The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-27
THE YOUNG
MANS CASE
Hon. MIR. Graft of Illinois
at KaWaiahaO
Church.

The Kawaiahao church was filled tC
its utmost capacity last night to lister
to the address of Hon. Joseph V
Graf, of Illinois, who spoke on the
subject "The Young Man." The pupils
of Kamehameha Schools were present in
a body and the percentage of young
men in the audience was very large.
Mr.. Graft was introduced by David
All, Of this city, who, with Rev. S. l.
Desha and Rev. S. Kapu and Chaplain
4 Hopwood of the Kamehameha Schools
was seated near the pulpit. Rev
Stephen L. Desha acted as interpreter.
Mr.. All spoke of the honor which 1t
was to be addressed by one of the
members of the greatest legislative
body of the foremost republic in the
world and of how fortunate those pres
ent were to have the chance to hear
Mr.. Graft, a privilege which might
not be accorded the people of this city
again for many years.
Mr.. Graf said in part:
81 have come here tonight to talk
to young men but in doing so I do
not address my remarks to any one
part Of the audience. Who is not in
terested to the every greatest extent
in the character and usefulness of the
young man? We are living at this
time essentially in an age of action.
Ua H. IL,
age of letters, the age of fine arts
and of political movements, but today
it is none of these. It is the age of
action, and therefore is particularly
the age of the young man.
''It is also the age of opportunity.
There never was a time in the history
of the world when there were so
many new and exceptional opportuni-
ties offered. New trades are spring
ing up every few years. Particularly
is there an opportunity open for the
young man who has been trained for
a particular trade or work in life. Now
he has here as he has elsewhere in
the United States an exceptional
chance.
"Never before were there so many
young men occupying high positions
of trust. This is a new feature which
has come up within recent years and
which I can not but call your atten- |
tion to. In politics, in trade, in schools
and elsewhere the young man is to- |
day holding positions which up to this |
time have been held by men of a
more mature age. But they have not
received these positions because they
were young alone, but because they |
had availed themselves of the oppor-
tunities which they had in the schools.
They were young men of honesty, of
integrity. Young men of energy, not
those who were listless, but those who
made themselves known to those in
their neighborhood as young men of
stability, of character and of strength.
cit is the rule, in the mainland of
the United States, that the important
positions in all lines shall be filled
with boys from humble homes rather
than from the families of the rich.
But mark you, you would make a
great mistake if you should think that
they are given these positions because
they are from poverty stricken homes.
No, they are chosen because, stumulat- I
ed by the fact that they had not the {
advantages of the rich, they rose
through perseverance and strength. :
Their intellect was not blunted by the $
luxuries found in the families of the
wealthy.
GAS the resistance of the anvil
the right arm of the black .
smith, 50, through hard and persistent L
work day by day, the weak man be- Il
comes the strong man. Too many of
as run out of the door at the first >
sight of the anvil Too many of us 6
are disheartened by difficulties and give a
up the fight. v
"Dificulties and troubles develop :
strong character just as the anvil l.
develops strong arms. Do not, young D
men, be satisfied with drifting along. II
Have a mark set, some purpose for u
which you are striving. Every muscle, :,
every function of your body is gift d
from God for which you will be call n
I'd to account Tt is a responsibility II
o live. No true Christian can do 9TH *
n than to take his part in the world s C
work. It is a sin too loaf, to drift, Of
Continued on Page Four)