Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-03-29
GRADUATING EXERCISES.

0KADOAl ING EXERCISES.
synopsis of Rev. Shaffer's Address at the
Normal Graduating Exercises.
Friday evening in Lyric Hall was
the Impressive ceremony of awarding
diplomas to some thirty or more
students, graduating from the differ.
ent departments of the Normal and
Business Institute of Prof. Perry.
Ihe exercises of the evening were
varied with music and song. The
opening being piano trio in which
the Misses Ruth Ling, Pearl Ricks
and Genevieve Dissmore did them
selves credit, eliciting the applause
that loudly called for an encore. Mrs.
NJ. Q. Perry in vocal solo, won the
applause of the audience. Mrs. Price
and Miss Edith Webster gave vocal
duet that was highly appreciated.
Miss Emma Whitney with Miss Pearl
Kicks at the piano and VIM. j. Mead
with the violin, in her vocal solo, "a
Dream of Paradise" captured the
audience. The address by Rev. F. P.
shaffer fully covered the ground of
his subject in portrayal of "True
Aristocracy" His figures of speech
were Impressive, bold and striking,
aptty and happily illustrated. Intelli.
gence, culture, character, integrity,
pure lives and rood morals were
grand!E placed side by side, and
measured with an aristocracy OF
wealth, and the descent OF lineage,
the boast of tbs artstocrats of effete
and oeoay1ng dynasties of the east.
An Intelligent citizen plainly clad,
driving single horse and buggy with
his wife by his side was placed in
contrast with the pompous possessor
of wealth in his carriage and four
with walters and livery, the former
possessed of all that make them
better than brutes, the latter with
nothing to boast of but perhaps ill
gotten gains. The paucity of this
sham aristocracy based solely upon
wealth, without regard to intelli-
gence, culture, character, morals and
virtue, he Illustrated in portraying
man who had accumulated a fortune
of millions upon millions and had so
reared Lis ewn sons that he in his
will, dare not leave them the posses
sion and inheritance OF the wealth he
had accumulated by means no more
eemmendable than that of the
Younger brothers or the James out
laws, and yet all these vast accums-
lations were made strictly Ia ascor-
dance with law. as senaeted, This man
wnon ne pictured was the owner and
proprietor OF a village of ten thousand
near the city of Chicago, its people
were employees in his car works there,
and were reduced to a condition of
poverty through low wages, and ex-
tortionate rent charges, which made
their servitude more abject and de-
grading than chat of the helot of any
southern master, ena EsU this
monster in human form, actually
built churches In which his subjects
might worship, illustrating the truth
of DR.. Johnson's saying that the
greatest scoundrels always simulate
some virtue or patriotism. The person
described by the eloquent speaker
was not named in his remarks, but
we name him, that all who desire to
read the life and character of an
migrate, may get that of George NJ
Pullman, as written by the resident
Methodist minister regarding the
strike at Pullman. The character
with which the speaker placed him in
contrast, was one who was born in a
log hut of poor parents, his education
was limited, but fully improved, al
every opportunity, at great cost oi
labor. Character, honesty, integrity,
and uprightness being the basis Of
every act of his life. This man sought
the good and welfare, the betterment
. the uplifting of all makind, striking
} the shackels of slavery from millions
of his fellow men, while the other
only sought their degradation. Thai
man lives In the hearts of his coun
trymen, and though he was without
the aristocracy of wealth, and a Ions
line of noble ancestry, his memory il
perpetuated in the hearts of his coun
trymen, and of all true patriots, ant
lovers of humanity everywhere, ane
his name was Abraham Lincoln.
In the absence of Rev. Holmes tn,
giving out of diplomas to the clas
devolved upon Rev. Shaffer.