The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-05
READY FOR LIES BATTLE
Graduation of a Class of TWenty-Six of
the High School Pupils.
Thoughts That We're Given Utterance by the
Young People in the Presence of Many
of Their Friends Last Evening.

The graduating exercises of the January class
of the High-school at Tomlnson hall, last eve
ming. were listened to by crowd which about
half filed she auditorium, There wore nine adj
dresses in the form either of en- essay or ora
ton. One of the young ladies whose name APP
peared on the programme for an essay
cused account of sickness. AS il Miss
Eleanor p. Williams, who had been awarded
the honor scholarship given by the State Univer-
sity to the best scholar of the class, there
much disappointment over her absence. Upon
the platform. in addition to the graduating class
were Professor Grant, who presided Mr.. Con-
nor. of the school board, Super intendent Jones
and Rev. DR.. Henry Dax.dffhe latter opened
the exercises with tnFayar.fo eeit;
The exercises opened with essay by Miss
Lydia r. Biaich, who extolled the "Merits of
the American Constitution" The chief object
of the Consultation. she said. was to secure the
administration of justice; It also provided for
the common defense and guarded against treat
les between States. or the dangerous doctrine of
States rights. That a good government had
been established under the Constitution at
tested by the constant immigration to this coun-
try. asee
Miss Bertha K. Helmine was pronounced
admirer of Louisa NJ. Alcott, whom she made
the subject of an interesting address, She called
attention to the fact that 1T had only been within
the last fifty years that women had entered the
field of literature in this country. She thought
that Miss Acott displayed a wonderful knowi-
edge of human nature, Notwithstanding the
critics had pronounced her heroineS unnatural
conceptions. The speaker defended Miss Aicott
against the criticism of employing slang, saying
that she wrote 'tof' as well to persons. She
believed, moreover, that slang sometimes added
q spicy flavor to conversation.
Arthur y. Mackey delivered one OF the most
interesting addresses of the evening on the sub
ject THE Press-A Censor of Public Morals"
He described the denified officials who admin-
Istered justice IN ancient Rome, and were known
as censors. Their duties were to watch the
habits of the people and punish offenses against
public well private morality. To these
ancient censors he compared the press OF the
present day, which, g1ided by men of culture
well as conscienee. was employed In exposing
every wrong and encouraging every reform. He
referred to tho case OF the local tay-sheet forg-
ers. and added that tho PRESS more efficient
than the police force in effectipg the enforce.
ment of the honor law Moreover everv public
man stands at tho bar Of the prees for trial
which in turn addresses it's pleas TO the judge Of
public opinion"
Miss Julia Fish revealed some "Glimpsess of
the Puritaus at Plymouth" and kept the und-
vided attention of the audience. She described
their seiate manners and rigid observation of
the Sabbath, and, without coudemning them
expressed the belief that it has only been recent
" that the freedom which the Puritans sought
has become eStablshed ABOUT HIymOutn ROCK
She wondered how the Puritans could have
spent their evenings for. plymouth Rock
was not Trenton rock. they did not have to dis
piping"
The most practical address of the evening
was by Mr.. Herman B. Ritter, who contended
that ''the study of entomology was mot
waste of time" Entomology is the science of
bugs, and Mr.. Ritter's familiarity with the hab-
its of all kinds only excelled by the reckless
manner in which he employed the Latin cog
nomens which entomoloests have now applied
+n has 1np lonc dyrD IrcAN hn
young gentlemau's address, however. was full Of
interest and instructive suggestion
Miss Jennie NJ. yelling delivered an enter
tanning address upon the rather am bguous sub
iect of Mrs. Harris" The latter the dear
friend whom Charles Dickens. in s'Martin Chuz-
zlewit" caused Mrs. Camp to refer to go fire.
quently. Miss yelling employed the character
of Dickens's creation to show how completely,
after all, the world was given up to the habit of
quoting. She declared that the only perfectly
original person who had ever lived was Adam.
and that he soon lost this virtue. for when Eve
arrived he began to quote her, and Eve always
did quote Adam. The speaker referred to the
custom of repeating conversations at society
tertainmentS and elsewhere, and the universal
prevalence of ''sez-she." Emerson had
said, I'VE are ourselves a quotation from our
ancestors"
Then John f. Clinton delivered a eulogy
upon Milton and Burns, and received most lib
! eral applause. He said that poetry could exist
independent of the influence of education, and
cited Burns history an instance.
Miss Bessy l.. Angle almost made a womaus
rights ADDRESS on tue SUBJECT, .'IDo Evolution
of the Blue Stocking" only she said nothing
about voting. Her efforts were confined to an
advancement of womans equality regarded
mental powers. She said that if men were not
afraid woman would surpass them in mental
accomplishments they would stop asserting their
superiority in that direction. She also thought
marriage was not the chief end of woman's
life.
Miss Mary P. Bronson was the last speaker of
the evening, and replied to the question, lis
letter writing a lost art?" She refused to be-
Iieve letter writing had sunk into ''innocuous
desuetude," but admitted that it had sadly ret
regarded in the last two hundred years. She
assigned an excellent for this. The
postal service of to dav made the transmission
of letters an easy and inexpensive task whereas
a couple OF centuries ago it was expensive and
arduous. Hence. the arrival of letter was
matter Of no little importance. That WAS why
letters of those days displayed much literary
talent. Miss Bronson thought the art of letter
writing would never again attain such perfec-
ton. but thought that it would improve the
literary ability of the people progressed.
Professor Grant. the conclusion of the
literary exercises, conferred diplomas upon the
following graduates: Bessy L. Angle. Lenna
Bannon, Lydia r. Blaich. Mary P. Bronson,
Anna Clark. John E. Clinton. Minnie j. Gotten,
Mary w. Huntington. Julia Fish. Ella E.
Fretzsche. Ada 3. Harris, Bertha K. Helmine,
Grace A. Hauqh Clara e. Huder. Frank P.
Hutchins, Olivia Remington, Amanda T. King.
Matilda Laube, Arthur n. Mackey. Corneiia
Mckay, Byron F. Prunk Herman B. Ritter.
Alfred A. Taylor, Jennie M. yelling, Eleanor
P. Williams, Laura O. Wilson.
Suing Her Husband for Support.