Reading High School - Arxalma Yearbook (Reading, PA)

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16 THE nizio AND BLACK ICH DIEN CLASS 0RATION'BY THEODORE M. LEINBACH man of God approached the close L f-- ' of his life on earth, his great soul burst forth in words of supreme and exultation, I have fought a good tight, I have finished my COIIFSC, I have kept the faith. The apostle had served faithfully and well his fel- low-men and his God, and now at the close of his toil and service he ex- perienced his highest reward, the peace and joy of duty well performed. Thus it is with service. It brings it's toil. It brings it's burden. It brings it's suffer- ing. But as a crowning reward for these stern hardships, it brings it's joy. It is the supreme triumph rendered to those whose names are indelibly written on the lists of the faithful. The noblest lives are those consecrated on the altar of ser- vice. The most treasured laurels adorn the brow of the faithful servant. But where is service most needed? Where is the call most urgent? When a youth emerges from the plastic stage of development into the field of definite activity and concentrated effort, he is be- set on every hand by persistent calls to service. Whither shall I turn? Whom shall I serve? is the quandary. But from out this confusion there arises a call so clear, so penetrating, so insistent that it must touch all loyal hearts. It is the call of the state, the appealing cry of the God- dess of Justice and Liberty, beset on every hand by the ravages of dishonesty, indifference and corruption, demanding the staunch support of all true men in the defense of the state, and all that is high- est and noblest in the control of men. It is the demand for a stronger government, a better citizenship and a higher civiliza- tion through service to the state. A man can serve the state in many ways, but he must begin in the home. Just as the state is founded on the home, so must service to the state be founded upon service in the home. There is an urgent need for such service, because of all our institutions the home needs most the nurture and support of all that ls best and mightiest in our modern life. In the existing complexity of social and political reform, the home has been neglected and HEN the Apostle Paul, that mighty 1 I ' t j0Y its influence and power diminished. We must take heed, for this indifference to the essential features of life, this neglect of the fundamental agencies of progress and development is the peril which may wreck a mighty vessel, yea a mightier than a Titanic, for it threatens the ship of state. We must guard and defend the essential features of our existence more diligently and more zealously, that We may escape the punishment of indiffer- ence and preserve inviolate our high privileges and mighty institutions against the ravages of vice and greed. We must serve, and serve well our homes, our kins- men, our friends. We must respect our associations in the world of affairs and strengthen our bonds of filial and pater- nal affection. We must be true men that We may be loyal citizens. We must link the home and the state by faithfully serv- ing the one that we may faithfully serve the other. ' But our service to the state, our in- fluence on society should extend to broader fields of action. We must be good citizens of the empire within the home, but we must also be willing ser- vants of the empire without. What is man's first civic duty? What is the prime requisite of true service to the state? The highest privilege, the most lasting obligation, the most sacred trust that can be imposed upon any man in the service ofthe state is voting-intelligent, faith- ful and honest Voting. A man must vote intelligently that his vote may be of the greatest service, and that his voice may be raised to the great- est benefit in the administration of af- fairs. If greater intelligence were dis- played in exercising the privileges of suffrage, the state would be rid of the Judas Iscariots who betray whom they profess to serve, with not so much as a kiss, at the dictates of those whose god is gold and whose creed is power. And a man must vote faithfully that his voice, though small and weak, may be constant- ly raised in the defense of the right and the destruction of the evil. The neglect of the highest functions ot citizenship, the indifference to that inestimable privilege

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LITERARY 15 short, the country would be far better off without him. And then there are the men who would sell their very birthright for a mess of pottage. They are willing to betray their country into the hands of political schem- ers for pieces of silver. If they would follow the example of the betrayer of old, and hang themselves, they would have chosen the easiest path, for if a man had one spark of conscience left, he could not help but revile himself for his faithless- ness to a trust imposed upon him by his forefathers. The ignorant voter is the one with whom the educated man has much to do. It is the duty of every good citizen to see that these men are made to see the right in matters of government. But we should not apply the correction to the grown tree but to the tender plant. It is true citizenship, to keep as many young men as possible in school, so that they may develop reasoning powers to be used in governing affairs. True, we have Lin- coln and Garfield who had no education in schools, and yet swayed nations. The general type of man needs to be educated to exercise his voting powers properly. The good voter, one who thinks and one who acts, is the type that we should all emulate. Here the true citizen is in his sphere. An honest man, anxious to do his duty, cannot help but feel a thrill pass over him as he casts his ballot, for he is one on whom the welfare of the country depends. lt is his word combined with others that moves the whole country. Who could not revel in the fact that he is need- ed, that he is a part of one compact unit necessary to make the whole, that he is the government? It is the duty of every true citizen, and especially the rising generation to help counteract the influence of the ignorant, indifferent, and corrupt voter. Not until all these are done away with, will we have a model republic. It is to that end that all should work and what we do, however small it may seem, to reach thi point will John Brown Cof Ossawatomiel said: One good strong, sound man is worth cnc hundred, nay, one thousand men without character, in building up a state. render us truer and more desirable citi- zens. Another important obligation falls upon the shoulders of the true citizen. He must intrench labor against amassed cap- ital, so that it shall stand firm against any approaches. It is fair to expect that the same thing which happened to Rome will destroy our country provided capital gets too strong a hold. That city flushed by progress became thoroughly aristo- cratic and tottered to its fall. We must 110t stand by idle and watch capital en- croach upon our rights. Neither is it necessary to destroy it. Capital and labor by all means must be kept on the balance. It is the duty of every true citizen to pre- serve this balance. Let neither side at- tain the preponderance and as surely as the heaviest weight drops in a scale so surely will our grand republic sink into oblivion. We have seen it built up from a pigmy of a few states into a world power. Yet so Rome grew. It was Rome that enjoyed just before her downfall, such wealth, position and influence as we have. If we would preserve our country from ruin we must balance capital and labor on the scales of progress. We must pro- gress and we must preserve equality. Look at the white-headed veterans of our wars. How proud are they that they have done their duty. Yet, could you view the hearts of any of those who shirked, you -would find the bitter pangs of conscience. Can he escape? Never! But he who has performed his duty has a feeling of content, a knowledge that he has done his best. Like remorse, it fol- lows to the grave, but what a different feeling it leaves in its wake! Go to the cities, go to the wilds but you are in a haven of peace for having done Your duty. Do your duty as true citizens and you will be free from the pangs of a conscience forever. And ln the future when these scenes are forgotten and our class may be scattered to the four winds may one and all say that the Class of 1913 put forth nothing but true citizens. A youth should have that self-respect which lifts him above meanness, and makes him independent of slights and snubs.

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LITERARY 17 of voting is a crime against society and the means whereby corrupt men gain power. Any man who deliberately neg- lects the highcst function of citizenship is not worthy of the name citizen and should be deprived of his civic privileges. And last of all, a man must vote honestly. Ignorance and indifference in exercis- ing the duties of the ballot are but sins of omission and may not be censured too severely. But dishonest voting is a most dastardly crime of commission and is de- serving cf the severest censure and pun- ishment. It is one of -the greatest crimes in the exercise of governmental powers. A man who knowingly sells his birth- right for the proverbial mess of pottage is a traitor to the state and is deserving of the ignominous fate of a Benedict Arnold. He who betrays the sacred charge en- trusted to his care must pay the penalty for his crime and must eventually sink into the sea of oblivion, Uunknelled, un- coflined and unsung. But for him who intelligently, faith- fully and honestly exercises the high priv- ileges of citizenship, there shall be a re- ward, not measured in material things, more precious than flashing jewels and shining gold, the high reward of service- the joy of duty well performed. But the true citizen should fit himself for even greater service than the duties of the home and the exercise of the bal- lot. Every man should train and prepare himself that the state may not seek in vain when, like Diogeues of old, it seeks for men, men who will intelligently, courageously and honestly perform the duties of office. The crew that mans the noble ship of state should be men with hearts of iron, nerves of steel and the courage of their convictions. A man should be thus capable that the oiiice will seek him and not he the ofiice. Faithful and loyal service to the state is the highest kind of patriotism. All honor and reverence to the warrior who bleeds and dies in the heroic struggle for his country and his flag! But there is a still nobler patriot, the patriot of peace, unadorned by the glamor and glory of warfare, who conscientously and courag- eously pursues the stern path of duty and under the banner of truth and justice wields the sword of authority and con- viction against the liarpies of vice and greed. With such men, loyal and true in the service of the state, valiantly fighting against the countless hosts of its foes, shall advance to that goal whither man has ever directed his course, vanquishing the hosts of vice and greed and confining to an awful oblivion the forces of evil and corruption. We shall strive until the time when the ship of state will be freed of the barnacles of greed and corruption, when justice shall reign instead ofrgoid, and when truth and honor shall be writ- ten in letters of light in the hearts of all men. But this motto has a peculiar signifi- cance for us, both as a class and as in- dividuals, standing on the threshold of a and greater lifei We must appreciate utilize our privileges and advantages, that care the sacred charge entrusted to our may be strengthened and not abused. In our hands will be placed the control of af- fairs, and we must determine the destiny of generations to come. Therefore let us fully understand our responsibilities. Let us here earnestly resolve, at this commencement of a new era of our lives, to manfully and courag- eously bear the burdens, surmount the obstacles and endurelthe suffering of the life before us. And when the state sounds its clarion call for service, let us respond with stout hearts and willing hands. Let us make our lives, lives of service, our creed, the gospel of service, and our motto Ich dienf' For to him who serves faithfully and well there shall be a reward like unto no other in mortal life. He shall experience the joy and satisfaction of duty well performed. And there shall be an even greater reward, the reward of the life beyond. On that great day when the good and the evil must part for all timeg when the grain will be sep- arated from the chaff on the threshing- floor of God, then, will the true and will- ing servants reap the rich harvest of their toil. For they shall dwell in the abodes of the blest, in the mansions of glory and light. They shall gather about the awful throne of God with the hosts of the cherubim and seraphim, there to pour forth celestial anthems of praise and ado- ration to the Mighty Ruler of the Uni- verse, whom all true men must serve.