The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-30
One Hundred and Sixty-Seven
Graduates Receive the De-
gree of B. A.
TWO ELOQUENT ADDRESSES
Touching Words of President Jor-
dan and Vice-President Stillman
at the Parting.


versity passed into history to-day. One
hundred and sixty-seven young men and
women received the degree of Alb. and
thereby severed their connection, as STU
dents, with the institution
The commencement exercises were held
in the gymnasium. which was packed to
its utmost capacity by visitors, relatives
and friends of the graduates. Vice-Presi-
dent Stillman delivered the address,
specialization in Education" mastery
discourse, followed by President Jordan in
one of the ablest utterances ever heard on
the campus. Hundreds of people, stand
ing in cramped, uncomfortable positions,
preserved the utmost silence and rapt at
tention during the impressive ceremony.
The audience, the music, the decorations,
the sentiment and the wisdom of the speak
ers made the exercises fitting conclusion
TO the programme of this memorable week
in the history of the university.
DR.. Stillman delivered an address never
10 be forgotten by those who heard him.
He classed the highest aim of education as
the fitting of the individual 70 be of The
greatest possible service TO the race In
general. he said, it is also true that the
man fitted to be of greatest service to the
race is also best fitted to improve his own
condition and to increase his own comfort
and happiness. A system of education
which should ignore the first and greater
object would contain the seed of its own
dissolution, for in the long run society is
banded together against organized selfish
ness.
The speaker traced the advance of edu-
CatiOnal facilities from the years when
systematic teaching was designed only for
the priesthood down to the present era
with its belief in universal knowledge.
Education he declared to be one of the few
good things which could be obtained at
ksJtle cost. The methods of the present
day were contrasted with those of the past.
Said he:
The problems then that face advanced edu-
cation to-day are commensurate in their
importance with the problems which already
confront oUr civilization, or which more or less
distinctly are discerned through the mists
which veil the future.
The century now nearing its close has been a
period OF unexampled material and industrial
progress, and ! believe also of social and
political improvement well. Though we
are confronted with wholesale corruption,
raseali y aud crime, it is yet reassuring re-
member that they are generally and clearly
recognized 10 be corruption, raseaEtv and
crime. and not called honesty, rectitude and
benehcence even by the most corrupt ex-
ponents OF public opinion.
Many causes have conspired to make the past
century thus remarkable in its DEVELOPMENT;
rapid methods of transit, rapid and cheap in
accommodation OF ideas, railroads, steam
ships, telegraphs; but more than all, the in
crease of education and the consequent
emancipation of thought from the thralldom of
old PHILOSOPHERS and dead dogmas.
The impulse arising from the study of
natural and physical science has played no
small part in this stimulation of latent human
possibilities. Naturally there have arisen
from the changing conditions of life new
social, political and industrial problems
making necessary more varied and different
educational preparation. The great variety of
schools for general and special training and
the dive rsity OF ideas as to function and
methods OF education are evidences of the
attempt to suit educational methods to the
various needs of the time
The century soon to be ushered in will
doubtless carry forward, perhaps still more
rapidly, the industrial and material develop
ment OF civilization. Its achievements may
be greater than those OF the nineteenth but it
would be strange if the future century were
not beset with difficulties and dangers COM
mensurate with the magnifcence of its
pIOuIls6 OtutT directions.
Problems already face US which tax to the
utmost the knowledge and ability of the best
trained experts; problems affecting the
mutual relations between ma tons inter-
national, international commerce or finance;
equally difficult questions of internal ad-
ministration, currency, tariff, taxation,
the relation of the Government to the in
dividual, charities and correction; thew need
not be further enumerated, we all recognize
ham Mon ofa1
easily regulated become more difficult and of
greater import through the growing complexity
OF social machinery. Thus the Capitalization
of capital into mammoth corporations or
trusts, with power that springs from more
than kingly wealth, has given rise to questions
of great public Importance; questions which
troubled but little when competition was freer
SD the relations of supply and demand less
Istricted.
The state has found itself compelled TO inter
fere TO protect the public from the abuse of
Npower by wealthy corporations, and perhaps
no task before US is of greater importance than
that of protecting the public from such or
CARNATIONS, and at the same time protecting
great business enterprises from an equally IN
just and tyrannous abuse OF the power of legis-
lation. Concentration of capital has made
possible organizations of labor for its own pro-
lection, and here again a giant strength is
reused which public policy must control, that
it be not used against the rights OF others nor
the welfare of the state.
How are we to acquire the wisdom and bill
ity to deal with such questions on the basis of
equity and honesty and with intelligent I'M
5erstanding of the factors involved in their
settlement Only, 1 am convinced, by the
gradual elevation OF the people to a higher av-
erage of honesty and intelligence, and further
than that by the thorough special education of
a large number of men to act as leaders of
public opinion in their respective branches of
The greater the mum Der of such
leaders the more this training, and the more
varied the lines of thought in which such lead
ers exist, the more rapid and free from changes
will be the march of progress.
DIR. Stillman made brilliant plea for
in the institutions of learn
ing-for system of education that would
,,fepare the student for some special walk
n life-give him profession or a calling.
With knowledge of its most intricate de-
tails. He defined specialization as an APP
plication of study in some particular
,ranch to identity the student with & GER
ain field of human knowledge. DR.. Still
nan closed with the words of the Califor-