New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-24

In these days or turlnoI II II p'"Shh' W. yum
for a moment to the consideration of the fol
lowing earnest appeal:
~ the Editor Of Tho Tribune
Sir: There is pedagogUe over In NeW-JerSey
who declares that graduating ESSAYS shouid n"
done away with. lie saws they are nuisah'es
and ought to be replaced by addresses d'IFcrtu
hy prominent speakers who are competent 10
give good advice 10 the Young VIII you not dlS-
countenance this shocking proposition 10 ahol-
ish ono II the oldest and most honorcd customs
81 our educational Institutions?
New York, June 20 lN''N. oLp-Ilhi'N'
We certainly viii Moreover. we do. Not
however. because the practice of encouraging
the graduating students Of cur schools ana col
lcgcS 10 speak In public on the stage before
large and admring audiences Of their elders IL
an old and honor'd custom. We do not care
the most dimnutivc of TITLES for customs that
have nothing to recommend them save age
I;ui We do protest against the proposition 10
deprive thousands Of Young folks of their long
awaited ana ncvorto be forgotten priyileg" of
telling the old folks how the future looks AS II
stretches away before Ms" We would not for
any trivial consideration forego the delight or
hearing the words OF hope and confidence that
fall from rosy lips that have yet TO learn the
lcadcn language ~ toll thar tattcrs and OF car"
that carks We love 10 turn aside on n June
morning once each year from the paths pursued
10y Industrious. tired and tiresome beetles ana
gaze for a brief hour upon butterfly wings from
which the airy down has not been brushed and
whose hucs are as freshly Joyous boys
ambitions
Away with that Now Jcr,oy prdagoguc who
ever he may I've, Let him ayaunt and get him
hence, Let him b, stuffed within small cir
conference Of iron and perform with any old
circus as the human c1nnonball or, If that
may not be- by reason of the sixth Command
mont. 1T him go get MS prominent speaker
and hire hall where he may have him all 10
himself for graduation exercises. We DO not
want his hour and half Of rrtrospocton. We
can retrospect with great ability ourselves. It
IL comes 20 pinch We know how things
were when We We're boy n we'll or better than
he does aad We earnestly desire 20 spare his
breath When "" " sh 10 hear him We will HE
Us 10 a political mass meeting or n state funeral.
We don't care n Spanish mackcrel whether
these boys md girls amaze 10y their academic
knowledge or aStound by their classic ignor-
ancc We don't expect The dclveranccS of n
Svhn from their lips We don't want them.
We wouldn't have such n thing IN the house.
But if there Is anything more inspiring or more
enthusiastically prophetic or more dearly remind
ful Of things that it is pleasant 10 be reminded
Of than a group of huoyant. happy. confident.
American boys and girls standing on m"
threshold Of llfe" rs their own graduating cs-
says so often have II. We beg 10 have that spec
taclc pointed out. We shall regard our in
formant rs n phllanhropiSt and We VIII take
day OF and 90 and look n IT,
shame on that Sew Jersey pcdagOCuo. May
he fatten 10 satate tho able appetltcs Of mos
qulioes Of IIoboken size, We only wish we had
his name and the names Of his prominent
speakers" that might hold them up To
ohloquy.