Westport High School - Herald Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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e re- ? to him rver gma zign that der- too fery sis- ight mes , as ren- the this rope on g ess- ity. zon- and itu- ers, this ight ally the arit- ,not an ring the om- old so ' in 'ric- iers 's it 'een his rere ltan J to iow f I THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. I3 when he acknowledges no allegiance to any but God, if he is not a God fearing man he is a. God-loving one. T-ime will no doubt effect for the bet- ter many changes in him, but in this year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and two, the sum of all the excellenees that na- ture has transmitted to him, more than bal- ance the deficiencies that the too rapid growth and too ea.sy rise consequent upon his environment have given him. It is, however, a pleasure and a glory to be one with him for he is after all the best, the noblest, the truest type of man to us-an American. A? 2? ORATION. THE CONCERN OF EVERY MAN. FRANK H. EYMAN. On the 14th day of February, 1776, Thom- as Paine closed the introdfuction to his pamphlet, 'fflommon Sensef, with these words: alt is the concern of every man to whom nature hath given the power of feel- ing? This assertion, though somewhat sweeping in its character, aroused men to a higher comprehension of their duty, and if those were troublous times as compared with these of today, now, even as then, the wel- fare of his country should be the concern of every man. We have been accustomed to place upon the general government all re- sponsibility for its future welfare, but this responsibility lies not only with the govern- ment. but with each individual, and in no way can he better fulfill his obligations than by a careful attention to his duties as a citizen. The popular idea that a man's accountabil- ity ceases with the casting of his vote, has proved a hindrance to the best development of good citizenship. This is the greatest fal- lacy that has taken possession of our people and has done much to shift the burden from the shoulders o-f the individual, where it properly belongs. The government, it is true. has its own part to perform, but every true citizen should deem it his part to pro- mote not only in himself, but also in his fe-l- lowmen, a high order of citizenship. p The duty of a man to his fellow citizens begins at home. A good municipal citizen is always a go-od national citizen, for he who earnestly considers the small affairs of his city will be proportionately earnest in his consideration of the larger ones of the na- tion. One of the greatest detriments to good cit- izenship is the unjust accummulation and improper use of vast wealth. Anyone- who obtains great riches for himself by depriving his fellow citizens of the necessaries and com- forts of life, violates one of the first princi- ples o-f good citizenship. When a number of persons band themselves together for such purposes the law now attempts to regulate their movements, but the inadequacy of the law in such eases has been shown so often that if there is -to be any change for the better it must come through the effo-rts of the individaul himself . Great riches after their accummulation cannot be distributed without injustice. It would seem that the proper plan for the ap- portionment of wealth would be in the gath- ering. This idea has been taken up by the modern co-operative societies, which have formulated and in some instances success- fully carried out plans, the chief objects of which are the proper distribution of wealth, and the advancement of good citizenship. Then, too, a very important function which these societies perform, is to weaken the de- structive force of trusts. These by their avaricious business meth- ods cause much strife and ill feeling. And the individual being unable to compete with their combined money interests finds him- self out of harmony with his fellowmen, whereas, it should be the concern of every man to see that peace and good will exist at all times. This last assertion applies in small aiairs, as well as in large ones. A man's obligation to the locality in which he lives, should be no less than it is to the nation in which he lives. A due regard for the concerns of his neighbor will readily teach him that noth-

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I2 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. ESSAY. OUR NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. STELLA onoss. Nature has endowed this country with such an excess of vitality in her people that all the nations of the world find within an American some characteristic that is to be found no where else. This may perhaps be due to his compositeancestry, for from his French ance.stor he getshis wit and vivacity, from the Celt, his nimble brain and keen rel- ish for fun 5 from the Dutch, his cleanliness and honesty, from the Spaniard, his dark complexion, from the Scandinavian, his golden hair and blue eyes 5 and to his Eng- lish ancestor he owes his sturdiness and strength of character. The blending of all these qualities gives him as his natural char- acteristics, quickness of understanding and keenness of perception. It was the Pilgim of Massachusetts, the Dutchman of New York, the Quaker of Pennsylvania, the Swede of Delaware, and the Cavalier of Virginia, who united in building up the individuality and in contrib- uting to the greatness and the unexampled progress of this magnificent country. The peculiarities of our population, which some have th-ought misfortunes, are in reality the happiest circumstances attending the settle- ment of this broad land. The American is such an interesting per- son. He reads a great d-eal and can talk easily on any question. He takes a broad view of the worldps events. Perhaps this is due to the commingling of so many people of all nationalities, and in order to appear as fully conversant with national and interna- tional affairs as those with whom he asso- ciates, he keeps up with all the news of the day. Foreigners have often been heard to say: The Amerie'an's view of life is so wholesome and frank, his originality is so marked, his flashes of wit are so genuine and bright that his talk is like a tonic? He seems like a bit of fine metal easily bent, but unbreakable, readily turned, twisted and -vm. ,,...-- - wrought into any form or shape and yet re- taining all the inherent qualities. It is this power of adapting himself to all or any conditions which makes him a constant surprise to the observer of other nations, and an enigma to the slower, duller minds of foreign lands. If he has a fault it is no doubt that of a too great exuberance both of under- standing and of perception. He see.s too quickly, he concludes too readily. This very richness in intellect is shared also by his sis- ter. She is at once the wonder and delight of all who meet her, true, she sometimes causes an uplifting of the brows, but if, as is predicted in London, the girl of the twen- tieth century is to resume the manners of the seventeenth century models, then with this toning down, the girl of America may hope to become the ideal of femininity. We Americans have taken a stand among the nations of the earth and have success- fully asserted our claim to political equality. We possess an enviable elevation so far as con- cerns the structure of our government and the energy of our institutions-those institu- tions which established by our forefathers, we hold in trust for all mankind. It is this assurance that all men possess of their right to a nationality in America that is gradually spreading over the face of the earth the spirit of independence, once our only inherit- ance 5 and to Americanize the world may ,not in future generations be so chimerical an idea as it now appears. It is not to be wondered at, that brea-thing always in this independent atmosphere the American should be self-assertive as com- pared with the polished nations of the old world, but is it undesirable to be so stamped? He recognizes no difference in caste, and his aggressiveness creates a fric- tion whicd grinds to a powder the barriers raised between men, and his breath blows it away. These barriers broken down between him and his fellowmen he learns to love his kind and with that greater love- for man there comes a greater love for God. In Puritan days where his forefathers bowed in duty to a king they were God-fearing men, but now

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1-9 . - I4 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. ing should obtain that would be detrimental to the morals or health of the community. It is impossible for the city authorities to take notice of every minor detail in municipal matters, hence, it falls upon each citizen to endeavor to keep out of his neighborhood anything that is liable to pro-ve disadvantag- eous or hurtful. lf this cannot be accom- plished by one man, then several should unite in carrying out plans for the common good. This arrangement -has in itself much value, since the intermingling of neighbors and the congeniality brought about thereby is productive of good citizenship. It induces the discussion of political and social ques- tions, and is instrumental in making the people better informed and broader minded. Personal contact creates a keener personal interest and infuses a des-ire in each to- bene- fit the other. Some recognition 'has already been given this idea. The factory of today is built with careful attention to sanitation and to the comfort of employees and is fully equipped with all devices that afford health and pleasure. An employer who is thus con- siderate of those who labor for him deserves the title of a good citizen. Perhaps the hardest clas.s of men to deal with is the politician-he who earns his way by his power over other men. Not all men who earn their living in this manner are bad, but the majority sooner or later, are led, by the desire of personal gain, to become cor- rupt. This class of men is a constant menace to good citizenship. What they gain is al- ways at the expense of the peaceful and law abiding citizen. The ease with which they seem to accomplish their aims, by its very attractiveness, exerts an evil influence, es- pecially upon the young. But it is upon the youth that the future welfare of our nation depends, and to secure the greatest success of our country the young people must be care- fully instructed, and it becomes every man's concern to see that the highest ideals of good government and good citizenship are held be- fore the rising generation. At the present day, more than ever before, lt is imperative that children should be reared in the proper manner and much care should be exercised to keep them from the many temptations thrown in their way. If all people were true citizens this would not be necessary, but it is a deplorable fact that there are many bad citizens and this condi- tion of affairs cannot be immediately reme- died. It will change only when good citizen- ship has increased and evil environments have been removed. ' Environment is one of the great makers of character. While a man may have within him all the inherent qualities necessary to a perfect manhood, he must have about him surroundings that are conducive to their best development. It therefore becomes the concern of every man to provide such condi- tions as will tend to uplift and ennoble, and that he not only strive-s to do right himself, but that he in every conceivable way makes it possible for others also to do right. R' fi' ORATION. WHEN GOLD IS DISCOVERED. WILLIAM P. HATCH. Nothing has ever proved as great a magnet for all mankind as' the gold which nature melted in her crucible with the other ele- ments that go to make this earth. Man has seemed always to know its many uses. Thou- sands of years before the Babylon spoken of in the Bible, history tells of a city which made itself beautiful by decorations of gold. Judeats shekels of gold were the standard in barter and trade. While Greece begins her earliest history in the search for the golden fleece, and to Paris' award to Venus of the apple of gold we owe the mighty war which gave that sea. girt land a never to be forgotten place in the story of the world. Oddly enough, this magnet has seemed to draw man always toward the West and to the love of gold Rome owed the splendor and magnificence that were to prove her downfall. Buried in the ruins of this fallen empire, the mighty loadstone seemed for centuries to have lost its power of attraction. But when