The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1916-06-01

tion in the works Of art and the ar
tistic in culture, philosophy and poetry
than America has yet done or may
dream Of doing for years to come.
And yet once again the poison got into
the human blood. and with the growth
Of luxury came the growth of vice,
Greek manhood decayed, Greek life
persisted, and to-day there is little left
Of this ancient and glorious race--A
few pages in the text of history aud
language that college students hate.
Once more, Civilization moves west
ward and this time pauses in the
"City of the Seven Hills" and for a
few centuries Rome grew, extended
and increased in power until the time
soon came when the power and do
minion of Rome was greater than was
that Of Alexander in the day when he
wept for more worlds TO conquer
There was a time when the very name
of the Capital City, Rome, suggested
everything that could be desired in the
way of justice. dominion, authority,
rule and power. But the story re-
peats itself once more, and Roman
government and Roman power perish
ed because Roman manhood decayed.
We might continue the story, for
Civilization continues her search for
a final resting place. At last she has
Knocked at the doors of the Atlantic
shore. We have invited her in. She
is here and think she would like to
stay. The world stands amazed at the
progress which we have made. The
wonderful conquest of territory, the
rapid rise and expansion Of industry,
the marvellous development in schools
colleges and education and all the
things of culture, and in all the arts
of peace we are to-day the leading
nation and the leading people of this
and all other times. Civilization has
become our pride. Shall we give her
our hand in sincere and honest pledge ?
Shall we assure her a permanent and
peaceful home?
| hold in my hand this morning no
brief for the to-morrows. | am not
prophet nor the son Of a prophet.
] cannot tell what the centuries may
bring forth. All that | do know is
this; that our American life, our
American culture, our American in
stitutions are safe only so long as
the strength of our manhood endures.
If American manhood decays, Ameri-
can institutions shall surely perish.
There are four great social institu-
tions whose business and function is
the making of men and women. These
four are the family, the school, the
church and the state. If these insti-
tutions have clear vision of their mis-
sion and rise to the responsibilities
of the hour, if they perform well the
task committed and entrusted to them,
then that boy of yours and that girl
of mine, product of these institutions
of our modern life, will become the
kind of men and women with whom
the American institutions will be Sc
cure.
Time forbids this morning any dis
cussion of the function of these sever
al social institutions of our American
life. The answer to the question:
"Why have schools at all ?"'is found
in the fact that we have children. No
scheme or process of education can be
complete that limits its scope or mar
rows its purpose to anything less than
the highest destiny of which youth and
manhood are capable. Humanity in
the course of the ages has produced
many types of men. Away back yon-
der in the olden times was the man
who boosted of his physical strength
There were giants in those days.
Quick after him came the man who
gloried in his ancestry and boosted of
his noble birth. With the swift on
ward rush OF time came one who said,
Though I could reach from pole to
pole and grasp creation in my span, |
must be measured by my soul; the
mind is standard of the man."
Twenty hundred years ago, there
darted into the arena or human his
tory a young man thirty summers of
age and Jew who, for the first time,
put the stamp Of his thoughts, the inn
press Of his life and the force Of his
own personality upon character as the
fundamental, elemental thing. The
Knight of the Twentieth Century must
be the young man of strong physical
body, plus noble birth, plus intellec-
tual genius, plus character. For con-
science in a bank cashier has a cash
value and integrity enhances human
worth. And this type of man must,
after all, be the product of our Ameri-
can schools, and with this kind of man,
the future is safe and secure.
NUV ~ NW ana nWn NTYn