Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-12-01
MOST DANGEROUS
MAN IN COUNTRY;
ONE Who DON'T CARE
lContinued from Page onel

Continued from Page One)
that the enterprise is good one and
then realize that because it is wor-
thy project, there will be more or less
opposition to it, and probably the more
difficult it is, the surer you can be
that the undertaking is worth while
and needs your support.
Success is not easy of accomplish
ment. 1t requires an earnest and de-
termined effort to succeed. There is
one road to prosperity, and toll, tenn
perance, intelligently directed indus
try, honest enterprise, unwavering
confidence, and the survival and ulti-
mate triumph of right, are some of
the things painted on the sign posts
along the way"
Sylvester A. Long of Dayton, Ohio,
was the principal speaker Friday even
ing. Fully $500 delegates and hosts
to the delegates crowded the State
Armory to hear man who is firm in
his convictions, a real orator, and a
power with boys.
Long held his audience intensely
interested throughout the hour dur
ing which he talked. Following are
portions of his speech:
"In this most serious moment in the
worlds history, our country is forced
into a position of power, and we find
ourselves in a state of uncertainty.
The hour in which we live is big with
the uncommon problems of the COM
mon people. And the biggest of these
problems is that of being interested.
The most dangerous man in the coun-
ttxr &c {
cerned and does not care. The time
has come when to be real commun
ity builder, loyal son to your state,
you must care, and care tremendous
ly.
"Candidly, you young men are not
wanted in the world. The world does
not ask who you are nor what you
are, but what you can do. The world
demands service. No man has be-
gun to answer the question of in
dividual enlightenment until he has
thrown back the double answer of in
telligence-service for his fellow men.
The three great forces of human Gull
ture all deal with service. They are
intelligent service, magnanimous ser
vice, and service of principle. In the
three darkest periods of our country's
history we have had men who out of
mere magnanimity of heart have been
the three great presidents of sorrow.
Lincoln without these three forces of
human culture would have been a
weak, cowardly sentimentalist. But
take out of life the fight, the TRACED
les, and the struggle for ideals, and
you have nothing left.
"The contest of living is getting to
be more and more a struggle of brain
and grit, and confidence and self-re-
spect come with it. Young people of
today, however, may walk the path
ways of life with comparative safety
owing to the great magnanimity of
men and women of the past who have
builded strong foundations, who have
bridged the chasms and smoothed the
way.
IF something is not done, and
done soon, some of these ten million
will fight for bread. They will not
stop to ask questions. They are hun
cry. And when man is hungry, he
gets angry. Any man is angry and
unprincipled when he fights for his
bare wants. America could solve
this problem if she wanted to. When
our intelligent thinking men and
women become concerned, our prob
lens will be solved infinitely better
than they are today. America would
gladly feed the whole world if she
were able.
1.-THE struggle in American life to-
day is one for fundamental princi-
pie. Only as we get back to funda-
mental principle in our national life
can our nation get back to it's real
power. There is something wrong
when with all the wealth there is in
this country the serpent poverty is
allowed to trail it's Shiny form across
our thresholds, ignorance is permitted
to exist, and vice is allowed to go on
And everything is wrong when intel
ligent men and women are unconcern-
ed and do not care"
"The time is rapidly approaching
when intelligence and magnanimity
will mean nothing compared with prin-
ciple. Some day there will be a great
crisis in which only one thing-prin-
count. This means that
when the American people fully under
stand the facts, and are concerned,
that no one will be allowed to suffer.
There are ten millions of people in
his country alone who are in want of
food and clothing today. And we who
nave our three square meals day
and all the clothes we need to keep
is warm do not think about them.
We do not care. But if some of our
lear ones were in dire need, then
would we care?"
BRINK