Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-06-21
GRAND OLD BETHANY.
ADMIRABLE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
YESTERDAY
Thirteen Ladies and Gentlemen Receive Diplomas
Exercises in Dstail-Nsw Professors Elected
- Brllian! Prospects for the
Coming Year.

just closed a most successful and prosper
ousyear. Thirteen diplomas were granted
by the Board of Trustees yesterday, and
two gentlemen at the same time COM
pleted post graduate course. One hum
dred and fifty young ladies and gentlemen
attended the institution during the past
year and there is every prospect Of much
increased enrolment at the beginning Of
the next term.
It will not surprise the officers Of the in
stitution If grand total of 200 is reached.
These figures are not mere guess work.
They are based upon the fact that in
quiries about the work and conditions OF
the college have been far more numerous
than heretofore Indeed the demand
from al sections of the country for cata-
logues has entirely exhausted large
supply, and the information eagerly
sought must be furnished with much ad-
ditiOnsl labor by letters.
The faculty has been enlarged and ma
terially strengthened. The Board Of
Trustees have created the chair Of New
Testament literature, and TO that chair
have elected Rev. J. NJ. Tribble, of Buffalo,
New York. Mr. Tribble was graduated
in the class of 1875. For some time he
was connected editorially with the Chris
tan Evangelist, of ST. Louis, and there he
made a reputation throughout his relig-
ious denomination as a strong thinker and
able writer. President WOolery stated IN
the midst of great cheering that he had
never made an announcement that gave
him more pleasure than informing the au-
dience OF the action and wise choice Of the
Board of Trustees. Prof Hunter Pendle-
ton, Ph. D., was chosen to the chair of
Natural Sciences, azd Prof. l. @. Woolery
will continue for another year in the
Greek professorship.
Tne Board of Trustees expressed them
selves as being very ssnguine of the future.
At its meeting four W cancies were filled,
as follows: r S. Lstimer, Of Pittsburg; DR..
J. NJ. Ridge, of Kansas City; Russell Err
rett, of Cincinnati, and Prof W. Q. Lyme,
of Pittsburg. Financial Agent 5. NJ.
Cooper made his report, which was emil
nently satisfactory. During the past year
he raised S25, coo in addition to the regu-
lar subscription. During the coming year
be proposes to make an effort to raise $780,
0OO 70 endow the chair Of New Testament
Literature.
The trustees slso resolved TO purchase
the residence of President Pendleton for
$40. .OOO, and that magnificent building will
be used for a home for the young ladies.
A very pleasing feature of the commence
ment exercises was the singing of Mrs
Ridge, wife of DR.. Ridge, of Kansas City.
She had already sung at the exercises OF the
literary societies and was received with
such advantageous evidences of favor that
when Mrs. Ridge appeared yesterday
morning the audience gave her sn ovation
She sang "Cavatina" from Robert lie Dia-
BILE" and in response to an encore sang q
selection from Judith" At her second
appearance, by request, Mrs. Ridge sang
"Abide With Me-" and 10 an encore, q
selection from the Bohemian Girl.
The performances began promptly at
1890 o'clock. President WoOlery intro
duced the performers.
Mr.. J. A. Hopkins delivered the English
salutat0ry in manner striking original
with himself and thoroughly unique. Con
trary to the usual custom, he devoted his
entire time 10 sort of burleeque welcome,
which caused his remarks to be frequently
interrupted by laughter and bursts of ap-
plause.
Mr.. W. r. Warren's Greek speech was
next on the programme. 1t was all Creek
to the audience, though of course it was
perfectly Ineligible 10 the professors and
TO the reporters. The young Ian was
very smooth of utterance and he possessed
a large and elegant Liddell-Scott vOcHbu-
larry. He was applauded at some le1gth.
Socialism" was the subject OF Mr.. A. )
Bells grafton, and he declared that the
social question was pre-eminently the
question of the day and has been ever
since the dawn of civilization. It's quCs-
tion as broad ss the world and as deep as
[ ie heart Of humanity. The air is now
filled with revolutionary utoplan ideas
never even dreamed Of before and the
minds of men have been made bitter with
di content. The speaker sought out the
sout,e of all this social trouble, what
created II and what E-ge it vi''lity and
continuity. He asserted taat IL had its
foundation iu the disregard of men for the
rights of others, individualism, as opposed
to collectivism. 1t Is based on unjust in
eouslities, supposed to exist and from
which it springs up spontaneously. The
protest against this inequality finds ex-
preston in this discomfort. The speakers
remedy YVES in the improved condition of
the laboriDg man, though he denied the
that the condition Of the poor
man was becoming worse.
Mr.. II. w. Talmages grafton was a eu-
logy on Alexander Campbell. Said he:
"As the founder of this college, from
whose elessic walls scores have gone forth
into all the earth to preach the unsearcha-
BILE riches of Christ, he is deserving Of last
ing honor. As a great pOlemic defending
the word of the living God from the as
saults of all deepOilers, from the Roman
Archbishops to the infdel philosopher, he
stands without peer. As a minister of
the gospel, charming multitudes by his
able and scholarly presentation OF the man
Christ Jesus, he was irresistible.
"But "a a great Reformer he will ever
be renowned Martin Luther unclaimed
the word of God and gave it to the com
mon people; John Wesley, with his soul
on Ere. struck telling blows OF the pre-
vailing formality of the established reli-
gion. bnt it was left for Alexander Camp
bell to call the attention Of the
people TO the word of God
as a neglected book, and to plead for re-
turn TO the Christianity of the New Testa-
ment in the doctrine and life, and to op-
pose by tongue and pen the creeds OF un-
inspired men 81 contradictory, mischiev-
Gus and dirisive.
'Christ was his ideal OF perfect human
ity. and the embodiment Of all the fall
ness of God. He WAS not a Unitarian.
He was not TrinitarisD These words to
him were a mere speculation. He knew
Jesus Christ a. the Alpha and Omega, the
first and the last, and before the first and
after the last, said he, I know nothing.
We snail carry away from Bethany the
memory of the rich and varied associations
that cluster around the name of Americas
1reat reformer. We are better for having
came here. We are enriched by the recol-
Iections Of his busy life, and inspired by
mis- unselfish devotion to the cause Of pTim-
tive christianity and the general veal Of
all mankind"
Mr.. ]. II. Strickling delivered the next
oration on the subject Elections" in
which. while he pointed with pride to our
American institutions, yet viewed with
great alarm the recent and rapid growth Of
the use of corrupt methods in State and
National politics. He believed that the
further education OF the masses and an in
creased interest in public affairs by good
men would do much toward bringing about
the needed reform.
Mr.. E. r. Black concluded his Grafton
-, vrr--raf. Na.dfi a, foIlo-a.