THE PUBLIC SERVANT 



so far as that might have been gratified by fortune. Like 

 others who are moved by this spirit, he was the object of 

 criticism and attack by individuals whose private interests 

 were crossed by his plans for public benefit. As is not unusual 

 in the experience of men, even those whom he sought to bene- 

 fit were at times indifferent, at times scornful, of what he was 

 trying to do for them, but he labored on in the faith that his 

 work would be justified in the end. In the end he won recog- 

 nition, affection, praise, esteem, distinction. That we are here 

 tonight is evidence of the truth of this statement. Our meet- 

 ing is testimony to the truth of the proposition that a life of 

 service is, after all, when its purpose, its spirit, and its fruits 

 are understood by the people, a life of greatness. Our meet- 

 ing is testimony of our belief that, in a democracy at any rate, 

 the truest and greatest individual is the one who most truly 

 serves. For it is a great sociological and economic truth, as 

 well as a spiritual one, that in our relations with one another 

 "he that seeketh his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his 

 life" for the sake of his fellow men, shall save it, and he that 

 would be greatest among us, must be the servant of us all. 



The promotion of the spirit of service was never more 

 important in the history of human affairs than it is today. We 

 are told that the present generation is having a new outlook 

 on life; that there is a changed spirit in the world. We are 

 told that we are in the midst of a great revolution in our aims 

 and ideals and spirit. For myself I do not think so, if by that 

 statement is meant that we are having a new spirit or new 

 ideals or new aims. The spirit and aims and ideals of men 

 have always been for the uplifting of one another, but the 

 means that they have chosen at one time have differed from 

 those they have chosen at another time. Under some condi- 

 tions the greatest progress in civilization was made by the 

 stimulation of individual ambition for personal gain; under 

 others, the greatest progress is made by greater recognition 

 of the mutual dependence of men on one another. As eco- 



47 



