The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-06-08
DR.. A. F. Schmitt Gives Good
Advice To Graduates
BUILD UP CITIZENSHIP
Splendid Talk On Occasion OF
Commencement In Village
Eia School 5gga
From SATURDAYS Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
DR.. A. f. Schmitt of this city de-
livered a well thought out address on
1.-THE High School Graduate, A Com
munity Asset" at the graduation ex-
ercises in the Jackson high school last
night. He spoke in part as follows:
Members of the Board of Educa-
ton, Members Of the Faculty, Mem
bers of the Glass of 1917, Ladies and
Gentlemen This is an suspicious
occasion for the parents and families
represented by this senior class OF the
Jackson high school, This day has
brought each member of the class to
the end of one path, where it DIVORCES
into two paths. This day marks the
goal attained by the faculty, student
body, parents, and board of education
for the past one, and also the past
four years, and it marks the goal of
my own efforts in behalf of the jack
son public schools and the Jackson
high school during the past twenty
five years. This is, then, to no small
degree, an suspicious and inspiring oc-
casion also to me- For many years, and
j du1 uOI yCt OH oio man, AAes' -
promised myself the eminent pleasure
Of accepting standing invitation to
speak at the commencement exercises
Of this high school, which was organ
ICED by the board Of education and by
the good citizens of this city in 1892,
Just twenty-five years ago, and while
I may modestly claim a small degree
of influence In directing and organic
ing this unique state high school, yet
in the main all honor, and grateful
recognition is due to the public spirit,
enterprise and faithful public service
of the substantial citizens who con-
stituted the honorable board Of educa-
ton in 1892 1898, J. w. Cowing, P. H.
Berge, Alex Fiddes, J. w. Hunter, Ed
ward Grove, T. J. Knox, George r..
Moore, DR.. w. G.. Portman and Oliver
Brown"
DR.. Schmidt spoke of the pleasure it
gave him to address the people where
he served as superintendent of schools
from 1892 to 1898, and congratulated
them upon the efficient faculty mem
bers, the modern school building, and
the public spirit of the citizens. He
then considered briefly the high school
graduate as a community asset.
Liberty and independence.
eve have been accustomed to speak
of liberty and independence as final
objects which are good in themselves
but not as a means to an end. 1t is
not until we are brought into contact
with less fortunate people who are
fitted neither for complete liberty nor
complete independence, that we
examine the postulates upon which our
conception of liberty and independence
rests. These postulates really are that
a people to enjoy liberty, to enjoy in
dependence, should be in condition
of intelligence and self restraint in
which liberty and independence of
government give them the fullest OPP
portunity for the pursuit Of happiness
and furnishes the greatest good to the
greatest number in this community,
state and country.
"In an analogous way we have been
taught that education is an ultimate
good in and of itself, and that it is a
panacea for most of the ills that flesh
is heir to, and that if we can only
educate we can make good capable
citizens, and the more we educate the
better the citizens. This is true in a
qualified and limited sense only.
1.-The higher education, as well as
the common and high school education,
If the subject has not the substantial
foundation of good character, of the
sterling power of self denial and self
restraint, the impulse to use the edu-
cation which is given him for high
purpose and not to pervert it to vicious,
selfish and degrading pursuits, does
not tend either to the betterment of
the subject upon whom the education
is conferred or to the elevation of the
community in which he lives. 1t be-
comes an instinct of evil and not of
good. If conferred on one whose lot is
such that it merely produces discon-
tent in his mind and produces no i'm
petus to overcome the obstacle that
makes him discontinued, it is of no
benefit to him, nor to his community,
state or country. Hence, if this be
true, it follows that the higher educa-
ton for the masses not alone in our
country, but also in other countries
tends in way to unfit many men and
women to measure up to the PAL
economic, moral social and political
asset of their respective communities
states and countries.
Training For Citizenship.
"The conditions of this world are
such that great majority must earn
their bread by the sweat of their brow
The great majority must develop and
maintain the proper and efficient de-
gree of development of the country by
the muscle and Drawn exerted in agri-
cultural pursuits; and therefore this
day departmental classification of the
curricula even in our state high
schools, giving the student an oppor-
tunity to select his line of study, ant
SO to speak apprenticeship, in order tt
fit himself more particularly for the
pursuit of his life work, is a step il
the right direction" Industrial train.
ing, agricultural and normal depart,
ments, were warmly praised by DR.
Schmitt.
"An individual to succeed in lif,
must be strong. mentally, morally, ant
physically. he said. "a nation to en-
dure must not only be strong in spiri
but in flesh" Interspersing his tall
with apt quotations from William Fl
Taft, Nathan c.. Schaeffer and Jose
phine Corliss Preston, he showed hoy
Tho 0roof Y,,iDdc 0f fhoSa y,oop1o al