THE POEM

BY THE HON. JAMES JEFFREY ROCHE

DR. LORY BACON FENDERSON,

THE READER

INTRODUCED BY THE CHAIRMAN

The Honorable James Jeffrey Roche, a citizen of Boston, at the present time holding a public position in a foreign land, has kindly consented to place on Franklin's brow a wreath of laurel in the form of a poem, and he has requested his personal friend, Dr. Lory Bacon Fenderson, to read it in his stead; and I now introduce him to the audience.

Dr. Fenderson then read with fine effect and nice appreciation the following poem:

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

POEM BY THE HON. JAMES JEFFREY ROCHE

A land full grown among the great of earth,
Due honor pays to one who saw its birth,
Its cradle tended and its steps of youth
Directed straight to liberty and truth;
Who practised as he preached, without pretence,
The first of Yankee virtues, Common Sense.
For its keen ears no lie is safely framed;
Before its touchstone every sham is shamed.
It holds no pseudo patriot to its breast,
Nor new aristocrat whose home-made crest
And lengthy pedigree in patience wrought
Proclaim the product grand of Ten-times-nought.

No wisdom claimed our Franklin o'er his kind,
But clearest sight where half the earth was blind.
Great was his virtue, in a servile age,
Who could so well man's equal rights presage,
When hoary centuries had laughed to scorn

The lofty message of the Manger-born.
Much did he of the pregnant truth discern;
Much left for us and future ones to learn;
To curb the pride of race, of rank, of gold,
The pride of intellect, worse manifold
Than all, as if the mind were self-endowed,
A Pharisee of its high meekness proud.

Our first philosopher loved not the sword.
War and its glories his true soul abhorred.
For peace he wrought, yet left the sage advice:
"Peace may be purchased at too high a price."
So, we, of all the past forgetting naught,
Must guard our weal for which the fathers fought,

And best may guard it when we have the might
To keep in peace that which they won in fight.
The world is slow to learn the lesson still

That man must rule himself, for good or ill.

Wise fools deny the Lawmaker because

They think they've learned a few of His great laws.
So sceptics saw but chaos for the world
When the Republic its new flag unfurled;
But all mankind acclaims its might to-day
In staying bloodshed half a world away.

Yet is our country's duty but half done;
No triumph of to-day is wholly won,
Unless we build to-morrow's walls more strong,
Till every stone holds down a buried wrong;
Till jobbers in the Temple come to grief,

And even politics bar out the thief.
Then when the rule of greed is overthrown
May simple Honesty come to her own.

JAMES JEFFREY ROCHE.

CONCLUDING EXERCISES

The national hymn, "America," was then sung by the school chorus and the audience, standing, while the orchestra and the organ, played by Mr. Grant Lane, furnished the accompaniment, the whole conducted by Mr. James M. McLaughlin, director of music in the Boston public schools. The chairman then spoke as follows:

Before this gathering breaks up, I should like to express the thanks of the committee in charge both to the English High School orchestra and the pupils of the Boston public schools, for the pleasure they have given at these exercises.