The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-06-22

dered a service to the institutions and
TO the public in general.
GOV. JOHNSON AT PENNSYLVANIA
Aspirants for presidential honors in
both parties should combine to head
off Governor Johnson of Minnesota If
many more opportunities are furnished
to the tactful and capable Governor
ment Day a the University of Penn
sylvania, John A Johnson will become
not only a possibility for the Demo-
cratic nomination, but a possibility for
election to the presidency The great
University of Pennsylvania conferred
upon our Governor the honorary de-
gree of LII. D.. the first degree that
was ever conferred upon him. 1t Is
not often that this academic honor is
lege education. 1t was no doubt con-
ferred in recognition of the splendid
address which Governor johnson de-
livered That address may justly be
singled out from the great number that
have been delivered as one worthy to
be read by every college graduate in
the country. That man who is not
a college man should be the one to de-
liver an address worthy to be singled
nj iv, Il i~o
ton.
The subject of Governor Johnson's
effort was. THE Opportunity of the
College Man" He pointed out in a
convincing way that opportunity
means simply hard work. He empha-
sized his point by calling attention to
four distinguished examples of what
opportunity means from the state of
Minnesota. The name Mayo" the
skllful in surgery; the name Hill for
achievement in railroad building and
empire making; the word Cole for
mineral development and the name
Kellogg for broad achievement in the
field of law" These four men have
won national reputation. but oppor-
tunity to them was simply hard work.
All started from owly beginnings and
each has won the highest place in his
respective branch because Of hard per-
sistent work. Genius most always
means hard work. Some are given
credit for great ability or even called
geniuses and yet examination of their
lives shows that their superior knowl-
edge and success is due simply to
harder and better directed effort.
The Governors speech was a par
ticularly happy effort. He lost no OPP
portunity to point out the relation be-
tween Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
He did not forget that Alexander Ram
sey, the territorial Governor of Min
great war and its Senator thereafter,
was a son of Pennsylvania. He did
not forget that the first permanent set
Element Of the Scandinavians on the
Western hemisphere was in the Del
aware valley in the state of Pennsyl-
vania; and he did not forget to tell
his hearers that at the head waters Of
the Mississippi in the State of Min
nesota there was a Scandinavian COL
oP inc eli Ho al <ho
University graduates of Pennsylvania
something, perhaps some of them did
not know; that it was the First Regi-
ment of the State of Minnesota that
responded first to the call Of Lincoln
and that his native state. which then
had but 10000 people, furnished a.
900 for the Union army. and it hap
pened to be just 46 years before Penn
sylvanias last Commencement. that
the boys of the old First Minnesota
had their commencement.
The Governor made peculiarly
effective comparison between these
boys from the pioneer state and the
class of 1907 of the University Of
Pennsylvania. This soldier class was
equipped with money raised by Gov
ernor Ramsey among his Pennsylvania
friends and that soldier class received
their sheep skins 46 years ago in the
shape of orders from Simon Cameron.
Lincoln's first Secretary of War, to
proceed to Harrisburg, the Capital of
Pennsylvania, and await further or
ders. The Governor then traced the
story of what he is pleased to call 1.-The
class of 81 How, two years, later,
on Pennsylvania great battle field at
Gettysburg. when General Sickles'
forces had been defeated by the Con-
federates under Longstreet and HILL
eight companies Of the First Minneso-
ia, 262 men in all. stood guard over the
Union battery until General Hancock.
had time to bring up his men. This
small section of the Union army saved