The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-03
THURSDAY, JUNE "a.

non 20 tne END.
THURSDAY, JUNE "a.
Commencement Day
Commencement day morning was 90
dark and threatening that .bsasy rain
storm seemed inevitable, and thee was
sbut little hope Of the clouds clearing
away; and as the hour for the exercises
ITO A. NJ, approached, the hearts OF the
|elass Of '86 went down, down. down. But
the interest was SO great that in spite Of
the fact that a drenching rain was falling
at 10 o'clock, by 1890 very large
audience, completely filling tie upper
chapel, had assembled. Instead OF the
entire class fourteen giving orations,
the Faculty had selected five Of the num-
Der (a new custom here) to represent the
class and present their productions before
the public. The names Of the class are:
Maurice Bettes, Cuyahoga Falls, O.;
James Ford, Milledgeville, O.; Calvin
Josiah Hill, Inland, o.; James Douglass
Pardee, Akron, O.; Ellery Orvin Phillips,
Medina, o.; james Kirby Peasants, Jr.,
Vevey, Ind; Marion Belle Slade, Collin
bus %. Mary Grace Webb, Mogadoro o.;
Eisrer Ellsworth Welsh, Eaton, o.; Er@
nest Clifford Page; Columbus, Pa Sam.
usl Lemon Thompson, Gann, o., Edgar
Syivanus Rothrock, Akron, O.; Lille
Richards Moore, Akron, o., and Lucy
Danforth, Peru. O.. tie asier the 5angh-
ter OF Rev. Abbie e. Danfo1th, paatcr OF
our Huntington and Flint churches lie
last five seniors nsnsd are the ones
chosen by the sseu' 10 represent the
class. By this plan each s,s ssor has auf
| fcient time to elaborate biaass ms snd il
/ prevents the exercises from beaaaping
| wsarisoae by being tco proIix We
never before witness ad sihnis#r ~
u whsrh hcsh tie ~ IL ..s.sss - lli
ner were so uniformly and SO highly
meritorious. Without drawing any COM
parison as to whose production was most !
worthy of first honors, we state the facSv
that Ernest Clifford Page received the
first prize in the oratorical contest at
BucEtel, recently held, by which he was
entitled to represent the college in thei
State oratorical contest, and from all rel
ports we infer that had he received bis
just deserts, would have been elected to
represent our State at the Interstate
contest at Topeka, Kan. Samuel Lemon
Thompson, however, gave Mr.. Page so
close a chase in the local contest that he
only fell behind fraction of one per
cent AS between the two ladies and
three gentlemen of this representative
class, there are not wanting those who
awarded first honors to the ladies. Ger
tain it is that the applause of the audi
ence was as freely given to the latter as
to the former. This speaks well for CO.
education.
We must not forget to mention here the
very excellent music with which these ex-
ercises were punctuated and which was
furnished by four of our best local artists,
namely, Mesdames Henry Perkins and
Esther Barker Haynes and Messrs. N. L.
Glover and W. @. Findley.
Lucy Danforth, Peru, o.
National Lights and Shadows" was
the subject on which Miss Danforth
spoke. What she said is abridged be-
low:
Glancing back through the vistas of
the ages We pause with feelings of pity,
admiration and revolt, before the pict-
ure of superstitious delusion, splendid
achievement and cruel tyranny of the
early historic times. Following the
picture in panoramic succession, appear
the periods of Advancement, decline and
revival of civilization. Now and then
throughout the long series flashes forth
a genius lighting up his own age, and
coloring the thought and character of
the succeeding. The sixteenth and seven
teenth centuries are brilliant with stars of
the first magnitude. The wit and wis
dom OF the Elzabethan period have
never been surpassed. The prosperity of
America is the envy Of nations and con-
sists in the character and culture of in
dividual citizens. We are free 10 wor.
ship according to the dictates. of our
own conscience. We live under a sys-
tenn of control as nearly perfect as any
people in the world. The key note of
our government was struck by Mr.. Glad
stone when he said of the Irish: "Trust
them; they are loyal; let them make the
laws under which they i've" Woman ia
beginning to free herself from the mar
row prejudice which limited her sphere
to the kitchen and the parlor. We have
cause to be proud Of our universities and
colleges. The material progress of our
country is not less than the spiritual.
We are rich in manufactures An Amer
ican lives twice as much in day as an
Englishman. Half century ago our
system of railroads and telephones would
have been considered miraculous. No ma
tion boasts greater liberty than ours, but
CONTINUED ON FIFTH PAGR.l