The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-12-08
VICTOR HUGO"
LECTURE TOPIC
Prof. Griggs Gives Fourth
Lecture in Series at
Elks Friday.
TWO MORE LECTURES

Victor Hugo, the great exponent OF
the principles fought and bled for in
the trying years of the French Revolu-
ton, was the theme OF an interesting
address given by Prof. Edward Howard
Griggs at the Elks' club Friday even
ing. It was the fourth lecture in the
series of six on moral Leaders" which
are being given by DIR. Griggs as par;
of the series of entertainments being
presented by Mrs. 2. G. Simmons.
The speaker in a most interesting
way outlined Hugo's life and re-lived
all the heights and depths of the
French Revolution. He showed how
Hugo was in fact best expression of its
final contribution to civilization. The
address was interspersed with quota.
tions from the pen of the great Frenci
author, showing the stand which he
teok whenever liberty was at stake IL
his native land.
Message as Moral Leader.
Professor ,Griggs told Hugos mes
sage as a, moral leader in William
Shakespeare: Sacrifice to the mob
o poeti Sacrifice to that unfortunate
disinherited, vAnquished, vagabon9
shoeless, famished, repudiated, despair
ing mob; sacrifice to it, if it must b
and when it must be, thy repose, tn.
fortune, thy joy, thy country, thy lib
erty, thy life. The mob is the huma
race in misery. The mob is the mourn
full beginning of the people. The mo
| is the great victim of darkness. Sacr,
fee to it! Sacrifice thyselfl Let'thy
self be hunted, let thyself be exile
like Voltaire to Ferney, like d'Aubign
to Geneva, like Dante to Verona, lik
Juvenal TO Syene, like Tacitus to Meth
ymna, like Aeschylus to Celia. like job
to Patmos, like Elijah to Horeb, like
Thycydides to Thrace, like Isaiah t
Exion-geber! Sacrifice to the mob
/ Sacrifice to it thy gold, and thy blood
which is more than thy gold, and thy
thought which is more than thy blood
and thy love which is more than thy
thought; sacrifice to it everything ex.
| cept justice. Receive its complaint
listen to it touching its faults and
touching the faults of others; hear its
confession and its accusation. Give ii
! thy ear, thy hand, thy arm, thy heart
Do everything for it, excepting evil.
snake 1t Spell Truth"
"Alas! it suffers so much, and ii
knows nothing Correct it, warn it,
instruct it, guide it, train it. Put il
to the school of honesty. Make il
spell truth, show it the alphabet o.
reason, teach it to read virtue, probity
generosity, mercy. Hold thy book wide
open. Be there, attentive, vigilant,
kind, faithful, humble. Light up the
brain, inhame the mind, eXtinguish
selfishness; and myself give the exam
pie. The poor are privation; be thou
abnegation. Teach, irradiatei they
need thee; thou art their great thirst.
To learn is the first step; to live is but
| the second. Be at their command: dost
thou hear? Be ever there in the form
! Of light. For it is BEAUTIFUL on this
sombre earth, during this dark life,
brief passage to something beyond-it
! is beautiful that Force should have
Right for a master, that Progress
| shouId nave courage as a iedueI, IHdt
Intelligence should have Honor as d
sovereign, that Conscience should have
Duty as a despot, that Civilization
should have Liberty as a queen, and
that the servant of Ignorance should
be the Light"
The lecture next week will deal with
Emerson" with the closing lecture of
the series on the following Friday on
"Tolstoy.'