Holbrook High School - Echo Yearbook (Holbrook, MA)

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THE ECHO 9 life has from the beginning been dif- ferent, In fact, the boy was free, the girl was not. The prejudices of so- ciety were cruel, unjust, and unkind. Women were hemmed in by tradition- al conventions, which were quite as binding as law and made it impossi- ble for them to act freely. If they tried to scale the wall that custom had built around them, they were called unwomanly and strong-minded. Even during the Civil War, women who spoke or read addresses in pub- lic received scathing and oftentimes insulting criticism, even from people supposedly well-bred. In earlier times, the father’s only thought of his daughter, was to find her a husband with a sufficient amount of property ; while the grcom-in-question considered but the am.ount of dower that the father would bestow upon the bride. Her feelings were not considered. You can recall that this method prevailed in many of the civilized countries down to very modern times. Even now, in Germany, one of the most advanced countries in science, they do much the same thing. Yvonne Loshe, an American girl, who hiked through Germany, reports that mar- riage is quite a business-like affair in the farm districts. The parents of the young people have an inter- view, discussing such matters as the inheritance of the groom and the dowry of the bride. Very frequent- ly, preparations are made without the young peoples’ knowledge. In geneology, the mothers are made no mention of, only the fath- ers. In the Old Testament, women are mentioned only when they are mothers of notable men. In this position, women stayed un- til less than 100 years ago. If a girl owned any property, it was trans- ferred to her husband, when she mar- ried. At his death, he might will it away, although it was her’s origin- ally. However, when a few women be- came educated, they realized the ad- vantages and opportunities — not only benefiting womanhood in general, but the country — that would come with universal education. Then followed the battle for in- tellectual freedom. Their arguments were truthful and convincing. Then, there were no institutions of educa- tion, which would admit women ; now there are very few from which women are excluded. When Elizabeth Cody Stanton re- marked a few years ago that the day would soon appear when women would vote as well as men, it caused great amusement. That day has ap- peared, for on August 20, 1920, a bill was passed by Congress, granting equal suffrage. Formerly, the only profession open to women was teaching, for which they were wretchedly paid ; now, any profession is open. The World War threw open farther the door to prog- ress and freedom for them. Many positions were thereby open for trial and the world was amazed by woman’s ability. Women were forced to take the place of the men in the army and they measured up to the need of the hour. Hardly an office can be found where there are not women employees. In banks, railroad offices, and business houses of every description, you will find them, and these conditions will con- tinue permanently in this country. We have saleswomen and buyers in large stores. Some fill the pulpit, others are doctors, lawyers, writers, artists, actresses, singers and po- licewomen. There is also a well- known feminine discoverer, Mme. Curie, a really great astronimer Maria Mitchell, and many other women of distinction in the social and political world. Soon both houses of Congress will be well filled with women as well as men. They will be presidents of banks, railroads and all kinds of corporations and will share equally with the men in the manage- ment of the large business enter- prises of the world. Today, we are so accustomed to our great opportunities for work, ed- ucation and pleasure, that we do not realize that the freedom, we now en- joy, but take as a matter of course, was only won by the sacrifice and

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8 THE i: G H O of ordinary citizenship. Of course it goes without saying that jury duty and tax payment must be fulfilled. They are essential if we are to con- tinue to enjoy organized government. There are other duties, too, which, while they may come more rarely, call for equal or even greated sacri- fice. The most important is the call to arms. No one questions the cheer- ful willingness of America’s sons to fight for home and liberty when the time comes. The lesson they taught the world in past generations and in this generation still remains vivid. In personal ways, besides, much can be done as for example by inducing aliens to adopt our customs and se- cure citizenship. Many mighty deeds of labor and heroism never receive the laudations of historians. So much, then, for the positive duties of a citizen. Yet, to best serve the nation there are a few out- standing dangers to be avoided. Let us examine the most prominent. The most prevalent danger to a free representative government is the enervating influence of machine politics, which, with its insidious de- mands on party loyalty and for divi- sion of the spoils, is a very imminent and deteriorating drawback to the American system. It is entrenched behind six generations of precedent. In fact, it seems to have become a habit, yet is is a rather humiliating and astounding idea that the other- wise independent American voting public should be a slave to come whenever the political lamp is rubbed. We need, without doubt, political parties but we don’t need either the political boss or his pro- fessional. Merit, not pull, is the only just basis of power. To remedy this system, consequently, each loyal citi- zen, official or voter, should avoid pledging himself unconditionally to any one party. He should, meta- phorically speaking, count ten, sleep over it, and then think twice, before allowing any silver tongued orator to change his opinions. Some men can make one temporarily think black is white. Another thing to avoid is permit- ting personal preference to bias one’s attitude and in letting present needs blind one to the confusion and de- struction an unwise law may do al- though it fit the present need. Of this Burke justly states “Man acts from adequate motives relative to his interest ; and not on metaphysical speculations. Aristotle, the great master of reasoning, cautions us, and with great weight and propriety, against this species of delusive geo- metrical accuracy in moral argument as the most fallacious of all sophistry” Bribery and ignorance are too evi- dent evils to need discussion. Now we come to the personal equa- tion. It may seem strange or absurb that the morals of one man could affect a whole country. Yet they can. It is a well known fact to physiologists that any sort of emo- tion spreads quickly in a community and soon becomes universal. The morals, both of business and conduct, of the average man, there- fore, represent the morals of Amer- ica. So when we strive for success or fame, let us make it a clean suc- cess and an unblemished fame. Let us conduct ourselves, in public and private, in a manner befitting the gentlemen, the men of America. Let us eliminate thoughts of corruption and of mercenariness from our minds. With compis mentis, corn- pis corpere; a clean mind in a sound body. Let us regard ourselves, not in relation to our own petty aims but to God and country. ELLIS JOHNSON, ’24. The American Girl and Her Future There is a similarity between the American girl and the girls of all other civilized countries, in the fact that, only recently she has been freed from the bonds that bound her throughout all the ages. Until the last century, she has been considered intellectually inferior to her brother and treated accordingly. The status of the boy and girl in

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10 THE ECHO hard work of women of a by-gone age. We do not fully appreciate the bravery of them, who faced ridicule to bring about thi s reform ; these great people who gave up their own happiness and comfort and subjected themselves to contumely that we might be free. They should be re- garded with affectionate and grate- ful veneration by us. Even in the 20th century many battles for freedom and justice re- main to be won. An education makes a girl keen, alert, intelligent, and efficient. She will accept the duties of the community, eager to do her share. Furthermore, it trains her mind to meet great problems and fits her to serve her country, wise- ly and well. She can contribute to American life and through it to the life of the world. At no time has the future looked so bright and prosperous for the American girl as now and it is for us graduates to follow and widen the trail that the women of the last cen- tury have so effectively blazed for us, so that we might be free. Valedictory At last the time has come when the class of 1924 must part. We all must start our journey on life’s way and we well know our paths will lead in different directions. We have at last come to the fork in the road. The way to each of us is more or less unknown, but thanks to the training we have received, we feel confident that we shall walk aright. “May knowledge increase,” has been our motto here and may the knowledge that we have acquired in dear old Sumner, prove a firm foundation for the ladder of fame on which we all aspire to climb. We realize our obli- gations to all, to superintendent and teachers, for your tireless and un- failing efforts in our behalf, to the committee for your kindness and thoughtful oversight, and lastly to you, our parents, for your patience and generosity, which has enabled us to arrive at last at our goal. To you, undergraduates, we turn over the duty of upholding and advancing the standard of our school. May it never fall, but rather, in the years to come, prove a greater and greater honor to our town. And now farewell — that word that bids us pause — that word so sad that rouses happy memories — that word we dread to say, yet must be said — Farewell. DOROTHY HAYDEN, Valedictorian. Class Ode {Sung to the tune of ' ' Lovers Old Sweet Song ) School days are fading far beyond recall. School days whose memories remain with one and all. Brightly before us spread the paths of life, Enter we now upon the world of strife. New roads appear that bring to us our fame And lead us to the goal which is our aim. Chorus : Goodbye dear old Sumner, Goodbye to you. May we all remember To whom success is due. Eager steps now falter At your closing door. Classmates tear’s and laughter Are heard no more Are heard no more. Teachers and friends we bid you fond adieu. Words cannot express our grateful- ness to you. Through storm and calm you help- ed us on our way Making our darkness turn to bright- est day, And to the end we’ll keep our motto nigh With your kind helping start dear Sumner High. THELMA M. ROLLINGS, ’24.