The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-06-10

delivery added power to his eloquent.
thought. ''The United States as an
Power" was his subject.
The diplomatic history of the United
States is record Of which every citi-
zen should feel proud. From the first
our country has advanced, step by step,
without the aid or management of
trained diplomatists and without an
army or navy to protect it's interests
abroad. A strong sense of justice had
enabled it to maintain it's dignity and
national honor and more than this, to
exert powerful and lasting influence
upon the other nations of the world.
All our diplomatic relations have been
peaceful and quiet. All our interests
demand now that we interest ourselves
in Cuban affairs and in the promotion
of the Panama canal project.
Our country by its geographical
position presides over one of the great
foci of international commerce and
holds the key to what may be the
future supremacy of the sea. Is this
an ambition to be overlooked? We
have reached critical period in our
history and upon the course pursued
by our government largely depends our
future growth. Here, on this contin-
ent the great international problems of
the future are to be solved. TO meet
these grave and serious problems re-
quires high stage of citizenship. We
must send forth from our schools a
class of citizens mentally and morally
equipped to wrestle with these difficult
ties; to meet the future bravely and
VIGOROUSLY and SO to manage the af-
fairs OF our government, that it's name
may go down to posterity as the grand
est nation in all the world. Mr.. Orr
then closed with the farewells of the
class of '97, fervently applauded by the
audience.
The class was presented to the board
by Prof. Themes in a very happy
speech and Dr.. O. c. Tarbox responded
in a similar vein. Both gentlemen
comp limented the class on their work
and the people of Princeton on the
admirable school system which it pos
sessed. DR.. Tarbox in closing de-
livered an excellent charge to the
class, after which he presented the
diplomas. Prof. Themes introduced
Ignatius Donnelly who closed thu
literary exercises with an address.
Mr.. Donnelly in opening remarked
! that if those present had enjoyed TIN
I proceedings of the evening as much a
he had they would be satisfied to g,
home then without hearing from him
Such scene would have been impossi
BILE 100 years ago and 800 years ag'
would have been regarded as an alb
surdity. One hundred years ago buf
falo were roaming where Princeton
now stands and civilization had not ex
tended beyond tidewater. Agricul
ture then could not be successfully pur
sued 40 miles from a watercourse be
|cause the cost Of transportation woul
consume more than the produce wa
worth. But the good God who rule
over the destinies of this nation ken
this ampitheatre open until the cor
dition of the residents of the OF
World had been raised to a poin
where they could creditably occupy il
Never was a country started with sue
noble purposes.
Mr.. Donnelly told of the discovery {
the power of steam, from which cam
the steam engine, the railroad an
steamship and out of these came tn
settlement which changed the seat {
the English speaking race on tn
, globe. He described the developmer
| of the railroad, telegraph and subma
inc cable and how he had seen tn
telephone born. A few years ago h
had come to Princeton on stage b.
, he returned now on a railroad and eve
he, who had witnessed so much develo]
ment, was surprised and pleased at tn
, rapid growth Of the village. He r.
membered the bill introduced in col
gress which was intended to give on
section in every township to the scho'
, fund and told how mistake had give
US the present law which gave US tw
: sections in every township. It was
most fortunate mistake for the scho
f system of the nation.
: Three hundred years is short tin
, in the life of any nation. If there ha
5 been a gathering of this character 81
t years ago it would have been a roug]
| uncouth mob. Had anyone then g.
pressed the advanced views which tt
> class had expressed during the evenin
: the authors would have been chaine
5 to stakes in the principal street, cor
' wood piled about them and burne
5 alive, gibed and insulted by the me-