Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-06-09
HONORS AWARDED.
CONFINEMENT EXERCISES At THB WEST
VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY.
Norranbwn Alive With Psople-A Series Of In
isrsstng Sessions Climaxing IN ths
Formal GradaahOn-0thsr Incidents
Of he Occasion.

OF SupperS, sermons, aQQreSseS'u VI i''Si 0'1H
Duets and countless features literature
which have characterized commence
ment week at the seat Of the State uni
versity, and over which hundreds have
fetsd mentally and physically, came to
q delightful climax yesterday In the Tor
mai graduation OF the senior class.
The exercises took place yesterday
morning at ten o'clock In the new COM
MANAGEMENT hall, now one OF the most
Epacious auditOriumS in the State, capa-
Die OF seating 1000 people and admir-
ahly arranged as to light, vantage and
ventilation The stage is unusually
. large. and the galleries are wide and ex-
lend around on three sides OF the hail.
The seats being on the inclined plan.
There Is scarcely a seat in the vast IN
lerior that does not command an open
view of the stage. Large numbers OF
visitors poured into MOrgantown on
Tuesday night 70 be in readiness for the
graduation, and early yesterday morn
Ing scores Of teams rolled 10 from the
contiguous country, al the occupants
being In their best bib and tucker. For
two davs the hotels and boarding houses
have been taxed 20 their utmost CapGc-
itv. and az the two larger hOstelrys
the rooms were early hlled,
and the prOprietOrS had 70
engage rooms outside, 10 some instances
three-ouarters of mile distant. With
ali this influx the otherwise quiet
and uudisturbed thOrOughtares were
thronged with people all day yesterday,
and downtown sections looked for
awhile like New York city compressed.
While the graduation exercises were
not scheduled till ten o'clock, as early
as eight o'clock the tOwSpeOple and the
hundreds OF visitors began 10 wend
their way TO the scene Of action, and for
a long time the SinuOus route OF APP
proach presented an almost endless ar
raw Of humanity, costumes vary
ing in color from the somore 10 the
startling, ribbons flying and fans nut
tering. While the hall was well filled
10 was not taxed 20 its utmost ca
pacity. There were probably 1900
people present, and as the entrance Is
made FROM the same side OF the hall
with the stage, the late incOmer is
brought face to face with the great sea
Of humanity both above and below, and
the spectacle OF yesterday seemed al
most inspiring.
There were no fixed floral decorations
Of any kind, bat the nall was new and
inviting, and this feature was more
than c0uuteracted by the large number
of bOquets and baskets which relatives
and friends brought to beStOw upon
the graduates. In many Of the baskets
were oranges, bananas and other kinds
OF fruit. The cOurtesieS thus extended
were excessively ELUSIVE, and in such
quantities did they pile upon the stage
that two OF the graduates were banked
up as high as their knees. A portion OF
the graduates appeared in full evening
dress, while most of them wore the
regulation flock coat.
] Music was furnished by the Wheeling
-jnBefa II, use Orchestra, the musicians
having bcca .aere since early Tuesday,
and they rendered some of their most
inspiritng airs.
The exercises opened with prayer by
Rev. 5. II. Day, pastor OF the Metho-
dist church at MOrgautOwn, after which
President Turner made q few opening
remarks 10 which he stated that the
college had enjoyed a most prosperous
year, that 10 had enrolled more students
than ever before, and gave promise Of
still further activity the coming year.
President Turner announced as the first
speaker Mr.. George NJ. Alexander who
chose for his subject "Pauperism." He
started out by saying that there were
two classes OF p2uperS, those made 50 by
adversely and those made so by
choice. More often IL IS the lack Of
kind words aud sympathy that is needed
IN place OF money TO help on the indi-
gent. IL Is . mistaken idea OF churches
aud benevolent societies continually
giving money 20 the needy. Much Of
their work Is done In such n manner
that 10 does not bring about the results
hoped for. You might as we'll try TO
drum religion into drove Of cattle, as
TO iuStill the same spirit into a gang Of
beggars huddled together in dingy
tenement. The speaker meant 10 con-
vey the idea that too frequent and lib
eral giving tended TO keep alive the con-
ditiOn OF Indulgence. for so long as people
are Systematically helped they work
less. 10 was better along with Sympa-
thy, 20 encourage thrift and habits Of
industry. The Grafton was thought
ful one, and ELECTED rounds Of applause.
The second speaker was Mr.. John w.
Francis, who talked entertaiuingly of
the Marriage ana Divorce Law" aud
ventilated a subject which has not In
frequently been touched upon by law
yers OF recent years He cOndOned
most emphatica.ly the irregularities Of
divorce laws as they now exist In the
various States. Statistics show that the
United States grant more divorces than
any other nation on the globe. There
were %, 600 divorces granted in the
United States last year. So long as
divorces can be obtained so easily mar
riage can no longer be considered
divine aud sacred agreement, compact
In the eyes OF God. II one State has a
rigid law, the applicant merely goes 70
another State where the laws are more
lenient, until it is now possible 20
get married, divorced and remarked
ia one year. The only solution
Of this problem is a uniformity of the
laws. Let the same laws and the same
requirements exist in every State. Ii
should be no easier 20 get divorce in
Dakota than in West Virginia. Mar
rage strikes az the root OF home life,
and this above sll things should be
rigidly guarded. The speaker advO-
Gated constitutional provision by Con-
gressional enactment 70 control the
matter OF divorce, as upon this ulti-
mately depended the hope Of the nation.
Mr.. John NJ. Hackney then Grated
upon Industrial Revolution, and pre-
dicted that this was destined to be the
greatest problem Of the twentieth cen
tury. Complete amicable arrangements
haVa not ham nnnctnd as var q tow