Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-04
BRYAN REVEALS
OLD AMBITIONS
Once Wanted to Be Baptist
Preacher. Farmer and
Then a Lawyer.
SPEAKS TO GRADUATES
OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Discusses Measure of Greatness and
Adequate Reward for Serv-
ice in Life.

! William Jennings Bryan. Secretary of
State. speaking yesterday afternoon at
| the open-air graduation exercises OF
Howard University gave in effect little
Autobiography of his entrance into polit-
ical life in his address on The Measure
of Greatness.
I'VE cannot always tell the kind of
service we will do" said Secretary Bry-
an. II had several ambitions myself. I
commenced with a desire to be a Baptist
preacher. Before l was six years old 1
wanted to be farmer and raise pump
kins. Later 1 thought I would be law
yer My father was Judge, and l re-
member the old courthouse where 1 used
to listen to the trial Of cases. This am
bition guided me through my boyhood
and college days. H.....
81 practiced while in Illinois and then
went to Nebraska at the age of twenty
seven I got into politics by accident and
stayed there by design. l was nominated
for Congress because they thought L
couldn't be elected. That was the way l
got into politics. ] only mention 1t TO
lives. And there never has been day
since when l have felt that l could With
draw from politics"
Aspirations Are Proper.
Il think in cablegrams nowadays he
said, land dream in Spanish and pre-
pare my addresses in spare moments
The subject l am to speak on is good
one for any occasion. 1t is proper for
every human being to aspire for great
ness Everything depends upon the meas
ure of greatness.
Every diligent reader of the Bible has
felt a little provoked when he read OF
the quarrel of the disciples as to which
would be the greatest in the kingdom OF
heaven. Let him who would be chlefest
among you be the servant of ALL came
the divine answer. That is not my Ian
guage or the language of your teachers.
but the doctrine of the greatest of teach
ers.
when that doctrine was first present
ed the world was full OF people who
were trying to make life easy. As
Christ went about doing good He set US
an example that the happiness of life
is not measured by what We take out
of the world. but by what we put into
it. Happiness is only possible for work
ers. If you take as your motto that
your greatness is to be measured by the
service you render, you will be happy.
Should Draw Reward.
Every human being ought to be able
to draw from society reward COM
mensurate to the service he renders. I
will allow no man to go beyond me in
estimating on a large scale the amount
of service a human being can render.
Over in England, where they answer
back more than they do in this country,
1 once took up the question of how
much can a man honestly earn. I said.
Can he earn 100000 in a lifetime? No
body objected to that I said. How
about a million? Two or three people
said he should not 1 said I believed he
could earn it honestly. What about
ten million?' 1 asked. Most of them
said No Then I took one hundred
million. The whole audience said No
Then I said l would not set a limit
to the amount of money a man could earn
by giving service. I believe that Thomas
jefferson, who to my mind was the great
est constructive statesman the world has
ever known, believe if he had received
five hundred million dollars he would not
have been overpaid, and 1 believe Lincoln
rendered service that was worth even
more.
the Secretary, but I do not intend to go
any farther, because l have already men
toned a democrat and republican, and
if should mention many more democrats
l should find trouble in finding republic
cans to match
Not Paid What They Earned.
How will you measure the value of the
service rendered mankind by the one who
taught us the use of steam? OF electric
ity? How will you measure the value of
the service of those who have stood back
of all great movements of the world?
hat fS firm in a
single case have those men been paid
what they earned
Says Circumstances Rule.
Here Secretary Bryan told of his en-
trance into public life, and went on to
say that while circumstances rule men.
the thing for men to do is to make them
selves ready to take advantage of all op-
portunities He said that consciousness
of preparedness is in itself great asset
1.-The body must be strong We must
get ready intellectually. But moral prep
aration is the most important. All phys
ical and mental preparation you possess
is vain unless your hearts are right
When you come to moral preparation
for life it doesn't take as many books to
teach a mans heart as 1t does his mind
You need only one book to fill your heart
with the impulses it ought to nave, and
that book is the Bible.
Il warn you-do not let your knowledge
make you think religion is an old fogy
thing When you decide not to have any
thing to do with something you cannot
understand. just order your coffin. Any
young man who has smattering OF
knowledge, the first time he goes back
home let him Just puzzle that old homely
puzzle: How can a red cow eat green
grass and then give white milk with
yellow butter in it,
Exercises Held in Open.
The graduation exercises were held in
the open before a large audience OF
friends and guests, including Ernest l..
Thurston. superintendent Of schools. and
Mrs. Thurston. Duke de Richelieu and
| Father Fenwicke Of France and John L.
Norris secretary of the treasury Of Lii
| IBERIA
Rev. DIR. B. F. Watson pronounced the
| invocation. Following the address of
| Secretary Bryan the degrees were con-
| ferred and prizes awarded by President
| Stephen NJ. Newman.
| Those who received prizes included Miss
Kitty Bruce. Guy S. Ruffin, Howard H.
Long. Mrs Emma Rose. Walter E. Tibbs,
Miss Eva B. Dykes, Charles H. Garvin.