Show A R COMME NCE I 1 orations delivered by the graduating class of 0 94 GEMS or 01 THOUGHT AND the first birst on Pro gramme was the glass class oration by B R W erwin other addresses in the face of every man we meet we see something enabling us instantly instantly to form either cither a good or bail bad opinion of him we are ready at first right to trust some persons with our money or life what causes us to trust or distrust the face of a stran stranger 41 er Is it some innate power within u in or is it something that forthe for the moment hashes flashes from the strangers 0 ers face arid and 0 oves gives us an impression of his soul Clia character racer is a fainting of the human soul and shows clearly all tile the lights anil and shadows set out in bold relief no matter what intellect a man may possess iio mutter matter lion how he may try to conceal his real nature there appears sooner or later a fainting showing all that is ie pure and bright within or showing all the seams scams and scars that have been made on the soul in the lormer former case we have a beautiful picture with all the lights and shadows so blended as to to 0 make bako ft i splendid effect in the latter case the shadows stand out as dark lines line across the canvas and instead of a picture we see only confusion jorco of character is the power threads tha eads menon tn victory and and of some noble purpose A little over p n half century ago oneff one of the greatest deb ates known to the modern world occurred in the halls of the united states senate the attack was made by a man of little force of character hut buc with great intellectual power a shrewd lawyer well versed in all that could appeal to the of men the other was a man whose character shone out through his face and who accomplished as much by his manner and the honest expression of his countenance counton ance as by his bis oratory men placed confidence in him as soon as they saw paw him they did riot not need to be told who lie ho was but lie he was singled out as soon as lie entered the room ile he carried his audience almost cis as if by magic the speech had closed hut but tile the tones of the orator still lingered upon tile ear and the audience unconscious unconscious of the close still lingered in their position eye still turned to eye to receive and repay mutual sympathy and every everywhere where abou arou around 11 17 seemed forgetful of all hut the orators presence and words would this ali is same speech delivered by soine man of less force 0 character have had the same effect while nir mr webster i power was taxed yet vet there was wag behind all this a reserve force a knowledge that lie he was right so it is with all men who attain to io eminence among their fellow men inen they must have bave this fame reserve force tins this is character anil and it acts directly aly by presence and without t means every faculty of the soul conics spontaneously i into action when clr ir Web was atken how long lie hail bit b it preparing ilis his Epee speeches ches replied twenty five years ile he was impelled by a Il mighty lighty hidden furco which could not be demonstrated but which bore him on oil to a i most glorious victory we e see men every day who have hane neither eloquence nor talent yet they accomplish more than thai tile the most brilliant ora orator tor simply by their force of ch character ar acter in the great coni conflict liet that took look place a little over a quarter of a century ago the people chose as ae their leaders leader not those who were the shrew di bt strat strategists Mists as aa acute arid and imley generals but rather who had bad the force of character to back them and who could command the respect arid and sympathy of their men singly by their presence no man cou could ld look into the face of lincoln grant lee or jackson without trusting them in ili the battle of winchester the men won not by the strategy displayed for they were retreating V when sheridan arrived they chev won through 0 the courage r inspired inspirit by his presence other generals prie m rals failed not because they the y were lacking in strategy nor because of incapacity ou on their parts but because they possessed little or no force of character and could not inspire ins pire their men with confidence and respect A merchant fails in business ss and is succeeded by another who may be less acute in driving 0 bargains not so good a financier not so accomplished complis hed an education yet succeeds in amassing a fortune why is this the one is a shrew i buyer and seller an excellent financier is up to all the tricks and devices of his trade yet he be fails the other is only a man of moderate ability few talents mild and limited education yet lie he succeeds through sheer force of character which the other is wanting in III one character shines out an and il lumes ill that lie he does lie he hap strength arid and courage 0 of his convictions vict ions and is not afraid to say yes or no when necessary the influence of an individual is either positive or nep negative T tive it cannot be mental ho he either cither lifts and places his fellow beings on a higher plane where the glorious sunlight will fall on them or help hc lp to sink them into oblivion nor does the good or evil influence stop with a single life it goes on arid and on oil and like the little microbe when one particular life is done it keeps on multiplying until it has pervaded whole communities muni ties unless choked nud and killed when and where it originated men censure a fellow being for some act when nhen they do not know the motive behind his hia actions they do not see eee the principle which actuates him they see only the man but this man though he receive the severest censure ce keeps steadily on hewing down the obstacles in his way and though the path is steep narrow and stony he toils on and at last reaches an eminence from chien lie he can look down arid and help he p those who are less fortunate thau than liim himself self and view the scene below him such men are thus the conscience of the society to which they belong the very face which character wears is of of itself a sufficient guarantee for the purity of the thought that is contained within the mind we unconsciously respect arid and honor such a man though 0 we may think him wrong when we think of a true man the he man of character we associate him with stability fruitless something that is not easily overturned it ab ia not the polite refined man of society that we derive the most good from but rather the man who is not so easily approached yet cannot be let alone lie is either our friend or our enemy it if our friend we can always rely upon him many men start etar out to make great reforms yet they make the most miserable failures this come not from lack of ability but from froin their not having the force to drive it to its ultimate end through b the mass of public opinion which lie he wields it is not only essential that we use ue force and perseverance per before we may eap exp expect act to accomplish any thin thing 6 but evident evidently y we must have a clear understanding of what we are arc to do not only this but we must make others feel that eliat there is a spark within us ns that if fanned will result in a cheering blaze that will warm those about U us ll 11 it is not the brilliant lawyer who makes makem a title fine debut and then lies bick b ick on his hie oars expecting this one effort to bring him fame faine and wealth but rather tile the one whose first attempt is ia all but a failure hut but who goes to his room and begins to delve after the treasure that lie knows is hidden within webster in his ili first attempt made all but a 1 I failure yet vet lie did not sit down and nurse his de defeat fett lie ike went home and belgan 1 ngan to talk to his fathers cattle lie iio kept steadily it at the practice of oratory until lie could speak and in after years became the most powerful and convincing coil vin cing orator of america so it is with nearly ill all of our most eminent men in any particular line we often hear persons spoken of as being 0 geniuses or divinely gifted but it ft is only the ta gift of character complied with hard work their genius consists in severe labor in no mean quantity they are arc geniuses by the their irown own exertions what better is to be found than the man of true worth of character who fears nut not to face his fellow man and whose fare face shines chines out rood good toward his fellow men mel where can more pleasure be found than in the amiable relations with such a man there seems i to bv b a i I 1 natural refinement and culture about him thou though h he may not possess t the be education his friends do rf here is an elwia of congenial souls with each other hours spent ir in such mens society are the pleasant est and most in 1 1 tive hours of our lives live 4 hours that will be kept green in the memory when time has capsel his 1 scepter oer the head bead and changed the hairs to silver it is happiness happi nees which postpones all other gratifications and makes commerce chur churches cheb and politics cheap man ian is a gregarious animal with social instincts and as such he be is responsible sible to a certain extent fur for the character cliar acter of those about him this is especially true where educated man mail is thrown among those who are less fortunate chaa than himself lie ile can mould the character of those about him almost as a lie wishes they are like marble under the hands of the sculptor who with his skilled eye and sure hand forms out of the cold slab a 1 b eing being with almost human expression sion every man who seeks to do right serbei serves his god and man will build up a character well morth emu emulations emulating emul atins latina arid and yet without seeming 0 effort on the part of the builder such are the men who have havee climbed limbed the ladder of fame and inscribed their names in letters that shall live for all time garfield starting tar ting out as a poor canal r without a penny in his hut ut without a resolute nd a desire to do za pod good to his fel men and he true to him af a jod od reached by degrees a a pla arthe the hearts of the ameri can p ial stained ata ined by few we one no are responsible for our char others are entrusted with reputation they may ay w hey will about us they may r ur reputation but they call I 1 a way way detract from our chara r if no one else knows of its po I 1 gh it I 1 know of it it will itt leas bom om and shed its perfume over r ashing and brighten ing a all at would otherwise be dark |