Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-06-17

In the reigns to the Gregories of Rome
that'.in the reign of the Wilhelms
of Berlin. This Is not because men
have deteriorated, or because the am
bition for perfection has died within
them. II is To be accounted for
largely because of the increasing
bitterness of the struggle for exis-
tence - What may YOU expect II
you put the building of the Capitol of
the great state of Pennsylvania into
the hands of the lowest bidder? You
will probably get veneered columns
instead of white marble your furni-
ture will be painted Eastwood instead
of imported mahogany and your
statuarv will he plaster of paris In
stead of white marble from Italy.
Your workmen will become grafters.
They NAV remain skilful. but il will
be in couterfeiting the excellent and
not in producing it, Alas that our
country should have upon 1.-THE blight
of dishonest and inferior workman
ship-that an absolutely honest job
of work of the highest quality should
rarely be anywhere expected that
authors who might be capable of pro-
ducing Paradise Lost are writing
books for the market of an inferior
and perverted taste; that skilled ar
lists are painting pictures and carving
statues not for the purpose of adding
to the beauty of human workmanship,
bnt for the purpose of satisfying the
ignorant market of the world Not
even our institutions of learning have
escaped the mildew of the breath of
this spirit of commercialism. What is
college education worth In the
worlds market. is the question now
very frequently asked. Will you have
more property at the end of twenty
five years if you include in them or
exclude from them college educa
tionS Would it not be far more TO
the purpose to ask, wi the college
graduate have higher ideals. will
they do more honest work. will he
strive more earnestly for the best
things in duty and destiny, will he
work with his soul in the harvest
fields of the worldg If we could de-
pend upon an affirmative anwser then
would the colleges be worth while
indeed. If we would be quite sure
that these thousands upon thousands
who are passing out of college halls
into the worlds work, have solemnly
dedicated themselves to whatsoever
things are true. whatsoever things
are honorable. whatsoever things are
just. whatsoever things are pure.
whatsoever things ARE lovely then
might our country be congratulated
upon its future. These Young people
would have in them the prophecy of
new era. Their influence would be
greater than the press. the platform
and the pulpit. This may be too
much to hope for from all the colleges
but surely 1t is not too much to hope
for from Alma College. l may ven
ture to call you to witness, members
of the faculty, students, friends and e.
pecially you the ladies and gentlemen
of the class of 1908. you who have been
with rs for four years, you haze met Us
in public and in private-in recitation
room. in the social circle and in the
hour of prayer ask you has not
your Alma Mater always stood for
that what is best in work and conduct
and characterS We have not been in
different to the opinions of our fellow
men; but we have never made the ex-
pectations of the world our rule of
duty. We have cherished in the in
most heart the ambition for all that
is best-the best teachers, the best
apparatus. the hest lesson, the best
character. In the coming years your
lives will tell to what extent we
have succeeded. 1t is doubtless true
that a school should not be held ac-
countable too strictly for the character
of it's pupils. We cannot carve
character as we carve statue. God
himself cannot determine the destiny
of human lives as he can the destiny
of star. Every human being selects
his own path. Even from the School
of Christ there may issue a Judas
Iscariot. Our best hope concerning
you is that we have put you so in
love with excellence and honest work
and noble endeavor that YOU will
henceforth desire only these. that
whatever the temptation of the future
may be you will say None of these
things move me
And 50 with the blessing of God
we send YOU forth to do your life
work. We do not ask that you may
have an easy rlace. a remunerative /
position, gentlemanly calling, an
agreeable task: but we are deeply |
for YOU that you should do /
your best. There is an honora bic dis I
tinction. there is noble fame that you |
may .all win. it is that of doing hon.
estly thoroughly and well. the task /
for which YOU are fitted bv nature and 7
by education We dare to believe I
that you will not disappoInt us. And
when you have done your best from
lay to dav do not mar and spoil it 4