future.
"Out of this conflict of ideas, out
of this strife, out of this unrest has
come the progress of the worlds his
tory. The danger to the republic does
not lie here half so much as In the
fact that when the citizen of the fu.
turc shall be called upon to decide
questions that have ut stake obodi-
cncc to existing laws and to the coun.
try he may be found upon the wrong
side
at Is related of Robert IT, Lee and
Stoncwall Jackson that when called
upon to decide whore to cast their
lot, with the north or with the south,
for their country or against It, In that
great struggle for human freedom,
that each went out amid the tOmbs of
his fathers, and amidst the inspiring
and solemn thoughts that came to him
as he reviewed and mcditatcd upon
the history of Il loyal patriotic and de-
voted ancestry shed tears OF sorrow as
he contemplated the step he was about
to take. But what of their answer!
They returned from that communion
with patriotic ancestry with the sent
imcnt on their lips, 'heartstrings first,
country afterwards
What the public school demands
today is, that lessons of patriotism
shall be so firmly fixed that when the
Robert E. Lees and Stonowall Jack
sons of the future shall be called upon
to decide where they shall be found
in the hour of their countrys peril
they shall respond with that better
and loyal sentiment, Country first,
heartstrings after
After the address of Superintendent
Davidson, "A Spring Song was rem
! dcrod by Misses RebcCCa Duggan, Ed
! it'll Estabrook, Georgia Brakeman, Ma
tilda Hermann, Gretchen HUFF, Anna
Mueller, Eleanor Mueller, Glennic
Shippee and Nola Walker and Law
renee Hoffman, Ross Tindall Sam A.
Erskine, VIII Hauptli and Boyd f.
Brakeman.
The message of farewell, which
marked the breaking of class ties
that had grown strong with years of
companonship in study, was a touch
ing adieu as delivered by Miss Re
becca Duggan, who had been given
the highest honor within the power
of her Classmates-the honor that al
ways goes to the valedictorian. Miss
Duggan made the most of her oppOr-
tunity and impressed words of fare
well into the memories of the audi.
ence at large, as well as her class.
mates, which will cling wildly for
long, long years.
Miss Duggan recited the pleasures
that had belonged to members of the
class of 1907 as they had marched to-
gether through the public school
course afforded in Norfolk. She spoke
of the hard work that had been theirs
and of the joys that had accompanied
that hard work. She spoke of school
day incidents, now put into the back
ground of their lives, which will re
main with these graduates as long as
they live. She took occasion to THANK
the board of education for all that II
had done in making this graduation
possible, she thanked the public in
general for the excellent school sys
TEN here maintained, and she thanked
the teachers for their earnest anC
tireless toll in bringing to the grad
yates their high school education. Il
was a tense, impressive moment wher
Miss Duggan turned and, as spokes
man of her classmates, formally sew
cred the ties that had held them to
gether in a common viewpoint up unit
now.
A. II. Vieie, president of the board
of education, with brief address in
which he expressed the boards regret
at losing the class of 1907, but its
great pleasure and pride in seeing sc
splendid a class, the largest in the
city's history, complete the course
presented diplomas to the class OF
twenty-Seven.
Mr.. Viele spoke of the possibilitie!
in the life that now lay before the
graduates. Mr.. Viele said: Every
one is endowed with potency of use
full and successful life and every one
should appreciate that he has within
him enough of power to make his life
useful and beautiful. The secret o
failure is not in lack of ability but il
lack of aim. No one element of per
sonality is more potent than singlenes!
of aim"
The program ended with the clas
song, rendered by the graduates. TIL,
song had been written by Sam Erskin'
and Ross Tindall and closed with tn,
class yell" of the graduates.
Friday evening the alumni reception