Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-06-12

Commencement exercises Of the gradu-
ating class were held in the auditorium
last evening before large audience. The
front of the stage was banked with laurel
and the graduating class occupied seats
upon the stage. High overhead was the
class motto, "Semper Fidelis,' on back
ground of green. After music by the or
chestra and prayer by Rev. c. o. Day the
school sang THE lost chord" Principle
Beverage then introduced the speaker of
the evening, President w. J. Tucker of
Dartmouth college, whose theme was THE
value and the limit of the principle of util-
ity in education" President Tucker j an
effective speaker, and his address was one
of the most finished and scholarly ever
heard in Brattleboro.
When Thoreau graduated at Harvard
it was about 80 years ago-he made state
ment in his graduating address which must
have seemed even then quite extraordi-
nary. 1.-THE world" he said, sis more
beautiful than useful" A graduate of to-
day would think once and again before
saying that.
Whether in fact the world is more beau
tiful than useful is not debatable ques-
ton. Everything depends upon the point
of view. Where, however, one sees real
beauty in the world, doubtless ten see
more clearly some kind of utility; and
without doubt the proportion is increasing
in this direction. For certainly the world
| is growing more useful. Every decade
since Thoreau affirmed the preponderance
of beauty, has witnessed a marvellous
advance in the useful arts. When meas
ured by any standard of material develop
ment the value of the world has well nigh
| doubled within this time. Beauty mean
while has remained a constant quantity
| Here and there what may be called the
civilization of nature, its adornment, as in
the suburbs of our cities, has added some
what to its beauty; but the great unaided
operations of nature, which give us the
scenery of earth and sea and sky, have re-
ceived no increase. The world of nature
which holds the secret of perennial beauty
is the same to the eye of modern, that it
was to the eye of the Psalmist or of Homer
1t is manifestly impossible to beautify ma
tuTe to the extent to which we may utilize
its powers.
But l had no intention when began of
| drawing out the contrast between beauty
and utility. | wished merely to show, TAX
ing Thoreau's aphOrism as a background,
the tremendous growth in recent years of
the idea or conception of utility, because
| Vi Jne lnuellSe CROWN VI lne ldcI. III is
now, as anyone can see, the dominant con-
! ceptiOn.
The present demand that education shall
be more practical, to take the popular form
of the demand, is only the natural conse-
quence of the growing usefulness of the
world, and the consequent growth of the
conception of utility.
l think it will appear, when we come in
to concrete statement, that we practically
define the idea of utility in education when
we say that it represents that product of
education which finds a sure and quick
market in the material demands of modern
life. The principle of utility seeks to make
education available in the every day strug-
gle for existence, and equally in the effort
for the material betterment Of society.
Now there are limits to this principle of
utility which | shall want to emphasize as
proceed. Education founded on utility
is just as narrow as education founded on
the ecclesiastical, the military, the social
or the scholastic idea. But there are GER
tain values in the principle which wish to
recognize, and upon which wish to insist
as pass on, because as it seems to me
! these particular values are in danger of be-