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ADDRESS OF COL. WATKINS
TO GRADUATING CLASS
Ladies and Gentlemen: As I
turn back the folds of mind’s
memory this evening and look
back through the lengthening
shadows ai the past, my mind’s
eye rests with pleasing rapture
upon the many scenes, pranks,
and sports of boyhood days that
cluster around and about these
familiar walls, walks and grounds
like concords of sweet harmony,
striking the discords from life’s
troubled music; leaving only the
melody of its golden strains be
hind. Days of unbridled roam
ing in pleasure’s verdant plains
and happy hunting grounds,
while babbling brooks burst from
every nook, flowers in untold
quantities abound, and to which
the cares and turmoils of life
were unknown.
Days full of joyous spirits and
generous dreams of tfje balmy
breezes and golden hues of the
future far beyond; days when
aches, pains and ills of every
kind, whether a burning brow,
an aching heart, a scald or burn,
was treated, soothpd, eased and
cured with one single remedy of
“hickory oil.”
So I come not as a stranger
this evening from the sunset side
of the western hills, nor as one
from beyond the river that skirts
our dominions on the east, but
as one returning to scenes of
childhood, to the household from
which he sprang with interest in
common with yourselves, hoping
for your hopes, and praying that
the prosperity and glory of this
school and institution may last on
forever and be perpetual.
And when I seriously contem
plate the duty which it devolves
upon me to perform, I cannot but
keenly feel the tinge of embar
rassment born of conscious in
competency to perform it well.
This occasion is one of no little
importance, and one which re
downs to the credit of the citi
zens who inhabit this immediate
section; for by it and by your
presence here this evening there
is an expression on your part that
you are personally and. vitally
interested in the education of the
young of the community, and
while this interest may not be
the cause of good citizenship, yet
it is .certainly the highest evi
dence of it, for the highest,
truest and best type of good citi
zenship of the people is found
among those who interest them
selves in the proper training and
•education of its young men and
young women.
We may build war-ships in
numbers which to the compre
hension of man is unknown, may
have armies standing on every
hill top above and in every valley
below, may build towers that rise
like majestic mountains from the
plains and equip them with the
mightiest of guns, but the final
destiny of the people of this land
and country and the perpetuity
of this republican form of gov
ernment of ours, depends more
upon the education and proper
training of the young, than it
does upon written laws, printed
constitutions, iron clad ships or
accurate guns. Our schools are
the martello towers .which will
guard our coasts against the
landing of foreign enemies and
repel the invasions of domestic
foes.
In the distant Netherlands
across the deep a land
that has been reclaimed from the
surging billows of the mighty
deep, there dwells a happy and
contented people. Around this
reclaimed portion of the ocean’s
bed there is constructed for the
purpose of keeping back the en
croachment and invasions of the
ocean’s waves a mighty wall, the
masonry of which is a marvel to
modern science and a wonder to
modern engineers. But upon the
top of this wall there walks con
tinuously sentinels, whose only
duty it is to watch the surging
waters of the briny deep plunge
themselves against this human
structure and at the first approach
of danger to sound the alarm to
which the entire populace of that
land responds. And when they
have responded, the weakened
portion of the wall has been
strong aliened, and the danger
has been averted, they return to
their homes where they dwell in
peace, happiness and content
ment. No hprrid dreams of a
conquering William nor merciless
invasion of the ocean’s waves
disturb their peaceful slumbers,
for in those who beat a ceaseless
tread upon the outer wall they
repose an endless and boundless
confidence.
Around the destinies, homes,
peace and pappiness of the peo
ple who inhabit this republic,
however, there has been no
material wall thrown, the mason
ry of which startles the wits of
science or before which nature
herself stands baffled, but in
stead thereof there has been
an invisible, intangible structure
more lasting than adamant, more
beautiful to the sight than walks
by regal tastes adorned, and by
the side of which material art
fades like mists before the rays
of the mid-day sun. This wall is
the countless schools that are
spread through the entire length
and breadth of this land in cities,
towns, hamlets, communities and
cross roads around, about and
everywhere, from Canadian bor
ders on the north, to where the
magnolia-laden zephyrs of the
gulf fans Florida’s southernmost
port on the south: From the
rock-ribbed shores of the Atlan
tic on the east, to where the sea
gulls build their nests in the
rugged cliffs that overhang the
deep sounding Pacific, on the
west. And the sentinels who
are walking the ceaseless tread
are the lean, lank and poorly paid
men and pale faced women teach
ers, who stand daily and hourly
anxiously watching the surging
waves of vice, crime and ignor
ance hurl themselves in solid
phlanxes against the young man
hood and young woman-hood,
keeping a vigilant watch over the
unfriendly tides that ebb and
flow, and throwing out the life
line to those who perchance ven
ture out beyond the posts.
And so long as they keep this
watch and the people respond to
their signal calls, we can slumber
on in peace, happiness and con
tentment, but once the watch is
broken or the signal is passed un
heeded we will wake to find that
the wall is broken, the waters
are crowding in and that we are
drifting to a destiny like that of
the strong swimmer on the surf,
in striving for the shore
who sometimes seem to be near
ing the point of safety, but with
each ebbing wave is carried far
ther and farther out until at last
he is gone forever from the anx
ious gaze on that tide which
breaks alone on the other shore. |
But turning to these young
boys and girls who together com
pose the graduating class this
evening. The position they oc
cupy in the drama of life’s activi
ties as they step forth tonight
may be likened to a beautiful
custom among the wives of the
fishermen along the coast town
of Scotland where the shallow
ness of the waters will not per
mit the bringing of the fishing
smacks close to shore. It is a
custom among these sturdy wo
men to carry their husbands upon
their shoulders from the shore to
the fishing smacks in order that
the men may start dry and un
trammeled upon their voyage.
So these boys and girls this
evening have been brought to the
beginning of life’s voyage, in fit
shape and equipped for the strug
gles herafter, upon the shoulders
and by the aid of devoted parents
which in some cases perhaps has
involved heroic sacrifices.
And as they enter the arena of
actual life it is not amiss to drive
home to them, if we can, that
from this hour onward those
among them who wear the guild
ed spurs of Knighthood will have
to win them in the strenuous six
days tournament of labor and
not in one day’s swing of ease.
That those who sail on the high
seas of life and come grandly
into port on the other side, must
captain their ship with high re
solve and mann it with unselfish
determination.
That it is only by the constant
application to duty, high and ex-
alted ambition to excel in what
ever is undertaken and an un
selfish determination to win by
dent of merit and its own posi
tive virtures that an entrance to
any worthy shrine in life can be
made, and are the only weapons
with which any position once ac
quired can be held and success
fully defended.
That push is better than pull;
honest and devoted effort is more
promising than the -influence of
influential friends.
That leaders of a class, rela
tively speaking, is as great in
the scale of success as the leader
of multitudes.
That greatness is a relative and
not an absolute term and that
achievement is only measured in
the light of opportunities.
And while one should not un
derestimate the propriety of the
respect that is paid to conspicious
greatness nor mimimise the
wholesome example that comes
from notorious usefullness, at
the same time we should never
lose sight of the fact that one can
be great all inside of his own lit
tle village, at his own work
bench, and in his own humble
cottage.
The private soldier in time of
warfare, who is inspired by a
patriotic zeal, presenting at all
times an intreped front to the
enemy, climbs mountains, wades
rivers, sleeps without a tent,
walks without shoes, fights with
out fear and dies without tremb
ling, is as great as that gallant
and unrivalled leader whom the
world proclaims as the greatest
of all military captains. So it is
true of the humblest soldier of
peace, wherever he be in this
union, and whatever be his call
ing, who perseveres at his daily
work, makes an honest living
is true to duty, to his fellows,
to his country, and to his God and
who can look the whole world
in the face, for he owes not any
man, is as great as that man who
now is president of the United
States, or any one of that honor
able list who have filled that high
office in the past, for
“Circles are praised, not that
excel
In largeness, but th’ exactly
framed,
So life we praise, that does excel,
Not in much time, but acting
well.”
The miller of the Dee, watch
ing the old mill wheel turn round
and round from day to day, for
his peck of meal for pay, with
never a thought that is evil, with
a clear conscience, and honest
heart, a beaming countenance
and a contented mind was a char
acter in the lowly walks of life, a
marvel at which Royalty humbly
bowed its head and for whose
s'mple faith the Monarch of the
Realm at the price of his crowr,
solilloquised that he whould glad
ly buy.
And Goldsmith’s Village Min
ister, a man dear to all the coun
try around and passing rich with
forty pounds a year, spreading
rays of sunshine, joy and happi
ness throughout the little circle
in which he dwelled —a life of
unselfish devotion to fellow help
ing, soul-saving, and humanity
serving, from which draughts of
inspiration can be perpetually
sipped and a shrine before which
any one can with honor stand
! with uncovered head.
And yet Napolean sailed to the
! outei most ports of fortune, par
took in unmeasured draughts of
honor’s exhilerating waters;
wrote on the highest pinnicle of
fame his single name; bore the
eagles of France to the loftiest
summits of the Alps; marched
through Italy an acknowledged
conquerer; made conquests and
camping grounds of the proudest
kingdoms of Europe; played with
ancient thrones as foot balls in
his military festivities; humiliated
the haughtiest dynasties of the
world at his feet in the dust; and
then, losing all he fell like Luci
fer, the bright, son of the morn
ing, to hope no more and to per
ish miserably chained to a rock
in the desolate ocean, a victim of
an unholy and inhuman ambition
that o’er leaped itself.
It is'the brimming of life’s cup
with noble and not big deeds
that makes life sublime, and
while you may not leave foot
prints on the sands of time, yet
your life can not-be said to be one
of emptiness simply because oth-,
ers soar to dizzier heights or
sails in waters to you unknown.
“How’er it be, it seems to me,
Tis only noble to be good,
Kind words are more than coro
nets,
And simple faith than Norman
blood.”
In the United States senate in
the early spring of 1878, when a
great issue of National policy
was under consideration, a South
ern senator was instructed by
the legislature of the State which
he represented, to vote against
his own convictions of duty to his
people. As the debate was draw
ing to a close he sent to the
clerk’s desk to be read the in
structions he felt bound to dis
obey. After the reading he arose
and said: “Between these reso
lutions and my convictions there
is a great gulf. I can not pass
it. Of my love to the state of
Missisippi, I will not speak, my
life alone can tell it. My grat
itude for all the honor her people
have done me, no words can ex
press. During my life in that
state it has been my privilege to
assist in the education of more
than one generation of her youth,
to have given impulse to wave
after wave of her' young man
manhood that has passed into the
troubled sea of her social and
political life. Upon them I have
always endeavored to impress the
belief that truth is better than
falsehood, honesty better than
policy, courage better than cow
ardise. Today my lessons con
front me. Today I must be true
or false, honest or cunning, faith
ful or unfaithful to my people.
My duty as I see it, I will do, I
will vote against this measure.”
That senator was L. Q. C. La
mar, born in the state of Georgia,
and in these terse sentences he
voiced a sentiment and enunciat
ed a principal that will resound
down the vistas of ages, an im
mortal tributes and fit accompan
iment to the melody of fast an
chored virtures, that enabled him
as it has and will others, to in a
trying moment, rise above the
pettishness of public clamor, to
swing around interests of selfish
ness, to risk all for honor’s sake,
and to glide in musical cadences
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through the mazes of public crit
cism to a glorious goal on the
final turn. ‘ L
A nd >f you young boys a „ d
girls of this class this evening
will but emulate and practice this
high example set, whether you
scale the heights where Ceasar
Agustas stood or sound the
depths and shoals where the
Miller of the Dee walked with
familiar tread, your lives will be
ones of usefulness and your des
tinies ones of assured success..
NOTICEr
To the 976 members in good
standing in the Butts County
Division of the Mutual Life In
dustrial Association of Georgia:
The sth and 6th assessments 1208
has been called, the 30 days for
payment will close June 2, next.
These assessments settles all
death claims to date and will leave
one assessment in treasury to pay
the claim of fhe death that next
occurs. Do not let your insur
ance be forfeited. Pay prompt
ly.
Jas. F. Carmichael,
May 5, 1908. Secy, and Treas.
T. J. DEMPSEY
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Jackson ------ Georgia
Y, A. WRIGHT,
ATTORNEY - - LAW,
Jackson, Georgia.
Longest experienced lawyer at
the Jackson bar.
DR. J. E. WOODS
Physician and Surgeon.
Office upstairs in Crum build
ing. Residence phone, 163; office
phone, 137-J.
W. E. WATKJNS
lawyer
Jackson ----- Georgia
Practice in all Courts, both State
and Federal
Office in Bant Hall west side public
square.