KtJkrlA
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2
' rocoivcd. Nothing but a proper conception of
tho creature's stewardship under the Creator can
protect tho individual from the rust of inaction,
the wear of excess and the waste that arises from
a perverted use of the powers of the body.
If civilization can he defined and 1 know
of no better definition as the harmonious de
velopment of the human race, physically, men
tally and morally, then each individual, whether
liis influence Is perceptible or not, raises the
level of the civilization of his age just in pro
portion as he contributes to the world's work a
body, a mind and a heart capable of maximum
effort. No one lives unto himself or dies unto
himself. Tho tie that binds each human being
to every other human being Is one that cannot
bo severed. We cannot without blame invite a
physical weakness that can be avoided or con
tinue one which can be remedied. The burdens
to bo borne are great enough to tax the resources
of all when service is rendered under the most
favorable conditions; no one has a right to offer
less than the best within his power.
Every kind of sport, every form of exercise
that contributes to the development of the body,
without mental deterioration or an impairment
of the moral forces, can be encouraged. Not
only does the body demand attention in the grow
ing years, but it requires continuous care through
out the entire life. A stunted body is the penalty
for overwork in the child, a weak body the pen
alty of lack of exercise, but nature's punishments
are not visited upon youth alone. The over
worked or underfed man or woman can not es
cape nature's penally, neither can those escape
who, fancying themselves more fortunate, invite
the evils of idleness and overfeeding. An emi
nent Swiss, Carl Hilty, in his book on "Happi
ness declares that regular employment at some
work which satisfies the conscience and the judge
1 , m i essentlal t0 any true enjoyment of life,
and Tolstoy quotes with approval the opinion of
a Russian writer, Bonderef, who insists that sys
tematic manual labor is a religious duty as well
as a physical requirement. If any one sup
poses that education should relieve him from a
personal knowledge of bread-labor "the primary
struggle with nature-he is m grievous "won
At present the strength of the race is materially
nennfdtiby UlQC(?y consequent-upon thf idle
ness of those who have come to regard physical
n?L?&A nSffrace (unIess endured for amusl
Z ??ft,2 1"10 averafe length of life is shortened
iL nfn '?,COnveilthe normal Action of eat
thf Hfgin?y- ,Thos wh0 aPProach life in
ment mtK d seek the highest develop
fmnnrSn 'Sf Ule Very .ginning understand the
importance of so .mastering the body and its
caie of the body three things are necessarv
Firs food sufficient in quantity and proper n
XrwiA1;5 S Until maturity and health
?hni i B pesont we hve at one extreme
those who suffer from lack of nourishing food and
at the opposite extreme those who ruin their
health with high living. Second, the body needs
exercise sufficient in quantity and kind to keep
it in good working order. At present a large
number, young and old, work too long, while, on
the other hand, man. do not work at all. Third
the hody needs rest sufficient for recuperation
Today a portion of the population have too little
opportunity for rest, while others rest until thev
become weary of resting. y
It is hardly necessary to add that no habit,
however pleasant it may be, can with wisdom
he acquired or with safety continued which in
creases the probability of sickness, tends to
weaken the body in its struggles with diseases,
or in any other way impairs the vital forces. The
total drain upon the nation's strength resulting
from the use of liquor and tobacco can scarcely
he estimated, not to speak of other forms of dis
sipation. TiABflnn?wmiU8t e more than a perrect animal;
he does not rise above the level of the beast if ho
permits his thoughts to rest entirely upon blood,
and bono and muscle. The prolongation of Hf
ing off of disease reward the care, if ther were '.
not more in human life than food, toil and rest
The presence of these graduates, attended ,
hy parents, relatives and friends, is evidence, that
there is in this community a recognition of the
importance of the training of the mind. The
scholastic course prescribed hy our educators and
paid for out of the productive JaDor of the state
represents a considerable pecuniary outlay. No
compulsory legal requirements are necessary to
convince a largo majority of the parents of the
short-sightedness of denying to a child the men
tal training given by our schools. From the first
day in tho kindergarten to the last day in the
university, the student follows a path marked
out by discriminating wisdom and guarded by
The Commoner.
sympathetic interest. Those who are foolish
enough to exchange tho permanent ad
vantage of an education for the temporary gain
of remunerative employment, have, as a rule,
a protracted season of repentance. As the work
man gains rather than loses by the time em
ployed in sharpening his tools, sothe student ac
cumulates more capital by care'ful preparation
than he can by too early an entrance upon money
making. There is in some quarters a disposition
to regard what is contemptuously called "book
learning" as of little value except in the profes
sions. No error can be more harmful, and it
arises from a misconception of the purpose of
education. Books are not to bo despised; they
contain the best thought of the authors and these
best thoughts are again sifted by time. While
one should know people as well as the written
page, still books are faithful friends.
Even if the student's thoughts were centered
upon himself there could be no excuse for inade
quate preparation or for the attempt sometimes
made to substitute technical training for general
instruction. But when it is remembered that
instruction is not purely for the benefit of the
individual, but for the public as well, the import
ance of a liberal education becomes still moro
apparent. The person who understands the fund
amental principles of science can render a larger
service than one who is ignorant of the lines
along which nature acts; mathematics teach ex
actness in thought and argument; literature and
language give readiness, expression and illustra
tion, while history equips us with that knowledge
oi the past which is essential to a proper estimate
oi the future. And how shall we excuse the
blindness of those if there he such who, be
lieving in popular institutions would deny to the
masses a knowledge of political-economy, soci
ology and the science of government a knowl
edge so useful in the discharge of the high duties
of citizenship? Whether a boy-Intends to dig
ditches, follow the plow, lay brick upon brick,
3oin timber to timber, devote himself to mer
chandising, enter a profession, engage in teach
"g, expound the Scriptures, or in some other
honorable way make his contribution to society,
I am anxious that he shall have all the education
w r t s can ftwnteh. He will do better
work for his education; he will have his mind for
his companion and will not he tempted to loaf
upon the streets, when the day's work is done
and he will be in a position to demand reasonable
conditions, reasonable terms and reasonable com
pensation for those who toil.
mn7tee a eduCation bas seemed to be a detri-
n hfUSlneSS ,or,has yieldea a les dividend
a mSp,roperly be expected, -it can be traced
of Lrng. PUrPSe Tather ft8 to a &
And this leads us to the consideration of tho
mentSaltyt-a """I lopment to aSom
mental training. An athlete hent on mischief
can do more harm than a dwarf or an Tnvalid'
and so, a well disciplined mind, misdirected i
capable of doing more serious damage than' an
ignorant mind. Society is poorly repaid for tne
money spent upon education if the one who
profits by the expenditure feels ashamed to co
operate with those whose toil supplies him with
food an4 clothing:. That lahor is dignified that
work is honorable, is a truth which needs 'to be
impressed upon every young man and upon everv
ybung woman. It is worthier hy far to add some-
v.nui, lu me wunu s store oi .wealth than to
liiu muiiey uiat otners havo earned,
have food, and clothing and. shelter, a
earn these things or some one must
to us. A young man's self-respect ou
him ashamed to sponge upon the wor
jus; ue ougnt to insist upon repayin
i. me service wmch .society i
uns ruie applies to young "W
young men, for the forms of
and the return that women
as. ivalttAVift m 11m return n
x eswitiiU'i rtkVftg ' is that each
'-"triliwte in, helpfulness.
There is no place f'
ciety, a,ad as public
lightened we shall giv
ever refined or well
-own pleasure at the t
consideration to the I
are calloused and wfc
with perspiration, ., fc
mere is eyi&emttm
view as to the
productive xlabojp
urious, e
the two,
ing hi
-UM
VOLUME 5, KBJBa,
trained in mind or supplied wtti,
muscle coax the annual crop frnml .5 w
fashion the fabric which protect nZ)
and cold, or bring fuel from Z Jl?,
ah education is incomplete which T5,
Place a noble purpose behind mental
and make the hands willing to 2 Jraj51
should' ultimately be the largest V1?
the hands are capable, but at mi , ?J M
uo the work that most needs u MTJJz
education is also defective T:
one's vanity or so shrivels on IfS J infla
2" as 10 tew.
!l,ws. Edna
yes, educate
bo the work that most needs
-- - . vuu a
raw mm m sympathy from
tion has been known to do
has even beep known to
,usnamea or his parents. A
centiy reported such a case
ueen denied the- advantage
w,uu nau Dy economy and
spn to attend college, vis
,esiaoiisnea himself in th
blie had looked forward
cess, and started upon
pectations. She soon 1
presence embarrassed
w,ant his clients to knQ
Aaer neart was broken
depot alone ifor the
back to her humble
sorrow in n Wf. t
who receive their
would allow their s
their affection for
their devotion to
dren again. Betf,
intellectual solitud
the scholar shou
Head and hear
and then each f
joy, strengthen
snip more sacr
If he is cu
ticipation in th
shirks the res
tion prepared
those who.
society, prey
ing. If by
to appropri
not earned
ons put in
motion of
The
everywh
Nebrask
new me
the odi
Tlnn r
. s,tm.
ckV5T
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IBlI
snB
i kkHJ
kkH
fM
tiw.
Vu
l. ms
DHf
'iiH
IHIh
BB
Be
q a ETflrtn,!.
'icago naDPr i
mother who h
the schools u
irifice enable k.
him after he hi
iractice of the law
years to his Ji
visit with great .
a, however, that her
on that he did tt
t she was his mother.
as she waited at the
that would bear h
she poured forth h
ought that any of those
imas on this slad dav
ior advantages to lessen
1 parents or to decrease
I would wish them chil-
ving companionship than
it there is no reason why
e less a son or dauchter.
uld be developed together.
rd step will bring increasing
y ties and make early friend
who shrinks from full par
rk of this struggling world, or
ibilities which he is by educa
assume, still more culpable are
smnloyinc their talents aeainst
n those who supplied their train
s or fraud or cunnlnc one seeks
o his own use that which he has
turns acainst the nublic the wean-
is hand hy the public for the pro
common weah
shioned methorlR n? wrnncr-dninc are
ondemned, but Professor Ross of the
iversity has pointed out some of tne
l of wronfir-doinfir -whinh do not bear
which they deserve. He calls atten
uy io the dishonesty involved in tne
m
adult af on of food, but to the actual bodily harm
JlIllRrrnntflA. imo of T.A nlenne 'VWCTP
U - vM40- i30 UM. CUV IUlJVIiltJ. auw.w
enormous' increase in the quanmyoi
iJfllKPfl nnrl.a -.-.r.f.-l tonlr r nnCl!oTIPA
among, those who find a profit in the
uangerous impositions. Professor
'resents some statistics to show the
to the failure to .-use safety appn-
for the "benefit of stockholders.
ose who make' a- misuse of their
in either the aduuerauuu
' Tihttyi -fhrniifrh unnrotect-
cuniary damage done by
(eleven greater The gross
tPd fromUie pockets oi
he mijiyse'- of the stock
- iriolfcaes that which
1 .o the-temptation to
ith the mampum-
that still larger
. fone legitimate
miaTof man-iliauB
teeed today
iimition of
-ra
-! person is
orjion as he
Srhis law is
ffise of .us-
Social inter-
'overnnient.
any one,
rnment or
egor which
re are cer-
tljupon ex-
;rent or to
prbxiniation
gpeneral con-
cjfjpiscovery.
iomm- has not
(ifioVery may
lit'. may ho
vivum
hnRi".
.i .a -Y
auu wii
mai MUOf
iii-:ir "mur
RoI flfe
laM
JKo V
sneamBm& ,4HR?nfKJ
'1 Hl
Hk iHIr '
HK -Li iB
'Hv i (
'b nm 'miiiHSL',
vk vHf Hi; '
iiM aVk IBP lKBfft1
.&I
K
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sC'a
xts,
mgmm
If. tMt.
