The Monte Vista journal., 1916-05-20
Education and National Life

Mr.. Chairman, Members of the
Graduating Glass of 1916; Friends
of the Educational Uplift:
1t certainly is pleasure to me to
be in the San Luis valley, about
| which / have heard so often thru
out this western country The boost
ers of New Mexico, whom l knew
boosted great deal for their region,
but / always heard them say good
things for the San Luis valley. and
of the faces that | used to have be
fore me in my classes up at the Uni
versity. and to see all of you people,
who look just like other Commence
ment audiences, interested in the
welfare of this school and all sue
ceeding classes-interested in the
best things that this community and
this state and this nation stands for,
and it is with pleasure that / speak to
you tonight about subject that l
presume you often heard spoken of
before.
At this time of the year there are
commencements being held in hun
dreds of towns, and there are thou
sands of students being graduated
and given diplomas, and it is there
fore fitting that / address you on the
subject Commencement and Citizen
ship or, Education and Our National
Life"
Our public school system is not as
old as this nation. 1t is only about
one hundred years old and some of
the most important phases of our
public school life are only so to rs
years old. Our educational system
is a matter of growth and of prog
ress. l shall not tell you about the
history of this development. but /
wish to speak to you concerning the
purpose of the founders of our edu-
| cational system in this great nation
of ours. We shall discuss why we
expect certain things from these
graduates, and also from you, who
have been graduates, or are grad
yates of our public school system.
The founders of our public school
| system felt that this free and indie
pendent republic cannot persist; 1t
| cannot continue to exist unless from
| one generation to another there be
| instilled into the hearts of the COM
| ing citizens those principles for
which this nation stands; those
achievements that we regard the
heritage of this nation and therefore
| wish in the first place, to speak to
| this class and to all of you who are
| tinuance of the welfare of this ma
| toni wish to speak to you about
those things that we cherish-those
things that this nation has achieved
the things that set us apart from
the other nations of the world-the
things that we may Justly take pride
in, and the things that we wish to
see maintained for generations to
come
| shall speak In the first place
about our political achievements.
We have established In this country.
as the result of the American Revo-
luton, the most populous, the oldest
republic In the world. We have been
IN example to other nations in polit-
ical life. Not only have we endured
for 140 years and become more and
more safely established as a republic.
but we have influenced the mother
country and all British speaking col
onies and the nations of continental
Europe, and the countries to the
south of us. Our influence has been
in the way of political liberty and
constitutional liberty.
We have also carried out for
eign policy that does us justice. To
be sure. we cannot be proud OF our
Mexican war fought in the years