The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-06-07

the subject of an grafton by Miss Lucy
Pope. She said that study of the
history of nations shows that the pen
is truly more mighty than the sword.
The greatest nations have crumbled
into ashes. Our real progress and
lasting strength lies in our science,
art, literature and ethics. She show
ed that this was the case with all of
the progressive nations.
Walter A. Plymat gave declama-
tion, "The Honored Dead" proving
himself to be one of the best of the
of the young orators of the High
school.
Miss Elizabeth Davis followed with
an essay on "The English Drama
She traced the advance of the drama
from it's birth to the present day, and
described it's different stages in de-
tail. The natural has taken the place
of the artificial, and nobleness in
action has become the thing. Not
withstanding every effort, the drama
has been on the decline down to the
present day, and this is believed to be
due to the diversity of entertain,
ments. There is nothing that SO ap.
peals to the heart of man as the
drama.
A short intermission was taken at
this point, and the curtain was low.
cred. Miss Nellie E. Mills in the
meantime took her position in COS.
tune to recite 'Laureame, the Marble
Dream" which she did admirably
Miss May Isabel Chapman was ex
cused from reading the class history
Edwin ]. Cornish gave an Grafton
on the subject of ''The Validity OF
the Monroe Doctrine" He said that
the history of the world is discrip.
tion of the encroachments of great
nations on small ones. We admire
England's power, but she has no more
right to appropriate other lands than
man has to take his neighbours pro-
perty. No feature of the fundamen.
tai principles of our government is
more important than the Monroe
Doctrine. 1t asserts the American
idea Of ethics, which places those OF
nations on level of those of indi.
viduals. The enforcement of the
Doctrine has been the salvation of the
southern republics, and has been hon.
orable to America. The principles OF
the Doctrine are as necessary today
as they ever were.
A ladies' chorus then advanced and
sang "Homeward" in a cultivated
manner.
Miss Grace Elenor Comstock was
the next speaker, and her production
was poem, ga Vision of the West, .
very nicely delivered.
Leon T. Jefferson then advanced
and delivered an grafton on "Infiu-
ence of Wealth." He spoke of the
great advance of this country,
although yet in it's youth. He said
that, nevertheless, there are dangers
creeping into our body polite, and
one of these is the accumulation of
wealth in comparatively few hands.
All disturbances of late years have
been between labor and capital, and
can be traced to money-making
schemes of rich men, Wealth is
acquiring too much power, and should
be curbed. Patriotism should take
the place in our minds of money
getting.
Miss Ethel Rice gave the valedic-
tory, saying that commencement for
the graduates is attended with glad
ness and sorrow. She compared the
facilities of learning possessed by the
students of today with those of our
parents, showing them to be i'm
measurably greater today. For these
advantages we can thank our parents.
She expressed her gratefulness to the
school board, and then addressed a