Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-06-18
Crammlng for Commencement

II is commencement season. The
educational institutions, from the great
est colleges down to the humblest
boarding schools. are decking them
selves in finest flags and feathers and
marshaling for dress parade On tin
ted paper and in many-colored ink,
with most lavish display of the engrav-
er's art, the programmes for the public
exercises are issued and are scattered
far and wide among actual and posi-
BILE patrons and friends. The aim of
the educators is to show the public
what the educated can do. The one
thing the educated are considered cap
able of is the delivering Offset speeches.
All who commence life at this time be-
cause of finishing their education might
deliver these speeches but for the fact
that time would fail and the glut of
speeches would be too great for SYM
pathizing friends to digest, or even to
listen to AS to digesting them at all,
perhaps it is out of the question, for
such process would require mental
capacity corresponding to the physical
digestive apparatus of the ostrich or
the python. But, good or bad, dlges-
tible or indigestible, the specimen
speeches must be prepared and launch.
ed on the community.
As to who shall speak comes the first
agitation and with it the preparatory
examining. A boy or girl whose aver
age is not up to u required standard
has no chance to speak in public on
the stage. In order to force the aver
age of backward or nervous scholar
up to this point examining must be re-
stored to. Of the suffering both men
tai and physical consequent on the eff
fort to bring some of the scholars up
to the proper pitch of scholarly attain
ment horrible tales might be told 1t
is not as hard on the boys as it is on
the girls. The boys are elastic fellows
and can stand it better If damaged
in the course of examining they can
sooner recover from the effects. But
it is bad for the girls. There are many
educators of girls who know a great
deal about the various branches of
science they teach, but who know next
to nothing about girls. They have no
understanding of the delicate and com
pick character of feminine organiza-
ton. They treat the members of their
classes and schools as if these unfortu-
nate young persons were so many wood
en- ten-pinS or vulcanlzed rubber balls.
OF the character of the wondrous struc-
ture of brain and nerve they have no
conception.
Having crammed the poor victim of
scholarly endeavor up TO the requisite
grade of average" at which she is
considered competent to speak her
piece, the next thing is TO have the
piece ready. The piece must be origi
nal or appear to be so. There are
young persons who are in other re-
spects fair scholars who cannot write
good speeches. For such a person to
be compelled to compose something fit
to utter before an assembly is martyr
dom. Nevertheless the martyrdom
must be suffered The speech is pre-
pared. 1t is on the beauty of the beau
tful or the lneffability of the inefable.
If it contain any bold and startling
sentiments these are carefully culled
out by the inspecting educators. The
speech is made to read as closely as
possible like all the speeches which
have been spoken before it. The mem
orizing Of it is accomplished with weary
ing and exhausting labor and the poor
girl, dressed in white robes aud array
ed in a profusion of trimmings, is
thrust, more dead than alive, before
the audience. Bouquets and floral or
naments as elaborate as those which
are used for the decoration of corpses
are showered upon the sufferer and
huzzas of applause respond to the de-
livery of the platitudes she utters. She
is carried home sick and fainting, and
sees horrible visions as she dreams dur
ing the uneasy night which follows. If
hysteria and the whole frigntful train
of nervous disorders to which feminine
nature is subject follow on this proceed
ing, it is not difficult TO see where lies
the blame. -Phila. Times.