The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-05-05
PAY THE PRICE
ANDGET GOODS
Hon. Leslie M. Shaw Delivers Ad-
dress to Students Of Creighton
College Thursday Evening.
COMMERCIAL CLUB ENTERTAiNs
After Dinner Talk Well Received and
Many Strong Points Made-Sees
Americas Big Chance.

America's Big Chance.
Our former townsman, Hon. Leslie
NJ. Shaw, delivered the graduating ad
dress to the graduating classes Ot
five departments of Creighton univer.
sity at the Brandeis theatre in Oma
ha last Thursday evening. Prominent
men of the Nebraska judiciary were
seated on the stage and before the com
mencement exercises were entertained
at dinner at the new hotel Fontenelle.
Mr. Shaw has always been prOmi.
nent in school affairs and on numer-
GUS occasions has been invited to de-
liver the commencement address at
some OF the largest universities in the
country His address to the graduat-
Z Ing class of the Creighton university
was masterful one and full of good
points. .s.U
Below is given part Of the address
which he delivered, which will be OF
interest to readers of the Review:
Allowance for Aptitude.
I'm every field of human endeavor.
except the acquisition of wealth. we
make due allowance for aptitude.
Since the world was, a good many
thousands have tried to write poetry.
Some claim that out of all who have
tried two have succeeded. Some in
crease that number. All We know is
that there are none living now, though
| heard of a man who said he could
write as good poetry as Shakespeare
did, If he had mind to. His friends
said he had discovered his handicap.
Confidentially | am going to say to
YOU young people that I might have
had as much money as John d. Rock
efeller or Andrew Carnegie il had
n mind to. | have had the oppOrtun-
ity and will also have to admit that
have had the desire. If did not
fully understand my handicap ] might
be angry with these gentlemen who
have had the mind to.
Aptitude plays a far more important
part My young friends, let me make
this suggestion. j., yon do not like it
here in this country, where there is
such diversity or achievement, let me
tell me where you had better go: II
you Will go to Patagonia you will
find no distinction. People there all
live in the same way: all dress in the
same way, anu they all eat their food.
largely fish. unprepared in the same
way--that is raw. But if you will
drop a bible and spelling book
among those people, some one
will cook his fish; some one will
wear more than one yard OF muslin
as q garment: someone will build a
house, and. as they advance in civil
IscAs, &aNs s,,,t ink MI
increase. Is civilization failure?
] submit the proposition for your
thoughtful consideration without ex-
pressing any opinion.
Matter OF Monopoly.
But there are other elements which
enter into the equation as much as APP
titude. During the political campaign
of 1896, when all audiences contained
goodly number of populists. general
ly discernible by the way they wore
their hair and beard. a man was speak
ing at Seattle. After having been in
lcrrupted several times by one of
those woolly fellows. his tormentor
again arose and squalled out: How do
you account for the unequal distrbu-
tion of whiskers? After the audience
down during the afternoon might
have said to him, and ! regret that he
did not, my friend. did not say this
to cause merrment at your expense.
but to illustrate Il great truth. was
born with equal opportunity and equal
aptitude for whiskers with yourself.
But have dissipated mine. When
ever | have found myself in the pos
session of any perceptible amount of
whiskers have dissipated them. Had
I conserved my whiskers. as you eyi
dently have, ]. too, would be million
afro in whiskers."
Problem Of Unemployed.
Just now much is being written,
more said and considerable done con-
cerning and for the relief of the unem-
nloyed. But. so far as can discover.
nothing has been said by anybody be-
tween the seas with reference to the
efficiency or the want of efficiency of
these unfortunates. and nothing to pre-
vent or check the trend towards inef-
Gciency. l recently attended an enter
tainment in New York given by the
university forum and listened to two
speeches by professional philanthro-
psts. mean those who are in the
philanthropy business for n livelihood
They each charged the blame for the
deplorable condition Of the unemploy-
ed to the fact that previous wages had
been insufficient to enable these peo-
pie to lay by enough to keep them
when out of work, and they each adj
yocated minimum wage. There was
not one word said on the subject of
efficiency or economy.
] have this indictment of our pres
ent school system | do not blame any
one for the existence of the conditions
which shall attempt to describe. and
ii ! falsify the facts shall be glad to
apologize for the libel. think our
schools quite generally teach that
labor is honorable, and also very un-
desirable. think the atmosphere of
the schoolroom, can thus be expressed.
.Get an education and You will not
need your left arm to get bread to-
your mouth" The result is that our
highways are made by emigrants; our