Wichita eagle., 1888-06-28
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
Toasts Replied to by the President and
Other Officials.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, June 27.-This
was the final day OF the commencement
exercises of the University Of Virginia.
Diplomas were delivered, degrees con-
ferred and the usual exercises of closing
day gone through with. AT 11:20 O'Clock a
special train arrived with President
Cleveland, Secretaries Bayard and Villas,
Senator-elect Barbour and Congressman
O'Ferrall. They were escorted to the pub
lie hall through the crowds that lined the
streets. President Cleveland conferred
the degrees of master of arts and doctor of
philology and science upon the graduates.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies he
held an informal reception and shook
hands with 1900 or 5000 people.
Laterin the day the president and party
were the guests of the alumni. At a
luncheon held in the library and at which
200 people sat down, the president respond
ed to the toast: ''The President OF the
United States" He said:
Il have first to thank you for electing
me a member Of your society. / nope your
calling for me so soon after have become
one of you is not intended as a foretaste Of
what you intend to do with me. Your
orator said today that a friend Of his en-
JOyou HILlSclL ldlhIiS' an HoO .itC
sort of a man. A noted Nirglnian.
not Thomas Jefferson, saiS to me
vest terday, that the best thing to do in a
predlcament such as find myself in to-
day was to excuse yourself and sit down.
The latter part of the advice is easy to
take, but the first part is not. The first
part is something like playing the fiddle;
il looks easy but it is not. | have no eX-
cusa and eannot plead i'll health or pre-
vious engagement. Still, l am ashamed
that | have nothing to say. | thought my
self that your institution IS the work of a
man, who, in his young days, established
a government which he afterwards man
aged, and in the maturity of his powers
laid the foundation Of this great seat of
learning. 1t was his purpose at the begin
ming to place politics among the studies
which he thonght should be pursued here.
the politics that he referred to were very
different from the politics to which we
are accustomed to today. | wonder how
much attention is paid to politics here by
the student and alumni. We hear a great
deal about the student IN politics. As to
whether it is good thing or a bad thing
depends much on the student. / should
say that if he were a student OF politics it
would be a very good thing. Every small
boy in the country expects to be a presi
dent An experience of little more
than three years does not make
mo feel very klnu towards Oh
flee seekers. Still, ambition is a
laudable one. l should hope that every
student would want to be president, and
desiring to encourage the aspiration l
ought not to say much on the subject 1
do not want to dampen their ardor by tell
ING too much obout it. While the perplex-
tiles of the office are great, they are the
perpleXities OF the highest place in the
United States, and in its occupant is re-
posed the confidence of the greatest people
on earth.
Secretary Bayard responded to the toast
THE jurisdiction of the United States;"
Secretary to THE Cabinet" Governor Lee
to THE Governor Of Virginia" and SEN
ator Voorhees, to The Congress of the
United States"
After luncheon the presidential party
visited Monticello and the grave of Jeffer-
son, and at 5 o'clock left on a special train
for Washington.