Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-06
BERKELEY GRADUATES.
A DAY WITH THE STUDENTS AT THE
STATE UNIVERSITY.
Graduating Exercises of the Glass of 30
Some of the Essays-A Corre-
spondent's Observations.

Graduating Exercises of the Glass of '9t
Some of the Essays-A Core
spondent's Observations.
EDS. SUNDAY UNION: The 25th of Jun,
ushered in an exceptionally beautiful day
A bright sun revealed all the soft molding
of the undulating hills TO visitors crossiBs
the bay on their way to Berkeley TO wit
ness the commencement exercises of "tht
boys in Berkeley. 1t was the twenty-frs
anniversary of the Berkeley University
A large number of people left the cars a
the station and with happy, expectan1
faces went trooping up the hill together
Among others, l noticed the Jove-like
frame of Governor Waterman and bis
sweet, saint. eyed wife. AS they mingled
unostentatiously among the crowd they
looked, indeed, q representative type of our
republican form of government, that all
were glad to witness who have the interests
of true republicanism at heart, in these
days of ostentation and display.
After leaving the grateful shade of the
never-to-be-forgotten beautiful trees we
| found the open space dotted with the
| bright-colored dresses of visitors, wander
| ing about from one building to another,
improving the day by an investigation of
everything of interest connected with the
| institution.
The exercises were held in Harmon
Gymnasium, which was decorated much
the same as on class days. The platform
was banked with brush, green leaves,
mixed with many. colored pelargoniums
| and other bright flowers. Flags and drap-
| cries of red and white were artisticalIy dis
played overhead, and on the sidewalks
| were the words, Post Proelium Praenliuna-
| AFTER the battle comes reward" or, after
work comes repose." Governor Water
| man and other distinguished visitors, the
Faculty, members of the Board of Re-
gents and the class of 80 formed in pro-
| cession at the library, aid accompanied by
| band of music marched to the gymna-
SUM, where the officials were seated on
| the platform and the class took their seats
| below on the left.
After tremendous applause and music by
| the band, Rev. f. b. Pullan opened the ex-
ercises with an unctuous prayer in which
| he praised the matches beauty of the day,
and with fervency thanked God for the
| blessings conferred upon the students at
Berkeley by Natures beautiful surround
ings.
| Then followed an Grafton by Orrin Kip
| McMurray, which really was an old
fashioned Grafton, delivered without notes,
in stentorian tones, ringing out with great
power, suggestive of future usefulness in
| the Senate chamber of our great Republic
The young man seemed inspired with his
subject and quite able to roll fiery thunder
bolts to all opponents not so we'll supported
as himself in an abiding faith in the su-
periority of man over every other creation
In Nature, the grandeur of his ultimate
destiny and the highest expression of
divine power. His subject was, "Pessim-
ism in Modern Thought"
| Within the last century, he said, it has
become the fashion to speak of man as a
melancholy disappointment, and it is a
matter of wonder how, in an age like this,
such pessimis,ic ideas ever gained such a
foothold in the land. Never before has
| everything which makes life comfortable
and elevated as at the present time; and
all these modern Improvements, which are
aids to higher development of mankind,
have been evolved from the busy and
thoughtful brain of man. Even the as
tronomer joins in the chorus, and points
to the latest discovered star and tells his
hearers how much more important in the
universe is that one little star, millions OF
miles away, than the atom, man. And fol-
reply, he would ask if it was not the brain
of man which constructed and invented
the instrument through which the astrono
mer was enabled to make these discover
les. But these pessimistic ideas permeated
1 ond nafr ha
mind. He was sorry TO say it was to be
found everywhere, when the fact was, the
divine genius of man was never so fully
inspired for doing good as now, nor never
before so worthy of his maker. The
speaker YVES well applauded.
Edward H. Stearn's Grafton was upon
"The Foundation of the Government" and
he endeavored to prove that the words OF
the Constitution, which claims that every
citizen has inalienable rights, was a falacy.
He believed that answering, unyielding
moral law should constitute the fabric OF
our government, and said that every man
sin should fall with equal disaster upon
himself as on those he sinned against, this
idea being the justification of punishment.
This was a learned discourse, and indicated
great research.
David c. Demarest was excused from
reading his thesis, his subject being one the
public is not interested in, "The Analysis
OF Thermodynamic Motor"
Ernest n. Henderson talked about art.
He thought that in the development OF
man from savage to civilized being art
should hold the highest place, and said
that beauty in art was the divine truth in
US struggling for expression. Art was the
God-inspired ideal of our souls trying to
become incarnated in material forms.
l Dracilant Of To-,
versity of the Pacific in San Jose, the oldest
college on the coast, gave his idea of what
constituted true scholar. His address was
thrillipgly eloquent and stirred lis hearers
through and through. His words were re-
plete with a profound knowledge of his
tory, both ancient and modern and per-
meated throughout with the highest pa.
triotic feeling. He reproduced stirring
recollections of Abraham Lincoln's great
ness of original thought, crystallized into
action, when he struck the shackles from
the limbs of the slave and made every man
in this great republic free.
| He quoted the words of Bismarck that
have lately come from over the water
Generalization is disrupting the govern
ing powers of Germany, and education in
Russia develops Nihilism." We in Amer.
lea are not in the habit of looking upon
education in that way. We take an en-
tirely opposite view of the subject. Thus
far education has served us well, and we
have found 70 cause to change our views
and adopt those of despotic government
Education may be troublesome to kings
and queens. but we find it necessary inn
plement to help sustain our Government.
In America education encourages the ven
tilation of all thought and action in the
open air of criticism. We do not under
stand an education which encourages secret
plotting in dark corners. Such conduct
must be the result of the conditions OF
despotism. A university should teach q
scholar how to think for himself, and
never to accept anything but truth, IN.
biased By any prejudice either of church,
State, personal surroundings or habits
He thanked Thomas Carlyle. and all the
other hero martyrs along the shores OF
time, who had possessed the courage to
break through the hardened crust OF GUS
tom and throw away forever useless dogmas
and isms which were q hindrance to ad-
vancing thought and action. Undoubtedly
the grandest step in intellectual advance
meDt and progress yet taken was the equal
education of boys and girls together.
There are two kinds of education-ths
lower and the higher. The lower is thai
which equips the doctor, lawyer and sci
enlist with all the dry details and facts
connected with their professions. The