The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-06-18

( only two conditions Of life; namely,
growth and decay. There Is no, inter.
mediate step. When the win to
further develop our capacity for sery-
ice fails, the initiative is already lost
and the decay has commenced.
eft is my earnest desire" said Mr..
Guthrie. that every student who grad
yates at this commencement will not
choose to slip through life with the
minimum OF effort and the maximum
OF self indulgence"
The ambassador to japan stated
further that a nation is governed By
the same laws as the individuals who
compose It. Its rights are their aggre-
gate rights and It's duties the aggre.
gate Of theirs, and is likewise subject
to the same laws Of growth and decay.
There is not for the nation more than
for the individual stationary period.
1t must either grow or decay. It must
always move onward toward the higher
planes or sink lower. II the people
OF today allow the standards OF the
nation TO sink, they must bear the re-
sponSibIlity for its lowering influence
on the next generation.
| Mr. Guthrie took occasion TO take
a slam at the old saying that respecta-
BILE people can not go into politics. On
this point Mr.. Guthrie had this to say:
"You will be told-as others have
been told-that respectable people
cannot 90 into politics-that political
bosses and political organizations
have always existed and always will
exist and many other things equally
plausible and equally untrue.
The answer is plain. Unless an
overwhelming majority Of the people
are disreputable and corrupt (Which
we have known is not true) then poll
tics can be eputable-corrupt only
when the respectable and honest PEG.
pie fail in their duties as citizens or
when enough people who want special
privileges stand ready to pay price
sufficient to corrupt the weak and the
ignorant.
1T was said Of old without a vision.
the people perish And the saying is
true today. When politics are corrupt
1t Is because the people whose rights
are Involved do not have a correct
ideal Of the true purpose Of govern.
ment and their duties in regard TO II.
Mr.. Guthrie made the statement that
a great moral movement has started
in this country and that it is spreading
rapidly. He said that the people OF
the country we're coming TO have a
clearer conception OF government and
its true purpose and the relation OF
the people TO it. On this point Mr..
Guthrie said:
"A great moral movement has start
ed in this country. and 1t is surely
spreading. Men would not now do
things which a few years ago they
boosted of. and this not from fear OF
the law. but because they could not
stand the moral condemnation OF an
aroused people. We are coming to
have a clearer conception OF govern
aent and its true purpose and our own
relation TO it.
Like the seer OF Patmos gazing
On the glory downward blazing
Till upon Earths grateful sod
Rests the city OF our Cod
I'VE see that the Greek philosophers
were right when they taught that the
only good government was one which
seeks 10 attain the permanent interest
OF the governed by evolving the char
acter OF its citizens or. to use COM
mercial phraseology, that the best pro
duct OF a nation is a people developed
to their highest standards. morally,
mentally and physically, OF which they,
are capable"
-O-