The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-05-26
REV. DR.. AFFORDS
SPLENDID ADDRESS
TO Graduating Class of High
School on Monday
Night.

the most eloquent pulpit orators in
Florida, delivered the following ap-
propriate address at the closing exer-
cises of the Putnam High School at
Howell Theater last Monday night:
You are standing on the threshold
of active life; you have been tarrying
in the school until your elastic ca
pacities should harden into the bone
and sinue of intellectual manhood.
Like the war-horse, which snuffeth
the battle from afar, your hearts beat
high with the generous impulses of
youth.
Permit me to say that you have
been pursuing your studies in the best
schools of the world. The state
schools far surpass all other elemen-
tary schools. Church schools cannot
compare with them. In fact church
schools of the elementary grade only
exist in order to teach the peculiar
tenents of their faith. If parents
wish their children to spend their
time in learning the catechism of
some church, send them to the church
school; if they wish them to receive
a good foundation for fine scholar
ship. and practical business and pro-
fessional life, send them to the public
school. American citizens! Stand by
the public school! Defend the public
school against any power that may
rise up against it.
Thousands of years ago two races
of men planted the germs of all the
civilization and culture we possess
viz. the Egyptians and the Greeks.
With the Egyptians learning was a
mystery. 1t was subdivided into
branches, and these were the exclu-
sive hereditary property of families.
They shared the things they knew
neither with each other nor the world.
The result was that their arts and
learning have perished. Their pyra-
mids, obolisks temples and sphinxes
testify to the grandeur of their age;
but of their sages, philosophers and
poets, not even name survives. On
the other hand, the education Of
Greece was free and open to all. Her
schools, colleges and gymnasiums had
doors on every side, all she knew Or
discovered was the common property
of the world. Men came from all
parts of the world to Athens the
greatest educational centre Of all
time. Demosthenes and Socrates,
Plato and Aristotle, Pericles and Le-
onidas are household names to-day.
Although dead, they still instruct in
the studio, teach in the college, leg
islate in the senate, and fight in the
field. The art, eloquence, philosophy,
literature and patriotism of Greece,
have been the inspiration administra-
tion and despair of all succeeding gen.
erations. On these broad free lines
we have established our school system.
All that the most Intellectual men Of
our day know, we wish to give out
to the future citizens of our land.
Well do l remember the day l gradu-
ated from the High School. had
completed the full course. Felt had
consumed all the loose knowledge
that was then in existence. | knew Il
great deal more than my father, for
knew all he knew, plus what | knew
myself. Like Alexander the Great
who sat down and cried because there
were no more words to conquer, |
actually went into the boys hat and
coat room and wept because there
were no more books to conquer, l had
reached the top rung of the ladder.
At the commencement | delivered an
oration in the academy of music
Subject, "Pyramids not all Egyptian
The week following my commence
ment, father handed me a few col
lege catalogues and together we went
over the various curriculums. What
revelation! Studies by the score,
whose names | could not even pro-
nounce. Instead Of knowing every
thing, | knew almost nothing. In
stead of closing my educational ca
reer, was just opening it. My
vourg friends-this is "COM-
MENCEMENT," not the FINAL"
You are beginning YOUR educational
life not ending it. Even when YOU
have graduated in several institutions
of learning, and have entered on some
chosen walk of life, you will then be-
gin to realize that you are simply
picking up few pebbles on the shore
of the great ocean of knowledge.
The highest aim of a moral being
under the government of God must be
external to himself His highest law
of action is to make all personal i'm !
provement and qualification subordi-
nate to that of others. ''This is the |
basis of both the heroic and the chris |
tan character. The founder of our
religion came not to be ministered un-
to, but to minister and give his life |
for others. The soldier cannot be- |
come a national hero unless his per-
sonal ambitions are merged into those |
of the citizen and the patriot 50 !
the scholar who does not hold his in
tellectual treasures as a trust, for the
good of the world, is a miser,-an in
tellectual sponge, continually absorb !
ing,-never giving out.
To know, simply for the pleasure
of knowing, is poor use for knowl-
edge. There is pleasure in the pur-
suit of knowledge. But how much
more pleasure will we find in acqui-
ring knowledge that we may put it
to some useful occupation. Mr..
Thomas A. Edison enjoys the discov-
cries he makes in the line of cleo
trical inventions because it is pleas
ant to know, but he enjoys them far
Continued on page four.l