South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-09-24

culture has been defined as fam
Hiaritv with the best that has been
thought and achieved i'm the world:
literature viii give you familiarity
with the one: history with the
other. Philosopf viii save YOU from
vague and erroneous thinking,
science Will save YOU from supersti-
ton. the languages Will give you
subtlety and sJppleness of express
sion, economies Will equip you for
"a service Of honor 20 your day and
generation. every subject OF study
has Its proper work 10 do in pro-
ducins the accomplished man and
the educated mind Strive after lit
erary appreciation. Read only books
OF recognized value and avoid the
denominations Of sensational novels
and the cheap magazines. Strive
for artistic appreciation and seek
TO refine your taste in pictures and
music. Education for YOU should
mean emancipation, il should mean
Acknowledgement in the republic Of
letters. With YOU refinement and
knowledge should become ideals OF
life You are preparing for the
shock OF battle and for innumerable
conflicts. the sum OF which will
mean either permanent defeat or
permanent victory. As Wellington
said that the battle OF Waterloo
had been won on the Fairgrounds
Of Elton school. so will YOU realize
If YOU are wise that here every day
OF your school life YOU are fixing
forever your destiny in the future.
Moral Power Must Triumph.
But though / would make
strengthening Of the body and de
velopment of the mind matters Of
daily piety l do not forget that the
most powerful determinant OF your
life will be your spiritual quality.
The moral power of the American
people must be in the end the meas
ure of its triumph over its enemies
in war.
Great is military genius and great
is influence i'm the councils OF the
world, but there are nations with
ing under the lash of tyr2ny and
fretting I'M the chains Of bondage
today that are fossil remains Of
great peoples once the masters OF
the world Culture is exquisite. cul-
ture is noble. culture is humaniz-
ing. hut there are nations that sat
in majesty as the schOOlmasterS Of
the world and are now stepped in
ignorance, their brilliant lights eX-
tinguished. their ancient glory de-
parted. their men Of genius lost like
wandering stars, or like the waves
OF the sea fOaming out their own
confusion. Rome had her wealth,
and in the corruption depicted on
the walls of PompeH you read the
story Of her ruin. Macedonia had
power, but the sons of Macedonia
today stand in admiration of the
! splendOur Of nations that were saw
] age tribes in the forest Of Europe
I when Philip reigned in Macedon
and Alexander had made conquest
of the world. Athens had culture.
/ but the glory that was Athens has
( departed. or remains only 10 tor
ment the schOOlboy. These nations
failed because corruption like a
worm fed on their damsk cheek"
SO is it with the individual The
.
/ flowers of study; the sublimest
achievements of human effort are
those spiritual and moral qualities
which 90 TO make up the religious
man. That profound faith which
divinely bestowed as a gift on chill
dreI. is nurtured by prayer and the
! sacraments through the innocence
Of childhood. strengthened by grow
inS appreciation and piety in the
years OF youth. hOnored and cher
ished by strong manhood as the one
safe guide, philosopher and friend.
devOutly fOsteTed by lettering old
age as the one lamp Of its foot
stem and the one staff in its hand
that faith is the most priceless
possession YOU will ever own. Holy
Scripture says: blessed are the
clean Of heart for they shall see
God" and the experience of the
Christian centuries proclaims that
no man ever yet lost his faith VINO
had not previously lost his morality.
Labor for those virtues for which
your daily life offers such an
abundant opportunity - absolute
Itruthfulness in speech. absolute
honesty in action. a sense of honor
that feels a strain like a wound and
strive especially to achieve graft
tude. unselfshness. generosity. loyal
Ity and fair-play the virtues OF
saints and gentlemen. In the long
run there is not 50 much difference
between a saint and a gentleman.
Let this be the hour Of good res
olutions. let this be the hour Of re-
newed conservation 10 the highest
and finest ideals Of religion and
learning and manhood Let us take
care each day TO strengthen our
will by exercise against weakness
and temptation and finally. accord
ling to the examples OF our pious an
cestOrs al Notre Dame and the
promptings OF our own hearts let
Jus lay cur good resolutions at the
feet OF the Blessed Virgin. the moth
er OF fair love and holy hope, un-
lder whose protection our Alma
Mater has hourished. 10 whose hon
OF this university is sacredly VOW
ed. and glorihed be His name for
ever and ever. Amen.