The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-24
CHARTER DAY.
Twenty.third Anniversary Of the
State University.
Grafton and Essays by the Undergraduates.
Professor LIE Conte's Summary Of the
Progress Of Science.

fTOSreSS OF nClence
The weather could not have been more
propitious for the celebration yesterday of
the twenty-third anniversary of the estab-
lshment Of the University of California.
Charter day is one of the chief anniversaries
of the college calendar. and the exercises
marking the observance of the day In 1881
were unusually interesting.
The Harmon gymnasium was chosen as
affording the best auditorium, and there
was not a vacant seat on the floor or in the
gallery when the orchestra played the open
ing number. The hall had been tastefully
decorated with flags and flowers in great
profusion, presenting a gala appearance.
On the wall behind the platform had been
woven with ivy the figures "186S-1S91" and
the monogram ~. Co." signifying Univer-
sity Charter.
Seats were reserved in the front row for
the Rev. Edward Hale, Rev. DR.. Stebbins
and party. These distinguished visitors
listened with marked attention to the papers
read, and shared the enjoyment of the exer-
cises with many prominent people repre-
Senting the literary, social and professional
circles of San Francisco and Oakland
The committees in charge of the entire
proceedings were composed of the follow
ing-named undergraduates: Charter Day
Commltee-H. b. Montague Chairman.
H C. Head F. J. Juiliard, A. S. Blake and
c. w. Merrill, all of the senior class; Re-
ceptOn Committee-J. w. Gunnison, '9l;
A. c. Aiken, '92; Il. NJ. Willis, 81, and
James SpeirS, '94.
WELCOMING THE AUDIENCE.
n,..l 49,,
J. c. AinSworth, '91 President of the Day,
delivered the opening address, in which lie
welcomed the audience to the celebration,
ana then, having briefly referred to the his
tory of the university, recoun ting some OF
her difficulties, outlined the necessities and
future work of the Institution.
The College and the Newspaper Man"
was the subject chosen by j. 5. Partridge,
49, who began by indicating the scope and
proper field of journalism, and while ac-
knowledgIng the power of the press, for
which he professed profound respect, de-
plored the abuse OF journalistic privileges.
Considered from college standpoint ne
thought that newspapers are frequently un-
just, not only to students in their personal
capacity but also TO the faculties of institu-
tons, whose work is sometimes retarded by
indscreet and unnecessary rit'cism. The
field OF journalism was suggested to univer-
sity graduates as possessing many oppor-
tunitieS and unlimited possibilities.
A SCIENTIFIC TRAINING.
Miss C. W. Baldwin, who had been
elected to represent the junior class, read
clever and very original essay on The
Value OF Scientific Training" which. she
said, is fast leaving the age of mere
hypothesis. As science comes from this
half light into the clearness of law and
fact, she is rapidly asserting her power and
assuming her true place in the fields of
human knowledge. Miss Baldwin then be-
came very satirical, and she spoke of the
tendency of the age to make the pursuit of
dollars the sole end and object of ones eX-
istence. Science, she continued, is not only
valuable as an economic factor in business
bat is highly important for purposes of men
tai diSclI line.
The lady concluded by saying that scien-
tiic studies should be approached with
feelings OF earnestneSs, and not as penance
imposed. When studied in the proper
spirit, science will reveal wonders, in fact,
greater than those Of the Imagination
conceptions of intinty beyond the power of
man to understand, from the minuteness of
the microscopic world 10 the immensely of
the stellar spheres, endless above and be-
low his own human form; laws ana forces
acting on every side in the perfect and all
pervading harmony of infinite wisd III.
TYPES OF LITERATURE.
The University Glee Club followed with
new college song, which WAS rapturouSy
encored, aud in response to continued re-
IttlIS the CLuD SdL5 Il uulLUeI VI SllTEIUR
songs, which seemed to arouse the enthusi-
assn of the collegian5 to the highest pitch.
j. ID. Meeker then read paper GU Two
Types of Nineteenth Century Literature"
The essaylst said that the present century
has Witnessed the growth of literary actiY-
ity Of a peculiar nature. Two schools have
sprung up-Une that of speculative poetry,
the other the actuailstIc or realistic novel
After analyz!ng these two types of litera-
ture Mr.. Meeker described their origin and
with They - lIVprSn N n II hot
they can hardly both be the reflex of life
The types deal with life in such a way that
if one Of them be right the other must be
wrong. After an argumentaliYe COMPARE
son OF the two schools the speaker con-
cluded by suggesting that perhaps the novel
Is the best expression OF life that art has yet
attained.
EVOLUTION AND PROGRESS.
Professor Joseph LIE Coute was received
with lOng-cOntinued applause, and read
mastery and exhaustive and also very inter-
estinG treatise on Some Points of Contrast
Between Evolution ana Human Progress"
The reading of his paper was closely fol-
lowed and listened to intenty by the large
audience.
The professor began with a brief history
of the progress of science within recent
years, beginning, as she did, with a con-
sideratUn Of simple matters, and having
established herself firmly upon her first
narrow limits, extended her domain to more
and more complex subjects. For ages upon
ages, like Cinderella, she sat among the
ashes, content to do her humble work,
while her proud sisters, Philosophy and
Literature, Haunted their gaudy coOrs in
the eyes OF an admlring world. But now, at
last touched by the fairy wand of Reason.
she is Transformed into princess and seems
likely to govern the world
OPPOSITE MODES OF VIEW.
Meanwhile, however, out of their ancient
aptaUoniCDS and traditional
there have grown up two opposite modes
of viewing nature, which may almost be
said to characterize philosophy and litera-
ture on the one hand and science ON the
other; the one the natural result of dealing
with man and his higher activities, the other
of dealing with man and with nature in their
lower activities. The outcome of one is a
spiritual philosophy despisiEg our material
nature, of the other material philosophy |
ignoring our spiritual nature and these two |
opposite camps of thought have always been
at feud and are now preparing for q final |
struggle.
There are then two extreme views, the
old and the new, as to the relation Of man
to nature and especially to the animal king |
dom, and find the same two extreme |
views as to the organization of society and
the progress of man. Each is right from its
own point OF view, but wrong in excluding
the other. A true philosophy is stereo-
sc0pic combination of two different surface
hltNo lhbO oulIu l6dlllE' CuCH ID llb
origin of mans spirit from The ANNA of an
mals-of the Pneuma of man from the
Psyche of aninials-by process of evolu-
ton.
AT LAST CAME TO BIRTH.
The spirit in embryo in the womb of ma
ture. unconscious Of itself. but slowly
developing through all geological times, at
last came to birth into higher spiritual and
immortal world: at last became self-con-
scious, self-actve, free spirit in man. This
is the whole process of evolution of the Or
ganic kingdom through infinite time be-
cause it is not else than a divine method for
the creation of spirits.
So organic evolution, reaching its compile
ton in man, was transferred to the higher