The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-13
HANOVER COLLEGE.
"The Popular Address" of Hon. A. w. Hen
-dricks-Degrees Conferred.
ization.

dricks-Degrees Conferred.
Special to the indianapolis journal.
MADISON, June 12-One of the great oeca-
sions of commencement week at Hanover is al
ways the popular address, before the college
literary societies, and this year it was as in days
gone by. The Courier says:
Eat 10 A. NJ. yesterday large and intelligent
audience assembled at the village church to
listen to a most admirable address from the Hon.
A. w. Hendricks, of indianapolis OF the
speaker it is sufficient to say that Mr. Hendricks
is at the head of the Indiana bar and the presi
dent of its bar association. His delivery was
little unfortunate in that his voice was in
slightly lower tone than it should have been to
enable all in the audience to hear distinctly
what was SAID. In style the address was re-
markable for strength and beauty of diction.
The thought was fresh. clear-cut and forcible,
and impressed the intelligent hearerwithi its quiet
power. The subject was the part which
mechanical science is nowplaying and shall here
after play in the various domains of human adj
vancement and civilization. "A college COM
mencement suggests inquiry as to the most
eligible professions in which a graduating class
may find employment for its educated mental
labor. What, then, is the present trend of intel
lectual activity History speaks of The Au-
GUSTAV age oflearning and the Elizabethan age
of letters The current period may we'll be
termed the Victorian age of mechanics"
This speaker then dwelt upon the wondrous
mechanical and scientific progress of the pres
ent century. He instanced Franklin of whom
he said that if he had lived in the times when
great mortals were deifed, he might have re-
ceived apotheoss as the god of common sense.
Having shown this mechanical progress to be
the distinctive feature of an existing civiliza-
ton, the orator proceeded to discuss its effects
the moral interests which claim our
soicitude its effects upon the social condition of
the laboring classes be demonstrated to be for
hehighest good of those classes. In clear and
convincing argument, he established the i'm
proved condition of our manual laborers ma
chinery improves and mechanical science ,ad-
yances. Taking up the false philosophy of Hen
ny George he denied the facts upon which his
social theory is based, The social philosophy of
George means nothing less than destruction of
tie existing civilization to make room for the
construction of another but the evils for which
this radical or rather this revolutionary remedy
is proposed do not in fact exist
Turning to philosophy and religion, it was
boldly declared, and clearly established that
there never has been, nor can there ever be any
real conflict between science and religion. True
science will elevate ard strengthen true moral
ity, and permanently augment its practical
power for good. Darwinism has no power to
overthrow the Bible. Geology came not as an
enemy to the Bible, but as a servant meekiy
carrying torch by the light of which it might
be better read" Joshua's asserted arrest of the
sun in Ajalon was shown to be mere figure of
speech borrowed from the poetical 'Book Of
flasher" The thought that the utilitarian
spirit Of the age tends to bring a blight upon
the aesthetic arts was shown to be erroneous
The poetic adage that "a thing of beauty is a
Joy forever is even more true than trite.
''When woman grows needless of the little
winged chorister that sings his glad song
among the green leaves of spring; or when she
weares of the birdlike cooling Of the little ten
anu Of tue cradle; when man tires of the mys-
terious voices of the ocean or the solemn sough
of the forest as night winds move among the
pines, then the voice of human song may
cease and the musical instrument be broken.
But music will not return to Heaven while man
remains on earth" In words like these the ora
tor painted the permanency of every form of
true art. The attractive influence of beauty is
as truly law of nature as gravitation. Thus it
was shown that in eyery line of progress the in
fuence of mechanical invention and discovery
has been always for the uplifting and upbuilding
of the race.
The following is list of the degrees con
ferred: a. NJ Hon. VIM. j. johnson, Dr.