The sun., 1908-04-26
OUR NATION MOST LAWLESS
HAMILTON MABIE so DECLARES
At ALUHNR LUNCHEON.

Lack Of Obedience 10 Parents One Cause,
lie says Colleges. Especially Those
for Women, Ought 10 Teach Msn-
ners Work Not An In This Life.
Hamilton Msbie was the principal speaker
at the luncheon Of the Elmira College Club,
which was held yesterday afternoon at the
Hotel Majestic His object was obviously
70 instruct and advise rather than TO enter
tain the alumnR, who sat behind masses Of
dahodils, pansies and purple hyacinths,
Teverently drinking in his every word.
He smiled pleasantly at them, but he
ddnt minoe his words. America. he told
them, was the most lawless country in the
void.
l has be- said, "hfty times as many
manlaughters every year as has any other
natiol which pretends 10 be civilized, and
the coalition Of things In Kentucky b abso-
lutely primitive. There are too more rail-
road accidents in the United States than in
any othel country. Why 1t is more danger
GUS to trSel from New York to San Fran
cisco than p be on the firing line in a battle.
Statistics Pove it,
This unpleasant state Of affairs is, he said,
the result ofthe fact that as a nation We
have no resped for law.
The divorce purt. he continued. was the
worst form Of Awlessness and had most
deleteious efectlpon the training OF chill
dren. The speakv made a few remarks
about the spoiled American child which
caused the mothen present to sit up and
take notice, but he admitted that he thought
the German and Englhh methods Of training
we're a wee bit severe.
Children who have pot learned obedi-
ence,' he went on, "goout into the world
crippled The world belSgs TO the trained
men, and the trained nstiG. Two nations
have come strongly 10 thefront in recent
years-Germany, which subjects her sons
IS the severest possible discipline. and
Japan, the country in which boS are brought
up in the faith that they mist think Of
their Emperor first their duS to their
ancestors second, and themselves last OF
all. A japanese General in the late war
V'th Russia said TO a small group OF men
whom he was .despatching upon a lopeless
mission, Children, congratulate YOU
who are about to have the honor Of living
up your lives for the Emperor y,
This lesson Of obedience could, Mr.. Akbie
said, bs taught in the colleges, althotgh
the home was the best place for It's inculo-
tion. The great mission Of the college,.
however, especially the women's colleges
was to keep alive the amenities Of life and
TO promote the study OF manners
The cultivation OF manners Is by no
means an lte way Of killing time" he
added, III is. an acknowledgement that We
are not mere ma hin s, but immortal souls"
Nothing would, in my opinion. be more
reRrettabe than for womens colleges 10
turn out merely skilled workers. l am
glad since so many women are Obliged
TO become wage earners that so many
occupations are open 10 them, but hope
the day will never come when the ma ajority
Of women will, like the majority OF men,
be obliged TO spend eight hours Of every
day at the grindstone. Life is a bigger
thing than work. and nothing is more
pitlful than to see man who has acquired
a large fortune and safely invested il ut
I terly at u loss how 10 spend It."
Apparently fearing that his words might
be misunderstood he hastily explained
that that he wasn't knocking the so-called
American "commerciaism. He asserted
very emphatically that it was all right for a
man to make all the money he could so
long as he didn't allow the thought Of il
10 possess his soul.
1T is not he concluded, the handling
Of wheat or sugar that makes a man a
II is the habit OF his mind"
The president Mrs. William R. Bross OF
L. l., made a brief address Of
welcome and read greetings from absent
members.
Among those who sat at the presidents
able we're Mrs. Daniel s. Lamont, Mrs.
Philip Carpenter, Mrs. Rufus King Storm,
Mrs. John Shotwell. Mrs. G. NJ Sicard
Mrs Henry Stephen Redfeld, Mrs. Emerson
Il. Iiscum and Miss Naris Manners,