Weekly journal-miner., 1910-06-15

| ohce, and to laugh at the lawmak- CTS.
 Neither the cynie nor pessimist of fers a remedy unless, perehanee, he turns refOrmer. Each delights in criticism which is destructive rather than constructive. A mouse may look at lion as freely as a dog may bark at a king The mistakes of Moses are readily pointed out by smaller men than Moses It is simple for modern critics to show how Ma poleon might have won the battle of Waterloo or made a success of his Russian campaign.
 The practical reformer is an op- timist. who believes the world is capable of better things and attains his ends by raising the general level of intelligence, patriotism or moral ity. Many theoretical reformers are content to leave humanity as it is but urge the adoption of new ma ehinery of government, new systems of election, new codes of procedure and new rules of decision. They think man will be all right if they can put the right harness on him.
 The truth is that the world is bet ter today than it his ever been. Our own American government is sound at the core. It is not on the verge of dissolution or decay.
 Throughout history we find men attempting to characterize the age in which they lived. Frequently they have eonluded that humanity had at tained the utmost limit of its ca pabilities and that the high-tide of civilization and progress had been reached. The marvels of the pres mt are always heightened by com parison with the past, yet the par tieular lesson of history is that each succeeding century carries mankind into greater domains of accomplish ment, and however wonderful our con eeit as to the age in which we live, it is rtain that there are ages to be which will be yet more wonder ful. In the words of Tennyson: CT doubt not through the ages one
 increasing purpose runs,
 And the thoughts of men are wid-
 ened with the process of the
 suns.'
 Each V ar our public schools, col leges and universities are graduating thousands upon thousands of trained young men and women who straight way take up tn ework of life all over our country. The burdens which are borne by the older men and women are continually shifting to the shoulders of the rising gener- ations pressing forward from the ranks. Our future leaders must come from all classes of people, just as they have in the past.
 
 If you are to be of help to the world you must face it with a smile Before the world will gain conf denee in you, you must snow con fdenee in the world. If you enter upon life's battles alf-heartedly; if your arms or brains are palsied by fear of the outcome, or if the "nature hue of your resolution" is "sicklied O'er with the pale east of thought others will bear the palms and sing the songs of victory, and the pains of defeat will be yours. Therefore, take up your work fearlessly and confidently. Believe in yourselves and your fellowmen. Arm yourselves with faith in hu- manity and in the future of our great country. Cultivate the habit of optimism. Join the ranks of those who cheerfully bear the burdens and the heat of the day, and lend them a hand. So doing you will find a ready welcome in the world. The doors of opportunity will open wide to let you in, and the time and trouble and sacrifices spent upon your education will not have been in vain.
 Playtime Is Ended.
 "All the worlds a stage" says the poet. Well, perhaps so, in the sense in which he write, and we are merely players. We have our exits and our entrances, and each of us in his time, must play many parts. l Tonight, however, the curtain rings down on your playtime. The scenes will shift and the curtain rise again upon the stage whereon your lives must be lived and your work done.