Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-03-08

degree OF vulgarity. a certain degree
of ignorance for person to always
be parading his degrees before the
public. You know there are some
PEOPLE who never write a letter WIN
on, signing them selves ID. d., LII. y.
That indicates specifically. That
kind OF thing Is the very best ind.ca'
ton that such persons lack genuine
education, lack genuine culture !
have had a good many letters from
such persons as President Eliot, the
forn.sr president Of Harvard univer'
sity; President HLdley Of Yale uni
versity, DR.. Frissell Of Hampton, and
scores of persons in that class. out l
have never known Of a case where any
Of them have signed their names ana
then put d. D. or LII. ID. after their
names.
The fact is we have been wild. In
many cases, in this degree business,
and many people who have been too
lazy to get genuine education. have
sought to cover up their ignorance and
<heir vulgarity by parading after their
names. q lot OF letters-A. B., A. M,
d. d., LII D., etc. Why l have &C.
tually received letters from persons
with all those titles signed after their
names Whenever q person gets let
ter with all those titles after the sig
nature, he makes up his mind-if he
does not express it-he makes up his
mind that this Is letter. not from an
educated person, but from an ignorant
person, vulgar person, lacking in cul-
ture. person lacking in real. genu-
inc taste.
II you have education, II you are en-
titled 40 a degree. If you have any
thing that indicated real culture. rea!
worth, real educ, /on, never be al, lid
lest the world will not find it out soon
er or later.
This kind of exaggeration. beginning
in school, leads step or two further,
and is sadly exhibited in city life
among our people. Go into many Of
the large cities and you will see young
men and women dressed in way that
indicates they are living falsehood.
dressed In a costly manner. dressed
as though they had an income OF ST.
900 a month. when at the same time,
as a matter OF fact, they are perhaps
working people, having an income OF
IS or IS a week. This is dishonesty.
1t indicates vulgarity, 1t indicates de-
ception. People who get into the hab-
it Of exaggeration, especially those
who live In cities, often pretend even
that they own property which they do
not own. They eat food, the kind OF
food that their real circumstances do
not warrant them IN eating, and in
stead of living a straightforward, sim
pie, honest life. In speaking and in
writing, In eating, In everything-they
lead superficial, false life; in the
end it leads them into all kinds Of diff
ficulties.
All that | am trying to indicate to
you in what | am saying to you tonight
IS this: In simplicity there is strength.
Ii you want to show to the world that
you have education, that you have cul
| ture, you must show it in leading a
simple life, by being simple in speech,
using simple words, short words. sim
pie sentences, short sentences; by be-
ing simple in dress, simple in every
thing. without undue exaggeration. If
you are thus simple you will indicate
to the world In way that no one will
dispute that you have genuine edu-
cation, that you have genuine culture.
The way to show that you have educa-
ton of the best kind, of the highest
kind, Is not by the use of titles, not
by lingering few big books with
large. names, long names, but by know
ing a little well and going about the
world, not representing yourself as
somebody else, but representing your
self to be that which you really are
All through life, remember this: Try
to be all that you seem to be. Be
more than you seem to be, and you
will succeed.