New-York tribune., 1873-06-28
CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
THE woopFoRD PRIZE MEDAL CONTEsT-cLAss DAY
ADDRESS OF CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER-rHE
CLASS CONCERT AND CLASS sUPPER-MEETTNGs
OF THE ALUMNI AND TRUsTEEs-THE NEW CLASS
ITnoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNE'l
ITHACA, n. Y, June 26-These Commence
ment days terminate the first semdecade Of tho history
of Cornell Unyersity whether t be in consequence OF
the curiosity excited by the charges against the
Institution and It's founder whether It be mat the
people OF NewYork beginning TO feel an actual ana
permanent in the commemorative only puohc
blishmeut devoted to the highest educaton-What
ever may the cause the fact that Ithaca this year
has been crowded beyond all precedent The puohc
halls have proved far small for every exercise thus
far held In spite OF the cool weather Library Han
was 30 densely filed on Monday evening, at
the woOdford Modal orations az TO be ex
tremely uncomfortable. The unnecessary length OF
Of the orations and the fact that theY
fell somewhat below the average in point OF elocuton
airy excellence did not add 70 the comfort Oh the aud
ence For the woodford medal, a half-dOzen subjects
gwen out to the Senior class at the beginning the
year. and within this limit the choice is open TO the COM
pettor It thus frequently happens that two or three
OF the speakers write upon the theme. The pro
gramme on Monday evening was as follows:
l. The Power Of Words" Henry Davis Stevens,
q "symbolism in Language and in Poetry" Frank
Nichols Ha gar, Plattsburg
:. Nafonai Constitutions their Growth and Deye-
opmentU Simeon smith, Ithaca.
T. "The Dream OF one Age the Science OF the Next
George Howard Phelps MarEesan WIS. ~,
s. National CONSTITUTIONS tner GfoWIn ana OeVeI-
opment," George Crane Moreno tse, OsWegD'
6. American Toadyism," Jonn Frankenheimer new
York City.
ExGov. Hawley Of Connecticut the Hon. ]. d.
Van Buren, Of NewYorl, CITY, and five members OF the
faculty. who composed the Committee OF Awlri, gave
the medal TO Mr. Phelps-a decision generally appauded
The choice lay evidently between Mr.. Phelps and 4r'
Frankenheimer.
DEcORoUs cLAss-DAy.
But the period Of Commencement Week dear 20 the
UNDERGRADUATE heart is class day and the clouds an"
showers Of Tuesday in no wise che ked the
enthusiasm with which the advent OF the day s usually
welcomed The weather proved more propitous IN me
afternoon and when the first notes were struck ~ od
wOrths Band the hall alrea " more than iul IOuA
r. Cothran the President OF the Graduating Cls' de-
tyered the opening address, which enumerated me
changes IN the University and the University town
snee the class passed its entrance examination. The
essay Of John Frankenhemer, which followed, was
sketch OF the life and abOrs OF Dickens, whose de"th
was principal event in literary history during the
past four years The poem by c. +. Allen, Monument
Builders the most promising production OF the
day The future the class portrayed with great
liveliness.
The grafton proper was BY II. D. Stevens, and the
class history by g. F. BeIknap After the latter the
class accompanied by great crowd OF spectators,
climbed the steep and lofty hill, from the summit OF
which the University buildings overlook the town OF
Ithaca aud concluded the ceremonies OF the afternoon
by the dedication OF drinking fountain, the git OF Tue
class 10 the institution The fountain is OF quincy and
Scotch GRANTEES and white marble, after design oy
Prof Babcoek Of chair OF architecture and placed
in trout OF McGraw Hal, the central edihce OF The
campus The memorial oraton was delivered. with
sngularly clear and distinct utterance, by L. u BOISE
MIR. wAltSER's ADDRESS
On Tuesday evening Library Hall again packed
with an audience eager to aud hear Mr.. Charles
Dudley Warner. The production, which he rc1d easily
and unpretentOusy cOmbated with force ana eoduehce
that skeptcism regarding progress which Is 30 ouuY
exnressed nv James Anthony Froude in his Essay on
Progress" and by John Rusdn in his later publications.
rbe Inter whose procamations against laDorsav1ng
machinery and whose sighs for the good old times OF
hand toll and sweat Of the brow VIII be re5d III Tue
minds OF his readers, was described as tue hui Wno
stands upon tho track and threatens with anniilauon
the oncoming locomotive and think that any speca-
tor who sees his menacng attitude and hears his roar
ing cannot but have fears for the locomotive" Tho
inddelty which disbeeyes in popular education ana IN
nopular suffrage is not confined TO the Froudes aud
Ruskins nor 10 side Of the ocean; II Is threatening
element in American society. 1t cites the past ID
supuort OF its disbelief IN progress, bit the
past ia really against it. From history no teaching
il more surely deductve than the doctrine Of IN ever
oneratiug laws or Development Nor is their lack OF
filth in mans Advancement CHARACTERISTIC Ot cur own
times only No doubt Othe. periods and other nations
have regarded themselves the elimination OF c7zl-
tomas the chosen people and he chosen age II must
have seemed so the Jews who oy"rran the Hoy Land
and set their shining cities all tle hills or he@teh-
tor II must have seemed so t0 the Assyr!an CON
nuerors who swept over Palestine in their turn on he
yay to greater conquests In Egypt IL must nave
seemed 80 to Greece wbcn the Acrlpos was 90 the out
living world what the imperial Gala Is 10 the mdrsn N
which IL lifts superb flower. 1t must have seemed so
o Rome when It's solid roads OF stone ran 10 all parts or
] tho %
and or the wealth that poured INTO her treas
nrr II must have seemed To th followers OF Muhan-
med when the Crescent knew no pause IN lts march
mn the Arabian Peninsula 10 tho Bospnorus' to lh1a
along the Mediterranean shores to spain, wAefe'
in rhe Eighth Century, it flowed into culture
a., learning refinement in art and manners TO Whch
the Christian world OF that day was stranger Unjust
have seemed 40 n the awakening OF the six ecnth cen
turv when Europe, Spain leaiing, began tAit great
movement OF discovery and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ~hich mas
m tle end been profitable OILY to portion Ol the at
veuturers Mr. Warner insisted tha5 the race does not
owe ts progress TO its great m'n-that they arc tte
rton M an age ra than ts creators Progr SO 10
,dcnendent of individuals. Nothing OF mportarc 90 n
lost and each generation in spite of ycssitudes IN e
NJ apparent checks the endless current 0f adv nee
menr has received It's heritage and increased H. Ihe
r,r,rv theory In reference 10 he lost arts Is only
worthy of exciting the mOmentary wonder or Fceum
auditory In our own period-which may be character
zad a. the epoch OF maehinerythere has thus far been
no retrogresson and cessation Each step has been
| forward In treating this question, Froude and
Rusn arc unfair in their statements The statistics
carefully collected by the English Government when
the former writer least, studousiy ignores prove
that the English agricultural laborer is In better con
dition of earthly happiness and has better chance OF
heaven than when a the close OF the great III th
midst OF which this country began, our era OF
procress found him out One hundred years OF popu-
lar government In this country form real step IN the
long march Of humanity and not merely change from
the rule Of the t 70 the rule OF the cunning We Amer