The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-25


 which make for the greater welfare of his fellows both as to things material land immaterial is by far the greatest man among his people, even if he loses the worlds tangible prizes to his lheighbor who has been an untiring worker solely in behalf of himself.
 This ideal of unselfsh service is one worthy for Us ever to cherish. It is this spirit which leads a man, even at some personal sacrifice, to join his strength to movements which aim to make life better and happier for the people among whom he lives, whether 1t be by improving the laws or morals Iof the community or adding to the lsum of it's intellectual and aesthetic Influences, which will tend above all lelse to make his life of real and last ling worth to the world.
 In our relations with men there is lanother sort of dealism we should strive earnestly to attain. I refer to that quality of mind which impels a Iman when confronted with conflicting issues in problems of personal conduct, Iof business conduct of vote casting or of any other situation where his de- cision palpably affects his fellowmen, to decide with a firm, sWerveless, ad- Iherence to the abstract principles of night and wrong, uninhuenced by bas- CT, sophfstical considerations of ex- pediency or self profit Abstract fair ness and justice often seem rare among men. It often appears that the motives behind mems judgments and conduct are mean and baseborn, and that individuals may expect right and justice only when they can wrest it for themselves by force. This condl- ton proceeds of course from the ex- treme compleXity of business and po- lltical life, from the tangled way in which good and bad, truth and suphis- try, are inextrieably knotted up in all things. It is indeed no simple task to get at the ultimate issues of ques- tions, to see the right clearly to put aside the spacious reasoning which makes for ones own advantage, and to act With absolute justice to all men. But the more difficult the task is, the greater credit to him of clear vision and lofty ideals who is master of it, who is just man to all men in the full meaning of the word.
 We may feel that these ideals of sacrifice, service, and justice are ap- propriate and pretty in a commemor- atiye address or in the usual exhorta- ton to young men, but that no one but fool or dreamer would think of consistently modelling his life by them in the world of practical affairs. That this attitude is itself a short sighted one little reflection should make apparent From the standpoint of the practical man who intends to do in life only what will bring him the greatest amount of success and hap piness. an adherence to these ideals is the wisest course to adopt Success and happiness, as we nll know are Ipurely relative. They arc not definite things which are metea out to us in return for a certain amount of energy expended; they are mans only in as far as he adjudges themsto himself out lof his own inner consciousness. How many men there are, college profes- sors, obscure scientists, elergymeri, ap- parentiy leading dull seircumscribed lives, who are entirely contented and very happy with their lot because they arc idealists, because they possess that rich, thrilling joy in life which they who strive for the sake of others than themselves alone can know. How many men there are whose lives seem one long round of privation and wearl- some labor, yet who leap forward at each new obstacle with greater cheer fitness and stouter courage because they are inspired with the thought that they are doing a mans work in a task which Is to bring benefit to their fellows. These are tlie men who are the happiest and the most truly suc- fessful, these men of ideals whose idealism itself gives them success and happiness in spite of adverse cendi- tions of their environment. Surely such practical benefits of idealism are not to be despised
 Passing from the individual to the nation we see that these ideals of ser- vice and justice are very practical in that they are vitally essential to It's well-being. For nation to be great 1t must be prosperous materially, but if this prosperity is to continue and If it is to hold permanently a position of any real eminence in the family of nations, 1t must be well governed. This can result only if its legislators. it's executives, and it's people at large are possessed of the belief that the great est good for each man will come, not from preying on one's neighbors, but from effort for the common protection and good of all from the supremacy of right and unselfishness.
 AS 1t is true that the conduct of the nation must be based on these ideals if it Is to endure, so is 1t true that the greatest men of the nation will be they whose allegiance to these ideals is most steadfast. There are the men who will mould opinion, who will compel men to follow them, who the vast army of the indifferent and the drifters. Men of money often wield great influence, but their inf1u- ence is likely to be but transitory. The great and permanent leaders in the nation are the men who win the re speot and confidence of It's people, who see the big facts of life clearer than their fellows, who unswervingly per- severe with high purposes and lofty ideals unshaken by the force of miiit- ant wrong and corruption. It has been said that the great aim of the uni- uarsitr. is Ia rarnraara man 2n1. III, llih