The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-25

To the average spectator OF the triumph
Of The public school system of Seattle, rs
exempifea last night AT the twelfth ar
nual commencement exercises cf the high
school at the Seattle theater. there must
have come the thought that OF all the
grand institutions Of a free people. that
OF the public schools Is the nobleSt. This
thought was inspired in every mind and
! heart in the vast crowd of people which
filled every seat in the building. from or
chestra Pit TO the topmost tier in the gall
lery. The sentiment was sounded in the
yale6ictory address OF Miss Clara Jacob
son, and dominated the congratuiatory ad-
dresses of Mayor Wood and Josiah Collins
president OF the Society of the Sons Of
the American Revolution.
No faircr spectacle could have been pre-
scented than that of last night. when. be-
hind bank of roses and other flowers
! In the prime perfection of full bloom.
ranging across the stage 10 a depth of
two feet. sat the graduates in long rows
OF seats. Every type of young manhood
and womanhood was represented. Even
the cynic must have been impressed by
the hopeful and confident look in the face
or each of the young graduates. In every
+; countenance was also pictured an am
hition 20 excel in all worthy pursuits and
TO do his or her part in the task of max
ing the world better place TO live in.
To the mothers, sisters fathers and
brothers of the graduates the commence
ment exercises were no less a memorable
event than 10 the young people them
selves. That this was true was amply
proven by the patience with which the
audience sat through the long programme
and listened with undated interest to
each Of the essays and orations. and 10
the addresses of the mayor and Mr..
Collins. The programme moved of with
out a hitch, and no small credit for this
fact is due 10 those who had the affair
In charge. II should also be said that all
of the consratulatory speeches directed to
the school board and 10 the educators of
the high school were thoroughly deserved.
The preiiminaries in the programme
consisted of an overture by the orchestra
and an invocation by Rev. II. II. Gowen,
of Trinity Episcopal church. Miss Witt
Ter rendered Il beautiful contralto solo.
and then came the first essay of the even
ing. by Miss Lillian Eassett, entitled '',rhe
Mission Of Poetry
In choice language Miss Bassett deliy
cred a most interesting eulogy on the
muse. declaring that poetry ranks higher
than any other of the fine arts. including
music. To the latter Miss Bassett nkened
poetry, but pointed out that in suggest
iyeness, range and intellectual wealth,
poetry surpassed her sister muse. AS 10
music. she said that the song of triumph
OF one might come as a funeral dirge to
another: that the song that was filled
with hope to the hopeful might sound the
note of utter despair to the hopeless. Not
SO with poetry. whose perfection broke
on one as the budding of a flower.
Poetry, she said in conclusion. is a factor
IN the development of the soul. In the
tightening OF the cares Of mankind and
in the growth OF patriotism. Finally, it
tended TO uplift and ennobie mankind as
no other art.
Following Miss Bassett's effort came a
very creditable Grafton by Merton E.
Brewer on "Our National Emblem" Mr..
Brewers delivery was good. and his de-
sCrption of the origin and birth Of the
stars and stripes and the part il had
played in the critical stages of our coun-
trys history was eouched IN choice lam
guage. The Grafton was filed with an in
tense spirit of patriotism.
Miss May Thompson poetic effort
Near 10 Natures Heart" was one of the
brightest OF the programme. In the most
delightful way Miss Thompson I'D her
hearers in an imaginary stroll through
fields and woods in which the spirit NJ
nature reigned sublime. She pointed out
the benefit that saddened hearts might
draw from communion with nature, and
"
tion of the sea. quoting an apt Stanza
from Helen Hunt Jackson. The number
occssioned loud applause.
After musical selection by the orches~
ira Edwin Lyman Knapp whose orator
ical talents were well displayed in his e.
fort. spoke on the subject "Capital Pun
ishment." With strong logic the young
orator led his hearers through channels Of
reasoning TO the ultimate and sensible con
clSjon that the nation was justified I'm
taxing the lives Of men who wantoHiy slay
their fellow creatures
In no number on the programme was the
note of popular sentiment struck with
surer purpose than in Miss Ninucd2e's e.
a2y. The American Girl" Three times
during the delivery OF the essay was the
speaker COMPELLED 10 stop till The applause
had subsidized. The American girl was pc
'ured as battling against social prefgdlces
III her desire For advancement IN the arts
and sciences Her purpose the csSav'st
declared. was 20 II herself 70 ne the pro
Senitor ~ better generation ard
noblsr. graBder nation. In much OF the
essay Miss NirDease departed from the
conventional, ara throughout there was
an xSlbition II choice di~tion
Restricted Immigration" was the title
O. q very sensible Grafton bv George FL
wG Leslie. HI declared his opinion n be
That The duty ~ The government and the
welfare az the state lay In the proper re-
striction Il immigration. so that the
vicious ard lawless classes Of Eurone
shoGid he Kept ogt az the country Pack
i0E his ARGUMENTS. he quoted extensively
from statistics showing the increase ia
Inning alton y the UHwcirouae elements.
and the decrease in the tlde q worthy
Immigrants
Mss Jacobson's valedletory address vas
certainly @ feature ~ the cC1nmeucefuent.