South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-01
LOYALTY NEEDED
To SUCCEED IN
ANY OCCUPATION
Rev. Henry L. Davis Addresses
High School StudentS-Edu-
cation, He Says, is No Guar
antee Against Hard Work.

To have conviction and 10 adhere
TO that conviction with an answering
loyalty was the advice given yester-
day morning by Rev. Henry L. Davis
in his baccalaureate sermon 10 the
1914 high school graduating class at
the First NJ. r. church. One hundred
and thirty sons and daughters Of
south Bend parents filed into the
magnificent new edifice on y. Main
st. for the occasion. They occupied
front pews while their parents and
friends and pensioners filled the
pews in the rear and the balcony.
The front Of the main floor was beau
tifully decorated with ferns and flow
ers.
Rev. Mr.. Davis gave a fitting adj
dress Of advice TO the graduates He
maintained that mans ideals, goal or
ambition can never be realized with
out a strong conviction backed up
with never bending loyalty. He
pointed to the success of st. Paul, to
that Of Columbus, OF Copernicus and
OF Gallo, as silent tributes to the
loyalty of conviction.
Conviction Defined.
"a conviction is not easily defined,
he said. Conviction has 10 do with
truth. That truth may be physical
or moral. It not only has TO do with
truth but with devotion and loyalty
10 truth. When the mind and soul
Of q Copernicus becomes a devotee
TO the truth Of the heliOcentric theory
Of the universe, when a Gallo falls
upon his knees and yields his deVo-
ton to the theory of the mobility Of
the earth-yOu Gee a conviction at
work in the human soul.
There are also moral truths. For
example-It is better 10 do good than
evil: to be a brave man than a cow
ard: an honest man than a knave.
Now when such truths begin to act
upon mans conscience, when they be-
come interviewer with the very fibre
Of his psychical and spiritual make
up, you discover conviction in the
moral world.
There are four fields in which
life must move and in which we must
hold ideals and be devoted thereto.
First. that Of home; second. edu-
cation; third, society, and fourth, re-
ligion.
There must be high ideals of
people throw off the yoke of that au
thority and become disloyal to its
government. If education breaks
down that authority better dispense
with education. Better remain a
newer OF wood and a drawer Of water
with respect to home government.
shan enjoy the privileges of highest
university routine without them.
Must Have Ideals.
1--WE must have high ideals and
convictions about our education.
Some think that education is an end
in itself, or, what is worse, that il is
a sure guarantee against hard labor
and the open door into the realm of
the worlds social elect. Education
is a treasury for the enOblement Of
our lives, the uplifting Of our fellows
and the glory Of the Deity.
I'VE must have ideals and convic-
tiOns in the great world where we
must move and act. There must be
social convictions. You must deter
mine when you are to be suns around
which others must reVOlve, or satel-
lites changing our course at the ris-
ing OF every glazing ball, misnamed
a social sun.
Finally, we need religious cOnvic-
tions. Convictions which while re-
fusing TO accept religious truth be-
cause preacher commands, yet not to
reject the fundamentals of religious
truths because those truths were mis-
represented. See the necessity of a
day OF rest and worship in every
seven. Remember always that men
live not by denials but by an eternal
yea.
Last of all hold to your conviction
with undying loyalty and tact l say
tact for many a man thinks he holds
convictions when he is only obstinate;
Althinks he is loyal TO the truth when
he is only stubborn TO his own whim
and vagary. When YOU cannot get ali
YOU hoped for get what you can with
the understanding that later you must
have all"