COMMENXEMEXT EXERCISES 321 



odiuatiou aloiiji- lines which appeal to their natures and their tastes, 

 then and then only, will wealth become a fruitful means to righteous 

 ends. In such hands there cannot be too much wealth. In that day it 

 may be ho]»ed there will be no idle rich, and that wealth will be used 

 and not abused. 



Tin-: LIFE OF SFUVICK. 



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The foUowiu};- was addressed directly to the graduating class: 

 Finally, to clearness of mental vision, to moral uprightness, and to 

 material prosperity, we must add a spirit of self-education to such 

 ])ublic and private service as we find ourselves able to perform. Verily, 

 he that would save his life will lose it, and he that would lose his life 

 in the larger life of his family, his community, his state, or his nation, 

 will lind it returning to him an hundred fold. Honesty is no more 

 the best policy than is that of disinterested service. Even as a means 

 of self-advancement there is no ladder by which one may climb so 

 fast or so high, and certainly which is so absolutely safe and sure, as 

 that of service to others. Society pays its debts, but it is slow to ad- 

 vance a loan. IMake society your debtor, but without claim for reward, 

 and every man and womaa becomes your friend and well wisher. This 

 service to society must be sincere and disinterested, however. We must 

 lend our services, "hoping for nothing again." If our service is but 

 a piece of shrewd speculation on our part, if we expect to return and 

 claim our own with usury, it is hypocritical and is soon recognized as 

 such. Such service is barren of benefit either to the server or to the 

 served. A disinterested service, however, is always rewarded, though 

 sometimes the debt has long to run. This is the kind of service on 

 which the nation must rely. This alone is patriotism. We must sup- 

 port the government by every means in our power, without hope of 

 reward. Not "What is there in it for me?"' but "What is there in 

 me for it?" should be our query. Without such citizens no nation 

 can long survive. 



Even in the matter of paid service one must always do more than 

 his duty if he looks for rajtid advancement. The rate of advancement 

 is directlv measured bv the service rendered vour emplover over and 

 above what you are paid for. The young man who is constantly bal- 

 ancing his wages against the labor performed fails of promotion and 

 soon joins the ranks of the discontented. 



And now vou will all ever continue, I am sure, to be students as well 

 as workers, and the greatest good fortune I can wish is that you may 

 all lead livens of great service to your families, to your communities, 

 to your state and to your nation, because therein only lies the road to 

 lia]>])iness. 



My thesis is, therefore, that we have fallen on critical times, and 

 there is n<'ed ol the clearest heads and of the stoutest hearts. The 

 world is nio\ iiig at a rai)idly accelerated speed. A nation's life today 

 is not assured by its rate of i)rogress. Our ])ast achievements have 

 been more jirovidential than ])ersonaI. Our future as a nation will 

 dejiend more on our wisdom, on our moral uprightness, on our scientific 

 competency, and on our disinterested service than it has in the })ast. 

 To this high service, therefore, are we called. \N'ith a clarified vision 

 to distinguish the true from the false; with a singleness of purpose in 

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