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Cecil John Rhodes.

Of course every American boy has probably heard of the Rhodes scholarships whereby boys from United States may attend Oxford University in England on a scholarship basis for three years. Emmett Houston, of Greenville, who was a boy at Camp Greenville a few years ago is at Oxford now as a Rhodes scholar. These scholarships were established by Cecil John Rhodes, of England and South Africa.

Rhodes, at 17 yearso of age, was stricken with tuberculosis and went to Natal where an elder brother was a cotton raiser. He made his way to Kimberly and the diamond fields and at 19 was a millionaire. He finally completed his education at Oxford and at the same time became immensely rich. He seemed possessed with the idea that the English race was best fitted to rule the world and was convinced that if such ever became the [?] case that peace and prosperity would result. He worked to the end that at least Africa would come under British sway. He tried to cultivate friendly relations with the Dutch of the Transvaal but the Jameson raid brought him into serious conflict with the Boers. He was Premier of Cape Colony in 1890. The Cape to Cairo railroad was one of his dreams.

The strange mixture of the character of Cecil Rhodes made him an object of praise and severe condemnation. Idealistic yet ruthless in his use of money and means to accomplish his ends it is not to wondered at that he was praised and condemned. It brings to mind a terribly false standard of our day that the end justifies the means. THERE IS NOTHING IN LIFE OF SUFFICIENT VALUE THAT WE SHOULD DO WRONG IN ORDER TO GET IT. We should not tell a lie or be dishonest to make millions even though we gave all we made to charity. We should not take advantage or oppress a weaker people in order to rule them for their own best interests. Selfishness, injustice, dishonesty, untruthfulness, are never justified as methods regardless of the end sought.

Cecil Rhodes was probably a man of his day who let nothing hinder his plans yet left the bulk of his fortune to establish the Rhodes scholarships at Oxford to bring about a complete union of the English-speaking nations that they might rule the world in peace for the betterment of mankind.

The rock we have from the grave of Cecil Rhodes was sent to us by Rotarian Sibbett, of Cape Town. The two letters accompanying this stone breathe the same spirit of friendliness as the other from South Africa.

[Black and white photograph of a grave marker surrounded by mountains]
Courtesy of South Africa Government Bureau

At his own request Cecil John Rhodes was buried in the Matopo Hills, near Bulawayo. Flying over these high quartz hills where he and Dr. Leander Starr Jameson, colonial statesmen, lie in their rock-hewn tombs. Lady Heath recalled how Rhodes, standing alone on the heights, looking to the north, thought of his race and said, "There is your hinterland"

NEVER COMPROMISE WITH EVIL THAT GOOD MAY RESULT!