Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-24
commencement Day
AT Hebron Academy

1iSoi oit, he., June zz.-tSpecldlJ.-
The Commencement exercises held
here today were a success from the be
ginning. Governor John d. Long.
who had been chosen to deliver the
address to the graduating class. was
called back to Boston yesterday and
was unable to be here todaN Hon
f. w. Hinckley as elected to take mis-
place.
Following the conference of diplo-
mas by Hon. J. 5. Maxim came the
address above mentioned. Mr. Hinck-
ley began with two or three anec-
dotes of humorous nature. This was
followed by a word picture of Victor
Hugo's Tempest in a Brain which
illustrated the thought carried
throughout the address: There can
be no compromise between man and
his duty" Following is brief of
his speech:
You might ask what is our duty;
any young man or woman who lives
broad minded life will so have their
lives in tune with better things that
conscience which is the voice of God
will tell them their duty. Don't spend
your time trying to be good. bur
spend it being good for something. /
understand that some of your class
are going into the clergy. If so, l beg
of you to remember that you are men
before YOU are ministers; that the
people You are to teach and lead are
human. and that there are times when
loaf of bread is more accepta BILE
than a petition to heaven. TO my
knowledge God never dictates what
kind of clothes a clergyman should
wear.
You are now going out into the
world. There you will find moral and
social questions of great weight which
it is your duty alone to help solve.
I was interested in. listening to the
Grafton yesterday by one of your class.
on the naturalization of the Panama
Canal Zone. / don't want anybody to
talk to me about the high state of
civilization we have reached, so long
as the country is spending hundreds
of thousands of dollars annually on
account of war and in preparation for
it. And at the same time tens of
thousands of our citizens are starv-
ing and as many more lie victims to
diseases which this money could stamp
out. If % per cent. of this money
expended in the preparation for in
ternational warfare could be spent in
a scientific crusade against the great
white plague, in % years tubercular
troubles would be thing of the past
because the small parasite which is
annually eating the lives out of thou
sands of our brightest and best boys
and girls would be annihilated
1.-THE next three months in my opin-
ion will be one of the most critical
periods through which this State has
passed for at least a generation An
attempt will be made to legalize the
greatest curse of all times. There is
great opportunity even for young
men and young women to take hand
in this great crusade and work for
the best interests of the State. Don't
talk to me about our high state of
civilization so long as any consider
able proportion of our citizens will
even think of considering such pro-
position.
II was at the Legislature during the
past winter and listened attentive
ly to the discussions there. l heard
the distinguished Senator from Knox
county. Senator Staples. repeat the
same speech that he has delivered be-
fore that body for the last 20 years
in which he advocated the saloon.
think it was very appropriate that a
short time after that it was voted tc
name the new building for the feeble
minded Staples Hail. l heard Judge
Peters make his famous speech il
which he argued that temperance leg
| islation should not be connected witt
the State Constitution but with the
! statutes.
Many years ago our fathers wht
were good statesmen decided that this
was the proper place for the amend
ment prohibiting slavery. That like
! this question was a moral one. thai
meant the liberty of race, our
means the liberty and happiness o
the entire human family. If they die
not err in regard to the United States
Constitution then our amendment hal
a proper place where it is. Some o
you will live long enough to see tli
attached to our National Constitution
1 The friend of the saloon argues tina