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JUNE 23, 1905
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do, we are in duty bound to make to society
a contribution which no' legal definition can
measure.
Those who attempt to construct the world
without reference to the spiritual forces which
are at work defend altruism on the ground that
it is an enlightened self-interest; they contend
that the doing of good to others, even sacrificing
for others, yields a reward in pleasure. The
difficulty about the philosophy that rests upon
such calculations is, first, that it is impossible
for one to look far enough ahead to form any
accurate opinion as to (the time or manner in
which the reward is tjq cdme, and second, that
time spent in calculation can better be spent
in acting. The person , who attempts to keep
a bqok account 'of the good lie does dobs
not, as a rule, do enough g?od to justify an; entry
in the book; the, spirit that leads him to" keep
the account continually hampers him in his work.
Life is .made . up of. an, innumerable number of
small acts, not considered .worth doing by thofee
who are guided by selfish considerations. Of the
countless millions of "kind rind generous acts done,
but few would have been done had it been neces
sary jto reason out just in what way the brdad
"cast upon the waters" would return.
The spring is the best Illustration of a lile
conforming to the Christian ideal. As the spring;
pours forth constantly of that which refreshes
and Invigorates,, seeking nothing in return, and
asking not who is t6 be the recipient of its
bounty, so a life consecrated to a' noble purpose
pours forth a constant flood of helpfulness; and
man is as little able to follow through succeed
ing generations the good that he does as the
spring is to trace the refreshing influence of its
waters.
I have dwelt at length upon the ideal be
cause it is of transdendent importance both to
the individual and to those about him. Whether
life is a success or not depends far more upon
the moral purpose than it does upon the health
or mental strength of the individual. History is
replete with instances where men and women
have accomplished much in spite of great physi
cal infirmity. Helpless cripples and persons de
formed have .sometimes won a fame denied to
athletes and to gladiators; sightless eyes have
often beheld spiritual beauties which multitudes
have failed to find; the bed of the invalid has
sometimes been a throne from which have
flown blessings greater than a monarch can be
stow. Not only has a high purpose overcome
physical obstacles, but it has often made up for
the lack of educational advantages. In innum
erable cases an uneducated person, inspired
by love for a great cause and filled with zeal,
has surpassed those far better equipped, but
lacking a compelling purpose.
If I were gifted with the power to penetrate
the future and could discern the careers which
lie before the graduates of this day, I would
doubtless note a wide difference in accomplish
ments. Making allowance for different stand
ards of measurement, some will be more success
ful than others; some will surprise their friends
by the progress which they make, others may
prove a disappointment, and the ideal which
today "lies within each heart, or may hereafter
be planted there, will have more to do in ex
plaining the success or failure than the studies
that have been pursued here more than any
health report would indicate.
In the Memorabilia of Socrates you will find
an interesting description of the choice of Her
cules. The great philosopher quotes another
Greek in substance as follows:
"When Hercules was advancing toward the
period when the young begin to give intimations
whether they will enter life by the path of virtue
oi by that of vice, he went forth into a solitary
place and sat down perplexed as to which of
these two paths he would pursue. Two maidens
appeared before him, one in gaudy attire and
with froward manner said: 'Hercules, if you
will follow the path that I point out you shall
taste of every species of pleasure, and lead a
life free from every sort of trouble. Your
whole timer will be occupied in considering
what meat or drink will please you, and what
will most delight you.' Hercules asked her name,
and she replied: 'My friends call me Happiness
but those who hate me give me to my disparage
ment the name of Vice.'
"The other maiden, more reserved in man
ner and more modest in demeanor said to him:
'Hercules, I shall not deceive you. The path
that I point out is full of labors, full of trials,
full of difficulties, but it is the path that leads to
immortality. If you seek to be beloved by your,
friends, you must erve your friends. If you de
sire to be honored by any city, you must benefit
that city; if you wish to be admired by all
Greece for your merit you must endeavor to be
The Commoner.
of service to all Greece.' And her name was
Virtue."
That which is told in story by the ancient
philosopher is set forth in the form of an injunc
tion by the Master, for when his disciples asked
who should be greatest in tho kingdom of hoavcn
ho answered: "Let him who would bo chief est
among you be tho servant of all." Thus, If we
seek authority from history whether profane or
sacred wo find that he is the greatest who does
tho most of good. This is tho law from which
there is no appeal a law confirmed by all exper
ience, a law proved by the inscriptions upon tho
monuments reared by grateful hands ( to those
whom the world calls great.
And what an opportunity for service, this
age presents! If I had my choice of all the ages
in which to live, I would choose thQ present above
all others. The ocean steamer arid the railway
train bring all the corners of the earth close to
gether, while the tolegraph wire and wirelpss
glve,s wings to the news and makes ,the events of
each day known in every land during the following
night. The printing press has popularized knowl
edge and made it possible for each one who de
sires it to possess a key to the libraries dt the
world. Invention has multiplied tho strength of
the human arm and brought within the reach of
the masses comforts which, until recently, even
wealth could not buy. The word "neighborhood"
no longer describes a community; that "all ye are
brethren" can be more readily comprehended
than ever before. It is easier for one to distrib
ute blessings to the world today than it was a few
centuries ago to be helpful to the residents of a
singlo valley. A good example set anywhere can
bo seen everywhere, so intimate has become tho
relation between man and man.
And yet with the wonderful spread of knowl
edge and the marvellous range of achievement
there is vast work to bo done. Conscience has not
kept pace with commerce, nor has moral growth
increased with tho growth of wealth. The ex
tremes of society have been driven farther and
farther apart, and the chord of sympathy between
rich and poor is greatly strained. Destitution and
squalor lurk in tho shadow of palaces, and great
law-breakers vie with petty thieves in ignoring tho
statutes of the state. The instrumentalities of
government aro being used for public plunder,
and those who make fortunes through legislation
employ a tithe of their -winnings for the corrup
tion of the sources of flublic'opinion. Not only is
a bribe dangled before tho eyes of tho indigent
voter, but those who profit through the control
of the government do not hesitate to subsidize
newspapers and to scatter their hush money
wherever a protest can be silenced.
The opportunity Is here and the field inviting.
A great orator complained a generation ago that
the scholar in the republic was not doing the
work for which his education fitted him. He
-declared that the great truths relating to society
were not the result of scholarly meditation, but
had been first heard in the solemn protest of
martyred patriotism and the loud cries of crushed
and starving labor that the scholars, instead of
making history, were content to write it "one-half
truly and the other half as their prejudices blur
and distort it."
Let not this reproach be truthfully uttered
against the scholars of America today. With a
soil capable of supporting a vast population, with
a climate that gives infinite variety and furnishes,
healing for every ill; with a people commingling
the best blood of all the races and a government
which furnishes the greatest stimulus to high en
deavor here the scholar ought to find the most
powerful incentive and be inspired to the most
heroic effort. Whether he turns his attention to
the improvement of crops and herds, to mechani
cal labor, to the perfecting of methods of ex
change, or to the cheapening of transportation,
or ministers as a physician to the ills of the body,
or as an instructor to the wants of the mind, or
as a religious teacher to the needs of the heart,
no matter to what he devotes himself, infinite
possibilities are before him. In whatever walk
of life he takes his place ho cannot shirk the
duties of citizenship, for, living in a land wljere
every citizen is a sovereign and where no one
dares to wear a crown, he must help to make the
government good or share the blame for permit
ting evils that might be corrected.
If we apply the term qoward to one who,
from fear of bodily harm, falters upon tho bat
tlefield, we must find some harsher term to ap
ply to those who Ignominously withdraw them
selves from the 'Struggle of today, in the pres
ence of the tremendous problems which require
for their wise solution all the energies of .tho
body, all the powers of the mind and all the vir
tues of the heart.
Member? of the graduating classw I have
endeavored to Impress upon your minds and
hearts, first, the possibilities for good or evil of
a human being, and, second, tho responsibility
which great opportunity imposos upon him. I
liavo endoavored to suggest tho relation which
should exist between body and mind and heart. I
havo endeavored to emphasize tho paramount Im
portance of the moral element. Your labors nro
not ended, but begun. You arc not going Into un
disturbed retirement, but Into tho nation's busy,
throbbing life. You havo been "burning tho mid
night oil;" henceforth you stand In tho sunlight.
Fear not to mingle with tho poor and tho mi
learned; they need you moat. You will find
among them tho homely virtues, and you will find '
among them honest inquiry, for it was not In
speaking of such that It was said: "The cares of
this world and the deceltfulncHs of riches choke
the truth."
Strive to make your lives resemble a purify
ing stream, remembering that tho higher the
reservoir from which you draw tho greater will
be the pressure. Lot not happiness be tho aim"
of your lives, for happiness eludes those who most
eagerly pursue It, but comes unbidden Into tho
homes of those who labor for higher ends.
Beware of selfishness, for selfishness de
feats Itself. "He that flndeth his life shall lose
it," is true In other than a religious sense, while
he who surrenders himself unreservedly to some
groat cause gains a larger life than the one
surrendered. Wendell Phillips gives fitting ex
pression to this truth when he says, "How pru
dently most men Blnk Into nameless gravos, while
now and then a few forget thcpiselvos Into Im
mortality." I have endeavored to suggest an Ideal which
may be helpful to you when the festivities of
this closing week aro past and you turn to tho
sober work of life. No Ideal is a sufficient ono
that will not satisfy us in our decllnlg years
as well as In the days of youth and tho days of
maturity. Aye, more, no Ideal is all that It
should be unless it Is so lofty as to be visible
from both sides of the river that separates tho
temporal life from tho life that Is eternal. Be
not discouraged because you strive for that which
cannot be wholly attained. The Ideal is only
Ideal because It Is beyond our reach, and yet it
may guide us as tho polar star guides tho mari
ner upon the open sea. It perfection is not pos
sible to us, neither is it required of us. When
wo have done our full duty our consciences will
acquit us, and our friends will not condemn.
"Wo work In the real, but wo Jfvo in tho Ideal,"
some ono has said, and yet the Ideal is tho most
real thing that wo know, as all can testify.
Ask tho mother who holds in her arms her
boy, what her ideal Is concerning him and she
will tell you that she desires that his heart may
be so pure that it could bo laid upon a pillow
and not leave a stain;, that his ambition may bo
so holy that it could be whispered In an angel's
ear; and that his life may be so clean that his
mother, his sister, his, wife, his child could read
a record of its every thought and act without a
blush. But ask her if she will require this per
fection In her son before she showers her love
upon him, and she will answer "No." She will
tell you that she will make him as good as she
can; that she will follow his footsteps with a
daily prayer; that in whatever land he wanders
her blessing will abide with him; and that when
he dies she'll hope, hope, yet, hope that the world
will be better that he has lived. This is all that
she can do. All that any of us can do for our
selves or for others Is the best that opportunity
and circumstances permit.
The development of the individual is never
complete. Solomon describes the path of the just
as "like the shining light that shineth more and
moro unto the perfect day," and Holland, putting
the same into verse, says:
"Heaven is not gained by a single bound.
We build tho ladder by which we rise
From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies,
And mount to Its summit round by round."
So, with the work of government and the
work of civilization. We find an unfinished work
when we arrive; we leave the work unfinished
when we are called hence. Each day marks out
our duty for us, and it is for us to devote our
selves to it, whatever it may be, with high pur
pose and unfaltering courage. Whether we live
to enjoy the fruits of our efforts or lay down tho
work before the victory is won, we know that
every well-spoken word has its influence; that
no good deed is ever lost. And wo know, also,
that no one can count his life on earth as spent
in vain, if when he departs, it can be said: "Tho
night is darker because his light has gone out; tho
world is not so warm because his heart has grown
cold in death." . n i
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