Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-06-05
EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
Practical and Inspiring Address By
Judge John E. Safer of Columbus
To The Graduating Class Of 1914,
Wauseon High School--Thoughts
Worthy of Constant Consideration
By All.

Education DrOadenS the mental
horizon, awakens higher ldeais, be-
gets more lnGellectual enjoyment, in
creases tine powers of analysis and
reasoning, and insures more accurate
conclusions regarding the questions
which challenge thought in every de-
parrment OF h1e. Ine necessity Tor a
nigh order Intelligence in republic
is heightened by the fact that the
burden of government is borne by the
people. Generally, government, local
state or national, is as good or as bad
as the electorate chooses to make it.
A community, a state, or nation
may be temporarily ill-governed be-
cause the voting body has been indif-
ferent or has been deceived by the
person or persons seeking political
power; but when the administration
of public affairs continues extravag-
ant or corrupt or continuously fails
to observe and enforce the law, the
responsibility for such condition is
chargeable to those who elect the
public servants. The occasion for an
intelligent electorate is greater and
will be increasingly greater than
heretofore. Whatever may be the
views entertained by any one of the
initiative, the referendum and the re-
call, they have to a considerable ex-
tent been authorized by our funda-
mental law. and the people of the
state or of this or that community
may be called upon, and perhaps with
frequency, by direct vote to legislate
on matters complicated and of deep
and far-reaching local concern-mat-
ters heretofore deemed so intricate
and important as to require the con-
sidered action of legislative and de-
Lucrative bodies specially selected to
act upon such measures. The times
demand an increased, intelligent, i'm
partial, conscientious study of pub
lie questions from broad view point,
and resolute determination on the
part Of everyone entitled or that may
become entitled to exercise the right
of voting, to perform his civic duties
whenever and as often as called upon
to do SO. This duty rests on both sex
es, for, whatever may be the views of
this or that person, the electoral
franchise has in some of the states
been extended to women and may yet
become quite, if not altogether, uni
versal. If it comes, it is gratifying
to know that in this country it will
come without resort to lawlessness,
or crime, or other conduct disgrace
full to womanhood. If it comes, there
will be cast upon the women of the
country a hitherto unknown respon-
sibility. To insure the sober, broad
and correct thinking essential to the
right solution of the questions to be
determined, the youth of the land
must be taught to seek, to know, and
to love the truth, for the truth will
rake them free.
It is not my purpose, however, fur
tbers to pursue the obligation of the
schools to prepare their students for
the performance of their civic duties,
bat rather to allude to questions
which are crowding or will crowd
themselves upon the sevefal members
of this graduating class-the ques-
tions: What has my course Of. train
ing done for me, and what shall / do,
now that it is ended?s i. M
Assuming that it has done what it
should have done, they have learned
that steady nerves and good health
sufficient to Withstand daily require
ments and occasional severe strains
are essential to both comfort and use
fulness. Both brain and Drawn are
necessary to the achievement of the
best results.
They have learned that excess are
to be avoided and that moderation
and sobriety should characterize
their conduct. Responsibility and
business have disassociated themselv-
es frbm drunkenness and dissipation.
They have learned that work and
play go hand in hand. Each is the
antidote for the other. Ones life
work is serious thing calling for
the highest endeavor, but not all the
time. Life is neither a perpetual
grind, nor a ceaseiess holiday. 1t has
1t must have--its sunshine and
shadow, its victories and defeats, its
hours of pleasure and its hours of
strenuous effort.
They have learned that genuine sue
cess and real happiness are not de-
pendent on the possessions of wealth
or power. Were it otherwise, the