Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-15
COMMENCEMENT AT MILLERSVILLE

COMMENCEMENT AT MILLERSVILLl
Graduating Exercises of the state Norms
School.
c The popularity of the Millersville stat
normal school grows stronger year by yea
among the people, as was shown by tn
large attendance this morning to witnes
! the commencement exercises of the gradu
ating class of 80, composed Of thirty-sevel
, young ladies and gentlemen.
This feeling of interest and good will il
caused by the excellen. management O
the school. Its condition and progress i!
most gratifying to parents and all inter
ested in education, who plainly see
able control. systematic advancement and
highest branches of learning.
The inclemency of the weather may
have had some effect on the attendance,
but, nevertheless, the number of visitors
present in the chapel this morning was
very large. Promptly at hall-past nine
O'Clock the organ pcaled forth a march
and the graduates, headed by Prof. Byerly
and Rev. A. B. Shenkle filed up the centre
aisle and took their seats on the front
benches. A prayer was offered by Rev.
Shenkle in the absence of Rev. J. p.
Moore. A chorus, "Hosanna to the
King of Kings, was rendered by club
of pupils of the normal.
| Lloyd Smith was the first speaker an
nounced, who in an able and creditable
\ lnD:,, c1,,kn
"Shall We Abolish Shakespeare - was
| the question he reviewed and tho tenor of
his argument was strong, convincing all
| that he was fully acquainted with his sub
ject. After finishing his remarks on the
question, he welcomed all in the following
manner To-day the class of 80 takes its
| departure from the old normal and yields
| its place to its SUCCESSORS. For the enter
tainment of friends gathered here these
exercises have been prepared. To such as
| we have to offer you We bid you gladly
welcome. In respect to his theme he then
| went on to say that in a public library
| near Philadelphia, the works Of Shak-
| speare are excluded from it's shelves. The
| question, "Shall we abolish the drama -
now confrOnts us. Originating rs it
| did in the church, the drama spread
| after 1862 all over Europe. In England it
was represented in its highest excellence
by William Shakespeare. Since his time
it has become degeneratcd, and now we
have little less than sensational plays Of a
ow order. The cause of this is the result
of the depraved public taste. Variety and
sensation are demanded by the people.
There are two remedies for this evil First,
by state patronage of the theatre, and
second, patronage by wealthy individuals.
| In conclusion Mr. Smith said the drama
| should not be abolished. 1t brings us in
| contact with characters we have seen but
| by good actors. 1t reveals to us beautiful
flights of fancy, and as a means of pleas
ure it is unparalleled. Let us not then
abolish Shakespeare, but keep him in our
libraries and never put him away from the
theatre, which is by the stamp his intel
lect upon the enlightened thought Of
every nation in the world
Then followed a very artistically execut-
ed piano solo, "Invitation to Dance"
| (Weber), by Miss Edith Eberman.
Following the music Miss Margaretta
Cheney delivered an Grafton Oh the beauties
of "Thc Court of Elizabeth This court,
she said, was scarcely less dazzling and
talented than that OF Louis XIV; but far
from the gross RIGHTEOUSNESS which stained
the glory of that French monarch, Eliza
beth drew about her the learned and
chivalrOus, delighting in their company.
She knew that her future power depended
upon the affection and respect of her sub
jects. From the injudicious proceedings
Of her sister Mary she had learned wisdom.
The treasury was exhausted when she
came to the throne, 4 few only had en-
brsccd Christianity, and the whole king
dom was in 4 depressed condition. But
she was monarch in the true sense of the
word, and she never suffered even her
gr latest favoritcs to forget that it wat hers
to rule and theirs to obey.
| Then followed vocal duct by Misses
Clements and Montague, entitled "When
Morning Rays are Beaming," by Kucken.
w. G. Edwards explained "What Our
Country Expects Of U.s. His delivery
was good and his gestures properly given.
He spoke in a clear, distinct tone. audible
all over the large chapel.
Miss Laura V. Maynard was the next
orator. She found a theme in that beau
tiful Divine injunction, "Peace be Still.''
After eulogizing the patriotism Of woman
during the late rebellion, the fair speaker
went on to say that although fifteen years
ago the din of battle was hushcd, yet We
have had no peace. At every election the
war has been fought over again. The
South submitted honorably and renounced
the lost cause, yet they are constantly be-
ing insulted by such epithets as rebel
and traitor. Let the bloody hatchet be
buried and let Us now have peace.
One Of the greatest dangers to the perma-
nonce of our government is the growing
bitterness of political contests. We are
now on the verge of one of the most i'm
portant presidential campaigns in the his
tory Of our country, and the speaker after
paying high tributes to the character of
both nominees and rebuking partisan NAL
ice that seeks to depreciate them, she said !
in the exercise of my womanly prcrosative
as peace-malxer, stand here and say to