The times., 1897-05-01
THE COLUMBIAN ALUMNI
Annual Meeting at the Banquet
Board Of Old Students.
HONOR THEIR ALMA MATER
Several Very Interesting Speeches.
Congressman Corliss DiscOurses
on the Civil Service Laws, Which
He Calls "Obnoxious Measures"
Senator Harrjs' Talk.

With song ,speecbmaking andgood fellow
ship the Old Columbian Alumni A ssociaticI
held their annual reunion dit the banque,
boardin hesupper-roomofthe Ebbitt House
last night The good fello owship part was
especially In evidence, and from the offer
ing up OF grace to the singing OF s.yiye
Columbian" with which the Festivities all
from the alumnas of half century ago to
thenew pledged bachelor ofiast year agree.
to forget their graduation aud lived ovei
the old glorious college days.
The tables in the banquet hall were ar
ranged i'll horseshoe form, with President
Whitman at the center and the speakers
of the evening seated to either side OF him
Rev. DR.. S. II. Greene, of the Calvary
Baptist Church, delivered the invocation.
The first speaker was Mr.. Chaplin Brown,
president of the association, who responded
to the toast, "Our Alma Mater" Mr..
Brown spoke of the many advantages en-
1oyed by the Columbian University. of
its situation in the capital of the nation,
having as component parts of the institu-
tion the Congressional Library, the va
rious museums, the observatory and similar
repositories of knowledge, to all OF Which
the students have free access.
Another advantage OF the university,
he continued, was that it culls its pupils
from the citizens of Washington and
that class Of people who have made this
city famous as the scientific and literary
center of the nation.
s'But after ALL" he said, 1T is the
teachers who are the principal part OF
an educational institution, and TO them
is to be asoribed the place which Co
lUmbian holds in the world of titles to-
day. Therefore 1 feel sure that / have
with me the hearts Of all present when
l bid them continue In the noble work
which they have SO ably performed thus
far" =
DR. whitman, who spoke next on The
University dwelt oil the functions of an
institute of higher learning, which, he said,
is for the broadening Of mems lives, for
the dissemination OF that thing called
culture. what is culture?'' ne said.
"Itis continuity. You can capture armies.
You can oyerturn empires, but you cannot
destroy the spirit of nation, its culture.
1t is today the great conservative principle
Of our country and of all civilizations
LET Us tell them, he said, in conclusion,
''rally to the aid OF our alma mater, which
has admitted us TO the brotherhood Of
letters, which forms the world OF culture -
John B. Corliss, who followed, stirred
up round after round OF applause by his
vigorous attack on the civil service law,
which he stigmatized as 1.-THE most OBJ
noxious measure ever passed in this
country"
Look at the law school of Columbian
University today" he said, ''and you viii
see studying there young men employed in
our Government departments.
The rule OF rotation in office affords
them this opportunity. But put the civil
service law, under which men grow Old
in office, in force, and what becomes of
these ambitious young men?
In my opinion the civil service law
was method devised by an ingenious
minister in q monarchy to protect his
poteutate against the wrath of an in
dignant people.
III this law is to remain in force ten
years the departments Will be filled up
with old, worn-out human machines, and
the Government service will be q series
OF holmes for pensioners.
''If this law is good one, why not ap-
plyit tothe Houseof Representatives.
Mr.. Coriiss also paid his respects TO the
enlistment laws, which require the recruit
to sign for at least four years Such law,
he said, kills all patriotism. Small wonder
that q large proportion of them desert.
The proper law would be one which viii
give a recruit the privilege OF esigning
after one years service.
Z II ofK
ed to the toast, The Arts and the HuInani-
ties,'' made a strong speech favoring plac-
ing the college in the outskirts of the city,
where the students could have a campus
an be surrounded blythe beauties of nature.
He was reassured by President Whitman,
who informed him that d movement tending
TO this end is now in progress.
DR.. Carr spoke of the new hospital which
Is to be erected as an annex TO the medical
school, and said that the Alurnnae may
soon have an opportunity to show their
by contributing TO its support.
Songs were rendered during the evening
by the Columbian Quartet.
Those seated around the table were:
Brainard Avery, DR.. J. Wesley Bovee,
Chaplin Brown, Adds B. Browne, DIR. L. d.
Carman, DR.. W. p. Carr, Hon. John B. Cor
ss, j. Taylor Cronin, Bart Daily, Henry
E. Davis, w. A. DeCaindry, w. Riley
Decide, John c. Fay, E. D. Fathers. Col.
Weston Flint, DR.. W. A. Frankland, A rthur
H. Giles. Prof. j. b. Gore, Rev. s. Fl.
Greene, Justice John NJ. Harlan, DIR. H.
8. T. Harris, Senator w. A. Harris, Col E.
B. Hay, Melville d. Hensey, Prof H. L.
Hodgkins, Charles W. Holmes, Alexander
H. Holt, A. j. Hough ton, Prof.
A. j. Huntington, Tracy L. Jeffords,
DR.. w. w. Johnston, DR.. A. F. A King,
William B. King, Hon. John Lamb, T. A
Lambert, Prof. j. Lamson-Scribner, John
B. Larner, DR.. George Latimer, DR.. j.
Hall Lewis, Prof. L. d. Lodge, F. d. Nc
Kenney, Prof. Otis T. Mason. William f.
Mattingly, Philip Mauro, Prof. A. P. Mon
tague, Prof. C. E. Munroe, Col. NJ. NJ. Par
ker, b. Kennon Peter, Prof. f. B. Pollard.
DR.. B. G. Pool, c. C. Poole, Chicago; Prof.
M. NJ. Ramsey. Wilson G. Reed, DR.. c. w.
DIR. Sterling Ruffin, DIR. George
C. Samson, Dr. E. A. de SchweinitZ, DR.
D. X. Shute, Rev. c. A Stakeley, Alonzo
II. Stewart, c. L. Sturtevant, Dr. j. L.
Minor r. Sullivan, Prof. G. G.
G uish n Terr;II duncan ThOmDSOU.