The Portland daily press., 1888-03-16
PORTLAND, MAINE, FRIDAY MORNING, MAR

been spoken Of He wrote to me that the
speeches must be short. bright and pointed
from short, bright and pointed men. Laugh
teri / am glad to be here to share your hap
piness / rejoice with you in sharing the
happiness of this occasion. We have reason
to rejoice in the prosperity of the college for
the year past. There are some good reason
for that prosperity. During a part OF the
past year the president has been sick so tnat
he could not be present and everything
went on smoothly. There is another mem
Der wnOm propose to call upon who is not
only bright, pointed and short but Small.
Laughter
81 think we have reason to rejoice that the
college exists. There are those who have
said that there should be but one college In
the State. Colby has done work that
would not have been done had it not been
established. We rejoice in the existence OF
the college; there is room for us all.
1t is also a matter Of congratulation
that the character of the college is what 1t Is.
Some say that we are too strict and that we
work the scholar too hard. don't think SO.
If we are to develop men and women that
are good for anything in the world we must
develop brain muscle"
DR.. j. II. Hanson, principal OF the Coburn
Classical Institute, was the next speaker.
with the institution, the progress It has
made, the number who have entered and
graduated from the school, and enumerated
It's immediate needs which he said should be
fulfilled in order that the work OF the school
may be carried ON to the best advantage.
Rev. G. V. Hanson, In response TO his
names said: Il sometimes preach without
notes, but / do not like to preach without
ideas. But if | speak tonight II must be
without having had any idea Of what was
rntr 20 hao n nt
called upon" The speaker referred to his
connection with the college, the earnest
work of the professors, and the joy which 1t
gave to address the association as repre-
sentative of the college.
Prof. Smith spoke Of his experience as a
student and teacher at the college with
which for so many years he has been associ-
ated, its substantial development and the
great ability of the present President.
Hon; Reuben Foster Of WaatteIrville, Water spoke
held the University and the pleasure it gave
him to be connected with it.
Mr.. +. V. Chase respondedsto the toast,
"The Portland Alumni" Mr.. Chase referred
to the fact that the number of students that
Portland gives to Colby had largely increased
of late years, and that her alumni was now
found in goodly numbers in all the profess
sions and in business life in this city He
paid feeling tributes to the memory OF sew
eral of the alumni who had died within the
Ddob JCdl anu ustluSl1 CutOEilCQ thC totC
Prof. Lyford, who for many years was pro-
fessor in the Institution.
Professor Small was next introduced. He
said:
wish to refer especially to portion Of
Colby's policy for which the college, in COM
mon with many others, is under fire. By
the aid Of our church histories we can al
most remember the term when serious theo-
logians were grayely debating whether wo-
ma hah cnrtIa Inc hnxu orr
very pretentious and wiseacrely educators
who make great capital Of their doubts as to
whether women have minds. Whenever
scholar in Germany who values his reputa-
tion for learning, writes book In style
which any but a specialist would read, he
thinks to save his credit with his guild by
printing on the title page the chivalrous
legend, Worked over for Women" There
are cowardly scholars among us who are
willing to tolerate Institutions for the gentler
ness shall be allowed for and their vanity at
the same time tiattered by college course
worked over for women"
Seventeen years ago Colby had the courage
to offer young woman an opportunity to
prove that they could profit by the soundest
furnish. The young women who were bold
enough to avail themselves Of the dubious
privilege confronted not merely the task OF
exploring new and untrled way, but OF
overcoming III duultlOu uUtIdi 1uIuUtI VI
artificial hindrances chargeable to the SEN
timentalism of 0verZealOus friends of the
innovation. l entered college the year after
the first fearless adventures started on her
course. A part of my fit for college was the
collection Of prejudices on the subject OF CO.
education peculiar to thatistage Of prococity
/ carefully encouraged those prejudices until
/ graduated, and when returned as an in
structor brought them back with me, to-
gether. however. with an heroic resolve to
temper justice with mercy towards the mis-
guided offenders against tradition. | have
met young men and women together in the
classroom for the past seven years.
My judgment Of the results is certainly not
vitiated by any bias in favor OF the expert
ment, and | want to avoid speaking with
the proverbial extravaganza of the pr0Selyte.
1t seems to me, however, only honesty and
fairness to declare that the young women
who have been students at Colby have made
a record which entities young women to
claim of Colby as right, in the future, what
was tentatively granted as privilege seven
teen years ago.
The college somewhere In the west, that
nobody ever heard of till it achieved notori-
ETY. the other day by abandoning the expert
ment OF co-education, is welcome TO Its isola-
tion. 1t is not likely TO be jostled by Colby
Those aboriginal days, when young women
were pitted against young men in an oratori-
cal contest and the first prize was awarded
to young woman, because she was wOm-
an, WIlle tne SecOnu prlZ6 WAS given W q
young man because he pronounced the best
oratiOn, are, happily, forever past. We
have not outgrown all the anomalies which
are accidents of co-education. but, in my
judgment, we have reached demonstration
that natural laws are with the system. and
we are gradually adopting those laws in a
college organization, which will attract and
hold both young men and young women.
Mr.. r. w. Dunn of Waterville, recalled
the days of his college life and gave hu-
merous account of the pranks played by the
students. He closed with tribute to the
ability and fidelity of the men who had been
teachers in the institution since he had
known it and eloquently commended the
work the college was doing.
Mr.. Charles A. True of Portland, who was
present at the dinner of the Boston Alumni,
gave an interesting account of that meet
ing.
Hon. j. II. Drummond was the last speak
er, and in an eloquent manner he spoke of
the position which the college occupies as
compared with other colleges of the State
and nation, and said that he wished to con-
gratulate those present upon the growth of
the college.
After Mr. Drummond's remarks, which
were warmly received, song was sung and