Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-04-04
Yale Junior Exhibition.

The Chosen Orators of 'S5-A Decided
SUCCESSIVE. Joy Awarded the Prize.
The chosen orators of '85 disregarded ut
terly the ancient anti-dress-suit boom of the
college press and made their bow in the con-
ventionaI swallowt tail The exhibition was
decided success and great improvement
over that of last year. The speaking was
marked throughout by ease of attitude and
gesture and by pleasing fullness of tone.
The pieces were well memorized. Only one
speaker required to be prompted and he
only once, and then resumed his Grafton
with scarcely pause.
The first speaker was Mr.. Wilfred James
Worcester, of Albany, N. Y, and his subject,
'.Louis the Fourteenth and New France. u
The speaker attributed the downfall of the
extensive French empire in North Americe
to the policy of monopoly, Capitalization
and absolutism of the illustrious French
monarch, destroying in the Canadians the
spirit of enterprise and self-reliance which
made the English colonies so successful
Frank Robinson Shipman, of Hartford
spoke of ''The Light of Asia" The Bud.
dhism of which Edwin Arnold wrote in hi
poem, 1.-THE Light of Asia" is an extinguish
ed light. Under the leadership of Romahur
Roy and Mozoomdar and Keshub Chundei
Sen new light, the Brahmo Somaj has riser
in India, purifying the national life and ap
preaching near to but falling short of ths
final light of Christianity.
William Proctor Morrison, of Cincinnati
O., was next on the stage and set forth the
character of that early English leader, Simon
De Montford.
ssPlutocracy in America was treated by
Paul Irving Wells, of Fayetteville, N. Y
The causes of plutocracy, its looming power
and its evil tendencies and the remedy for
them were taken up in systematic order
and the piece made pleasant break in the
biographical character of the speaking.
Charles Buxton Hobbs, Brooklyn, N Y,
opened his Grafton on Wendell Phillips by a
graphic description of the scene at John
Browns grave when Wendell Phillips pro-
nounced his famous Grafton there year after
the hero's death. He followed the orators
| career during the remainder of his life, de-
| failing his public acts and bis private and
domestic character, and denied the assertion
that the orators fame would have been
brighter If he had closed his career with the
advent of freedom and the death of the re
bellion.
In ''The Leaders of the Reformation'' Ed
ward Augustus George, of Providence, r. l.,
set forth the character and services of Eras-
| mus, Luther and Melancthon. Erasmus was
the morning of the Reformation, Luther the
| full moon and Melancthon the calm evening
| twilight. Each had his place and his work
| to perform, and each was modified in charac-
| ter by the influence of the other.
James Richard Joy, of Groton, Mass,
treated of John Greanleaf Whittier, the poet
of American poetry, who first appreciated the
| wealth of poetic thought to be found in our
own hills and valleys, crowded with the le-
gends of Indian warfare and colonial WITCH
craft and consecrated to the blood of many
| hero who has fallen in the defense of liberty
| and home. The essay was an eloquent trib
ute to the simple native genius of the
| Quaker poet"
| Wilbur Lucius Gross, of Gurleyville, Conn.
closed the exercises by an Grafton on ''Charles
Sumner" The subject is an old one, bu
was presented with many new thoughts an6
| was well delivered.
| For ease and grace of delivery specia
| mention may be made of Shipman, Hobbs
| and Joy. The last of the three seemed to bt
| the choice of the audience, and this genera
| opinion was confirmed by the decision of the
faculty, who after about half an hours con
sultation awarded the prize to Joy. The
successful man was Immediately sought out
| by his enthusiastic classmates, who found
| him returning from walk on Chapel street
and he was taken on their shoulders to the
fence where the ''rah, rah, rah" were giver
| in his honor.