Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-05-29
responsibilities
Of CITIZENSHIP
President Miner Makes Earnest APP.
peal to Graduates OF A. & M. Col
Iege to Prove Themselves
Worthy of Their High
Calling.

Col. X. I. Miner, president OF A. q
M. college, occupied the regular Sun
day service hour in the chapel OF the
college Sunday morning delivering an
address to the corps of cadets. While
his words were directed especially to
tie large number of students who will
lorm the graduating class June IL, yet
what he had to say applies as well to
all the students.
The college year is drawing to
close, and it was the last chance that
Colonel Miner would have to talk to
those who are to be graduated, and
he wanted them to leave the institution
with some words of advice that his
experience in life teaches him may be
of use to them in the future.
In his address he said:
The matter of educating young
men at this institution is under the
direction and control of the state. En-
cent your books, stationery and few
small fees, the expense of the college
| is born by the state and the federal
government. Therefore you can not
escape a deep sense of your gratitude
and Indebtedness to your benefactors,
and | would have you know that this
debt is binding and lasting.
Il will not undertake this morning
to show you how this obligation en-
tails upon you the performance of SUI
perior service to the agricultural, me-
chanical and industrial interests Of the
state by reason of this gift, but | will
dwell upon the duty you owe to So
ciety and the government as citizens.
The first duty that devolves upon a
graduate of this school is to dedicate
his mind to virtue and the good OF
human society You are about to COM
mence an intercourse with the world
on your own responsibility. Here you
will begin to mingle with the busy
actors upon the stage of life with their
conflicting interests, sympathies and
desires. You will not travel far until
your paths of life will diverge. One
will lead you to success, honor, use
fulness and immortality. The other
conducts its passengers in a down
ward course to ruin. Standing at the
point from which this divergence be,
gins. it deeply concerns you to pause
and give earnest and serious heed to
the step which you will next take. 1t
is a fearful thing to reflect upon the
changes which often take place in the
fortunes and conditions of young men
Immediately at the period of life to
which you have attained. The time
that marks the young mans first step
as he leaves college is fraught with
more concern to his future life than
any other period in his existence. Now
for the first time in his life he is to
assume the full stature of man. The
world is looking at him; his friends
are talking about him. He represents
position that is in every way en-
viable. He stands out as one man in
many thousands so fortunate as to
hold a diploma-the testimonial OF a
complete college course. In every pri-
vate walk and public act of his life
he is expected to reflect the highest
conduct of the man and the true citi-
zen.
"As you stand at the entrance OF g
new and responsible life, gazing in
mingled admiration and solicitude at
the many arduous duties that will soon
be incumbent upon you and which the
world will expect you to perform faith
fully and wisely, let me call your at
tention to the one great duty which
every intelligent American citizen
owes to his Countrywide duty to par
ticipate in every contest which is to
be decided by a vote of the people
The right of suffrage, the most sacred
right ever vouchsafed to man, Will
soon be yours and no man and no set
of men can deprive you of exercising
it according to your own convictions
You and you alone should be the Gus
todian of the ballot which you are
privileged to cast. | can imagine nc
more pitiable case of an American
citizen than he who in the role of
free man walks up to the ballot DOB