Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-23
their SCHOOL TASKS ENDED
Closing Exercises of Two
Well-known institutions.
GRADUATES AND PRIzE-WINNERS
Friends School and the Acad-
emy of the Visitation.


by frrstdent DE Gnrmo of Swarthmore
College--Two Interesting Events.
The commencement exercises of the
class of '92, Friends school, were held yes
terday week in the meeting house,
Fourth and West streets. The visitors,
| friends and relatives of the pupils and of
the graduates filled the large building TO
excess.
The pulpit and sounding board were
gracefully decorated in white and apple
| green draperies, with palms and other
plants disposed on either side of the plat
form. The floral decoration comprised
masses of field daisies clustered along the
top Of the sounding board railing. Princ-
pal Isaac I. Johnson, President Charles De
Garmo of Swarthnore College, and the
graduates, Percy Fielding Hayes Bessie
Sedgwick, William Bush, Roland Grubb
Kent, Warren. Jackson Haines, and
Miriant Worrell Webb, were seated on the
| platform.
Principal johnson introduced Percy II.
Hayes, who spoke upon "The Florentine
Reformer," i'll an attractive historical
| strain. He was followed by Bessie Sedg-
wick, il an extremely interesting paper
entitled "Our American Forests, J" in which
| worthy appeal was made for the better
| preservation of these fast disappearing
| legacies of our great natural domain
| William Bush spoke on the Life and
Times Of Edmund Burke" The great
commoner's wonderful gifts of intellect
and his marked talents were shown, also
the effect Of his eloquence upon those who
listened to him in the halls OF Westmin-
ster. Roland Grubb Kent dscoursed on
| the topic, Foreign Criticism of America. y
He claimed that. while the English did not
| dispute our better common school system,
| yet that our standard of completer OF col
legiate education is rapidly on the rise. He
asserted the charge of political corruption
| to be exaggerated, and that we are scarcely
more corrupt politically than European
nations, He conceded that Bright's criti-
| cism of the worship of wealth as it obtains
here may be true.
Warren jackson Haines next spoke in a
very attractive manner upon the "Great
English Tribune" This is of course John
Bright. He referred to the latter's CO.
operation with Golden in the anti-corn
law league and the long seven years battle
which ultimately resulted in the abolish
ment of the corn law and the admission of
untaxed grain to British ports. 1t was
Bright and Cobden's greatest effort. The
speaker also referred to Bright's position
in the Crimean war debate and in regard
to the southern rebellion. In closing he
made some reference to Brights difference
with Gladstone on the Irish question.
iAlNhhlh lllC WAS bllt SuDltCJ Oh
a delightful historical monograph most
pleasngly told by Miriam Worrell Webb.
The various historical opinions on this
strange character in English history were
fully and fairly discussed. The speaker
was applauded.
Principal johnson then took the plat
form for the distribution Of diplomas. He
stated that two pupils, lie Baron Barker
and Samuel Middleton, had completed the
prescribed school course, preparatory to
ollege cmatriculation.
The principal then made brief address
to the six graduates, following which the
presentation of diplomas was made.
The address to the graduating class was
made by President De Garmo of Swarth-
more College, who was introduced to the
audience by Principal johnson.
Mr.. De Garmo introduced his remarks
with sketch OF past seasons holiday
stroll in Europe, along the banks of the
Neckar, tributary OF the Rhine. The
party climbed the mountain heights and
after a two hours effort reached what
was called an outlook tower. There was
found an expansive view, including the
ranges of the Vosges and the French val
leys. The young graduates before him
had been climbing not for two hours but
for several years and had now reached
their outlook tower.
There have been great many changes
during the last 40 or 50years. The speakers
father who is 20 years old remembers well
when there were no matches nor Stoves
Most marked changes have come about
also in education. The two chief purposes
of education are preparation for life and
the love of education. Had his listners
visited Congress 10 years ago or in the time
of Hamilton they would have heard
Greek and Latin quoted frequently. But
you might be there u month now and lot
bna utt old nuI
10 century is the tlood-tide of Democratic
ideas. Public men now go to the roots of
the why's and wherefore's of Democratic
government. We have such men as Ely
Adams Johns Hopkins, &c.
Modern conditions have forced men to
put their purses together for mutual pro.
lection and gain. In large cities you see
one big store doing every kind of business.
Who heard OF Kodak 10 years ago? In
some mans busy brain it arose. He saw
clearly the needs of such an invention, its
demand and practical value. "You press
the button and we do the rest" tells all the
story in few words. The inventor got
the attention of the people and now
wherever he may be he is probably
wealthy.
Higher education in this country pays
well for its followers. In Chicago Uni
versity the professors receive 100 year;
in the Leland Stanford University of Cali
fornia 5000 and so on IN Yale and Har-
ward. III medicine in law and in the
ministry the best taught men, possessed
with the deepest insight through the
higher education succeed and Gull the best
the country offers. 10 approach them or
to aspire we, too, must have higher edu-
cation.
At the close of President De Garmo's adj
dress Principal Johnson invited the audi
ence TO visit the class rooms across the
way. Special invitation was given to see
the art class rooms conducted by Clawson
= Hammitt. The invitation was numer-
ously accepted and in few minutes Mr..
lIammitt had all he could do in discussing
and exhibiting the extremely credItable
work of his pupils displayed along the