Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-06-17

ems, have during the college course done
efficient work for the RECORD. Their
influence will be sorely missed in relig-
ious, social and athletic circles.
An instrumental duet by Misses Cald-
well and Franklin opened the exercises.
and Rev. Adams, of Ohio, asked God 5
blessing on the students about TO go
into fields new and strange.
Paul Hale Bruske delivered his
mastery Grafton on proportional Rep
resentation," and spoke of the prevalent
corruption in political and governmental
life. The true essence of these deplor
able wrongs, are largely to be found III
the withdrawal of the educated element
of government from the political field,
ana the ingress of the foreign class. The
perpetuity of justice and fair minded
honor in our national institutions de-
mand that apathetic learned exclusion
be renowned, and a united effort of
heart and soul be. substituted.
Miss Frances Dustin Adams said, in
her Grafton The Influence of Art on
Morality :" Artists beautify the barren
places III this WOrkaday world Every
one is Bothered by looking on the divine
ideals translated into beautiful form.
Their atmosphere of lofty inspiration is
contagious. The character OF the artistic
life of Il nation is an index of the moral of
that nation, pageantry the ascendency
of voice.
The Christian Citizen was the sub
ject of James Irving Cranes grafton.
He said: SO long as there is no union
in spirit between church and state, there
can be no christian state. Until the
evils of the church are eradicated, the
evils of the state will remain. Men of
attainment must come into close touch
with people to influence them. No peo-
pie can be educated who are not willing
! TO be educated. No nation whose mu-
inequalities are corrupt can consistently
| take stand among the nations for the
| righteousness OF justice.
Mr.. Stevenson then sang a solo, after
which Sherman Landon Divine delivered
| his Grafton ''Our Debt TO Puritanism. !"
| He said the time and the people were the
most opportune, when Puritanism found
its way to American shores. Let us
confess that the Puritans were narrow,
but let Us confess that they were great.
| They imported IA spirit of enterprise that
has made the great west first the garden
and then the treasury Of the earth.
| They have been an unreasonable relig-
ious, moral and social force. Mr..
! Divine gave very vivid and artistic
picture of the landing of the Pilgram
| Fathers.
Maurice Grigsby said, in his grafton,
"Our Nations Corner Stone" wherever
the sun of christianity shines, there is
! found Sunday with its benediction.
| From IA moral and physical standpoint,
| the obSe rvance of Sunday Is beneficial.
| This day OF spiritual refreshment and
upllft Is necessary to the existence of
our institutions, social, religious, and
| political.
William Henry Long, in his Grafton,
IAN Age of Criticism, said each socalled
age makes a stage of development i'll the
evolution OF human progress. Criticism,
or. as we are pleased TO term it, an
eudeavor 10 find the true, seeks TO cast
down error and TO eXalt truth, now and
| for all time. 1t seeks TO bring out the
| symetrics and beauties, and eradicates
the inharmOnious and false. In its
truest significance, ii Will ever form the
goal toward which reason strives. 1t Is
il duty not only TO make it known, but
TO further It's pre-eminence
After piano solo by Miss Caldwell,
f. anklin Warren McCabe, in his Grafton
The Negro III Politics" said, at the
close of the recent civil war the condi-
ton of affairs in the southern states was
productive of deplorable complications.
\ state of corruption III government
affairs ensued, ana hot controversy was
rife. Recently che people at large have
come to realize that education Is prime
force in eleyating the negro, and solving
many perpleXing problems, for him and
his southern white brother. An effort
should be made to grant their demand
fpr na nfi-
pies of true citizenship.
The subject of Miss Mertha Peters
Grafton was, "Geothe's Heroines as
types OF the German Women of
today She said Goethe has very faith
fully portrayed the nations characteris-
tics OF the German women in his hero
ines. Their simplicity, the sweetness of
their passionate devotion, their warmth
of home love, and generous Obnegation
of self, Is only the consistent outcome of
the education of German girls. AS
whole, they are remarkable for their
thought and emphatic domestlcity.
Imagination, the subject of John
Bartlett Stevens Grafton, was an excel
lent dissertation on the value of imagin-
alton III "a mans makeup. On imagin-
alton and its ultimate results depend the
future of the world. The ideal man
must have an imagination that sweeps
the horizon in its extent. 1t must be so
large as 10 include the world, and yet
small enough to penetrate the Utmost
heart Of man. Character and destiny
are founded on the workings and the
realizations for the Imagination.
Miss Nelma Sharp played charmingly
IA piano solo, and Birdsey Scott Bates,
valedictorian of the class, spoke of The
Individual in History and discussed
thoughtfully the twofold position which
the individual holds in history-that in
which by the force and vigor of his
personality he fashions destiny at his
will, and that in which he is but re-
spouse TO the larger forces enve Looping
him. In either position, and TO an eX-
tent he fills both, the individual is of
transcendent Importance, and upon him
devolyes the duty TO question if he be
rising TO the full of every opportunity,
and strive 10 accomplish nobly and well
his part in history.
President Bruske, with fitting re-
marks presented to all the graduates