The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-06-10
SPIRIT Of GREATNESS
DIR. Samuel kerfoot's Address to the
High School Graduating Glass
Thursday Night.


livered the address to the graduating
class of the Mitchell high school
Thursday evening, in place of the
usual o%rations by the members OF the
class.
DR.. Kerfoot's subject was The
Spirit of Greatness and he enlarged
upon the theme with much interest,
during which he made some special
applications to the class, and hoped to
see the entire bunch at the college
on the hill. For the closing part of
of his address DR.. Kerfoot urged the
members OF the class to keep Ia the
forward movement of education and
to never stop until they We're ready.
He. spoke of the pride which was at
tached to the class as a whole that
was manifested by the citizens.
The following is Or. Kerfoot's add
dress in full:
God alone is great was the sol
emn words of the French preacher
over the body of the great King
Louis XIV. And yet everything in
Gods image is great and in the meas
ure of this ILLNESS, is sovereign.
Every true parent looks at the
babe in mother-arms with hope that
it may be the incarnation of POSSIBLE
titles beyond the average OF mortals.
Every true teacher endeavors to
probe the minds committed to his
care, hoping to discover signs of SUI
perior worth. Parent and teacher
alike endeavor TO unfold the latent
powers and to get great ideas born
into being. But the greatest period
in the progress of a life is when the
boy or girl awakens 10 his or her
own being, begins TO question as to
of the SOULS powers.
Well, indeed, for the youth who
feels within him the stirring of a
mighty impulse to rise above the
mass. Well, for ole who early de
cides to turn his energies into pro-
ductive channels which will enrich
himself and others.
Greatness requires self-apprecia-
ton.
A great poet has said: "Se~lf-rever-
ence, self-knowledge, s~elf-conduct.
these three alone lead life to sover-
eign power" There is much truth
in this statement. Self-reverence is
based upon self-knowledge and be-
gets self-control and these are the
elements of all true creatures. Not
the little puppetrie of wealth, rank
or title, the inch-high dignities of
things put upon us, but the recogni-
ton of the inherent worth and pos
sibilittes of the bare soul of man, is
what makes for greatness.
"A prince can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke and "a that
But an honest mans aboon his might
Guild faith, he manu- IA that"
We read in these days OF the three
cosmic laws Of the new astronomy;
self-love, planet-love, s%un-love. Self
love Is the cohesive power or molecu-
lar attraction which gives the earth
individuality; planet-love or attr..c-
ton gives Instability. while sun-love
gives motion and ptQductiveness.
The same general laws apply in soci-
a. aod 3lfe, viz Il selt-leve' o lly paa
The first of these is basic in large
measure to the others. must think
much of myself to make most of my
self. l must value my life sufficiently
on the n hand to keep from squan-
derlng Its powers and on the other
to spur me to the attainment of my
possibilities. ssft'1r
Making the most Of myself is also
necessary to any large usefulness to
others. The granary must be filled
before the poor are fed, knowledge
must be gained before knowledge is
given" The Scotch weaver was not
far wide of thesmark when he prayed
every morning hat he might be
able to have a good opinion of him
self" Self-dtstrust is the cause of
many OF failures. Unless we be-
lieve inaourselyes, others are not apt
to do so.
And yet self-appreciation need not
be u~nbecoming to modesty and even
humility. Self-conceit is an attribute
of small souls. The stamp they put
upon their own coin is often untrue.
To such the advice of Cromwell to
the Presbyterians is appropriate:
Brethren, | beseech you by the mer-
Giles of God, remember it is possible
you may be mistaken"
The demands for greatness are not
small. From babyhood, man strives
to extend his boundaries and chafes
under limitations. Greatness must
have room to grow in. How mani
fest this Is in the nations which have
made history, both ancient and mod
ern. The Greeks in their great days
pushed out from their sea-girt land
to conquer the world for beauty, art
and letters. The Romans, in the
days Of their great power. made the
known world tremble with the tread
of their invincible legions. The Sax
ons, with a passion for conquest in
born, have made their island home
the base of supplies for world empire.
The Dutch, when reused to their best,
made dominion of the sea, beating
back hostile navies from her shores
and pushing back the %encroaching
waves from their lowland farms In
til they garnered ricl. harvests from
"a country which. drew forty feet of
water' The Americans with the