The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-11


may lack words to exactly express IT, Iho
fact is though, that for some time you
have been cur great dependence AS the
represe ntative of the other side OF the
| question. What question il is Is of no par
ticular consequence for me O. site, as 1t
has been OF no Importance In distinguish
ing you as the leading representative of
the other side of 1t among Us Through
out your active career. ] may say none of
us has beon iiahle to the danger of
abandoning ourselves to the delusinn that
the shield under inspection was gold for
lack of a vigorous advocate of the opinion
that 1t was silver-as AN authority on the
classics you will understand that | make
no reference TO campaign issue iu this
figure of speech. Now. it Is wholesome
thing / have always believed 70 arrange
20 have two sues represented in getting
up debate. And you could always DO
depended upon to take the other side
This made you handy me!nber of the
community. To my Knowledge, you have
never failed to merit the confidence thus
imposed in you.
You were not alone ever prepared to
take the other side. but you have never
hesitated to take IL without waiting for
the meeting TO open, when you have felt
that you owed it to yourself to set up
your standard.
Where duty calls to brazen walls
How base the slave that falters ~
Now. a community united in spirit and
policy, Is in serious DANCER of getting
painfully stuck on itself, and in time is
bound TO fall into the state of ill-favored
desuetude that characterizos the
soldiers and sailors monument, for in
stance, becoming possessed of the absurd
confidence that is inseparably associated
with the conception of clam at high
water. and the calm contempt for lights
and shades that marks the delivery Of a
graphophone Better. far better, that the
bull should invade the china shop than
that dnst should accumulate on the
dishes. When oil GOODS look alike to the
vision it's time that eyes were opened TO
the prospect offered by the othors-for
song and precedent and universal history
all declare that there always are Others. "
1t appears to be your mission in life,
Mr.. President to furnish variety. And
am sure / will not be accused of flat
terry If l express tho conviction that you
have demonstrated capacity for fulfill
ing your mission amazingly well. And
for this we owe you much. We have been
entertained, and we have profited by
your presence in our midst. as the lcth-
argic individual remarked of the dose the
doctor ordered. We long ago got over be-
ing afeard OF you, and have developed q
strong liking { Or you, as has been recently
maze evident--a sentiment that has been
the more rapidly encouraged and has
waxed cordial, may say, with the grow
ing faith that our OWL views and opin-
ions were really in no danger of being
materially affected by attrition with yours.
AS recall your sturdy figure moving
across the college grounds or adown the
~, n -
extraordinary liking that the boys of
Brown have for you and that recently
has been so strongly manifested. They
like you for yourself and they don't give
a pin for all the talk their elders must
needs make about your ideas. After all.
one chief province of college it has al
ways seemed to me, has been to instil
into the II inds of youth rs much as nos
sible that will have to 30 unlearned after
graduation day. and the process OF trans
forming the college man into worldly
being has always jeen interesting to tho
world and salutary to tho college man.
What matters it If the college president
contributes even more than the custom
ary assortment of miscellaneous perversion
TO the education of his charges? The disci.
plino possible from the subsequent elm
ination by massage and cold douches will
be only the more valuable.
In taking my leave Of you thus informally,
feel that | may assure you that the gulf
between you and your fellow citizens
here in Rhode Island is after all not so
wide that hands cannot meet across it at
parting, nor so deep as 10 MAKE Us afraid
OF tumbling in, the while we exchange
grips and wish you luck
The world is so full of a number of
things
I'm sure we should all be as happy as