The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-06-20
TwENTY-sIxTH COMMENCEMENT OF
WESTERN MARYLAND COLLEGE.
Synopsis of the Baccalaurate Sermon
Large Attendance Names of Gradu-
ates-LiSt of Awards and Prizes
Comforting of Degrees, sc.

sunday morning, June 18th. The SUDDEN
body followed by the Graduating Glass anC
Faculty, in cap and gown, marched into
Smith Hall at 1870 to the processiona
played by Miss Lewis director of the Depart
ment OF Music. The professional used wa.
Luther's soul-stirring Hymn ga Mighty For
tress Is Our God
the hour conducted by Rev. W. R. Graham,
D. D., Rev. P. H. Miller, Rev. Joel Brown,
Prof; James W. Reese, Phi D., and Rev. j.
L. Ward, ID. d. The College choir furnished
excellent music for the occasion. The 'sTe
Deum' was chanted antiphonally by the choir
and school and the choir sang the HalleluiaE
Chorus from Handel's Messiah. Miss Mary
Eulgenia Lewis sang with excellent effect i
solo, Eye Hath Not Seem; by Ganl.
DIR. Lewis announced for his text. Teach
the children of Judah the use of the bow Z
Sam LIS. After brief exposition of the
text he proceeded to apply it directly TO the
occasion and TO draw lessons of patriotism.
The text, he said was David first royal order
and showed that he, like all great kings, put
the education of his subjects above ever thing
else and provided SPLENDID facilities and re-
wards for those who successfully taught
ms people any useful art. David, in this
elegy upon the death of Saul and Jonathan
evidently wishes 10 inspire the youth with
ambition to emulate their courage, their prov.
ess and their patriotism. Whatever else David
intended, the Song of the Bow was undoubt-
eddy martial air, the use of the bow is mar
tial art and the poem a martial ode. He is
striving to produce and cherish martial
spirit. DR.. Lewis said-"We hold it TO be the
duty of every educational institution in this
land to recognize the fact that they are train
ing not isolated, Independent individuals, but
the youth of the nation. We must remember
IN all our teaching that we have the nation at
school. We keep this thought ever before us
in this college. We strive to inculcate patriot
ism, not war on dress parade. We do not
believe that such teaching will produce
Jingoes and ip-on-the-shoulder statesmen
who imagine that the only path to glory leads
through blood. But the lingo spirit is only an
exaggeration of national spirit. While we do
not admire the bully, not even national
bully, we must remember that bully is only a
false development If we exterminate the
lingo spirit is the purely commercial spirit
any better? Must We never go to war because
war is so often proclaimed by the irresponsible
DISCLAIMERS who pirate for mere effect. Must
we wait until every body has all his invest
ments arranged for war. A lingo may not he
good material for national hero, but what
will you do with coward.
To have nation we must have national
spirit, not Drag and buster The logical con.
clusion ofnatonal spirit is martial spirit. The
ultimate analysis of every determination, in
dividnal or national. is force. He that de-
termines to secure or hold an object must de-
termine ultimately that if no other was is pos
slble he will fight for it, | can imagine no
indignation too hot for those who would, by
reckless defamation, plunge us into such an
extremity. But there are some things worse
than the lingo spirit. To purchase peace too
dearly is worse. To love material prosperity
and luxury and ease so well as not to love
honor more, is worse. To analyze and calcu-
late and question like Falstaff before ''that
word honor" until ''the iingIing of the guinea
helps the hurt that honor feels is worse, in
fnitely worse. 1t is the martial spirit, the
spirit of patriotism, the spirit that loves all
and risks all to make our country right and
to keep it right and our schools should incul-
cate this sort of martial spirit. Whatever else
we teach we should teach the children OF
Judah the use of the bow"
The martial spirit must be controlled by
moral order The wars of Judah were all wars
of the Lord They taught the use of the bow
as they did the commandments and with their
other devout thanksgiving they chanted
BLESSED be the Lord my strength which
teaches my hands to war and my fingers to
fight Our nation drew the inspiration OF
its origin from the same source. The voyage
of the Mayfower was religious pilgrimage.
They held themselves to be the instruments
of God and according TO their light
fought and governed in the fear Of God
and in the beauty of holiness. Every
one should know that when the domi-
nant tone of authority of this nation ceases to
be religions it ceases to be moral, and when
it ceases to be moral it ceases to be authority
at all. Though the name of God be not
written in our constitution the thoughts of
God are indelibly written in every line of our
constitution and interviewer with the very fibre
of our polity. This is Christian nation and
in all things real and great we are children of
God. Woe TO those who would waken the
martial spirit IN the American breast without
having first brought that spirit under the firm
control of moral order.
There are two great forces we must reckon
with; the martial spirit and spirit of moral
order. As nation we have come to our
present peace and prosperity out of great
tribulation. We were born amid the smoke
and carnage of battle and have preserved our
life as a country only at the cost of much
blood and treasure. In our own day there is
another great moral idea and the contest is
gathering volume and intensity to such a de-
gree that the bow must again be drawn to de-
liver the desolated homes and broken hearted
wives and children whom the licensed saloon
continues to crush. May we be saved from n
civil war. But do not exyect an appeal to
the sword. The tendency of modern devel
opment is to demonstrate the absurdity and
wickedness ofwar Men have grown to realize
that humiliation is an unsatisfactory method
IF g fuhf
martial spirit of the age is now to be evoked
in the defense and promotion of ideas. |
feel sure my students will not rest in in glorious
ease while great conflicts are being waged
aroung you. We hope we have taught you
the use of the bow.
! have said this is an age of ideas not mere
shadows of things. ! mean moral ideas, ideas
that have their roots down deep in the human
heart The part you act will be judged ulti-
mately by the moral standard alone and il
victorious here all other victories are unim-
portant.
1t is idle to talk of saving the nation except
by saving the individual, and no individual is
saved except through fierce and prolonged
conflict, with inpurity of thought, word and
deed | am greatly concerned to persuade
you that no modern improvement has been or
can be made on that old doctrine that the
pure in heart are blessed, for they shall see
God. | cannot be accused of extravaganza
when say that many of our amusements and
recreations, much of our literature and gen.
eral lowering of the tone, if not positive, dis
sipation encouraged and fostered in the pres
cut day, are doing as much to weaken and
corrupt the manhood and womanhood of
America as an insidious RIGHTEOUSNESS did
long ago for France Purity today is a costly
jewel. You must fight against environment.
Fight social forms that make our girls less
modest and our boys less sincere; fight those
sentiments which make light of virtne
and laugh at consciousness; fight as you
would midnight assassin, a corrupt litera..
ture, not only the coarse obscenity condemned
by our laws, but the more refined indecencies
which steal virtue away unawares, fight for
purity, pure unsullied womanhood and an
equally spotless manhood.
You should all go into politics regardless
of the weak cant about its being dirty
pool with which decent men have no
part. Do not strive for Office and you
will find politics has no temptations save
those which are common to man. We
should join some party but belong to no party.
Man is not subordinate to party. The state
as well as the citizen must be enfranchised.
1t is necessary to draw the bow. All this good
will not come except through conflict. Does
IL l.. mann