The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-08
BUTLER FOUNDERS DAY
BY PRESIDENT HARPER,
OF CHICAGO UNIVERSITY.
One on ''The University and DemOc-
racy''-A Play by the stu
dents.

Founders day at Butler College was OBJ
served with more than the usual attention
this year. The programme yesterday con-
sisted Of exercises in the chapel from 10 to
y in the morning, a matinee by the college
classes in the afternoon, and of the annual
address in the evening. A number of visitors
were present at the morning exercises;
among them were DR.. p II. jameson, Rev.
A. NJ Atkinson of Wabash, DR.. Dewhurst
DR.. Brayton, Mr.. Bell, Mr.. Kirkpatrick, Mr.
John Kautz, Mr.. Howard Gale and Others
Opening devotional exercises were con-
Quoted by Rev. A. B. Philputt, after which
Miss Georgia Calvin sang a solo and the
students sang one Of the college songs. Prof
d. c. Brown, acting president in the abb
sence of President Butler, introduced Rev.
Burris A. Jenkins as the first speaker Of
the morning. He took for his subject The
Significance of Founders Day" Mr.. jenkins
spoke Of the founding and building of a
university as one Of the noblest and most
important works ever imposed on a body of
men. In conclusion, Mr.. Jenkins said
Founders day is but one of the many
days upon which we remember the great,
far-seeing man who built this greater pyra-
mid; day upon which, blessing God for his
birth, We meet to garland his monument
with gratitude, while sitting down we pom
der his merits and seek to stimulate our
own. 1t is rare indeed that an institution has
the good fortune to grow as that university
has grown whose president is our honored
guest to-day. 1t has sprung UP well nigh
in day; all things seemed prepared and
like that olden temple that rose calmly and
majestically with none of the strife of build
ing and the sounds of hard labor it seemed
that the master builder who sits with us
to-day needed but to shape and direct the
articulation of its parts. But who of US
knows how far short it falls of the ideals
which he has set for it. Only those who
have heard him outline the vastness of his
visions can form an estimate of what he
hopes yet to see DONE Ovid Butler, too,
when he founded this institution, felt that he
gave 10 II but 1.-THE of what it ought to
become. Tough in his own lifetime he saw it
rise, and grow, and flourish yet he saw not
the fruition of a tenth of what by faith he
saw.
The next speaker was DR.. J. H. Garrison,
OF st. Louis, editor of the Christian Evan
ge1st His subject was Religion and Edu-
cation He said in part: 1T is great thing
10 write a great book, but even great book
may be outgroWn. But an institution is
liable to adjust itself to the needs of sue
cessive ages and continue to be a living
after Buffers analogy shall have lost it's
power and been forgotten In seeking to do
honor to men like ovid Butler we must put
ourselves back into the times and conditions
in which he lived. 1t is only when we do
so that we can realize the Importance of his
far-seeing vision and of his faith"
Mr.. Garrison remarks on the state and
nonstate schools were OF ecialinterest He
state university is an outgrowth of the free
State University is an outgrowth of the free
system of public schools. These institutions
are recognizing the fact that hostile atti-
tude toward Christianity cannot exist in a
successful school and that they are asking
that Bible chairs be endowed where their
students may more directly come under re-
ligiOus instruction Mr.. Garrison made a
strong plea for the higher endowment of the
denOmlnatlonal colleges and closed his re-
marks by saying: I'VE put too much tax on
religion when we ask young people to come
to its poorly endowed institutions. Our in
men of all Christian views to patronZe
them. The ideal institution, after all, is the
Christian institution, filled with the spirit of
Christ, in which all learning and all truth
is shot through with the divine life the
divine life that shone through Jesus of
Nazareth. Let this be such an institution as
that and continue to honor the man who
founded it and the men who shall sustain
it."
DIR. HARPER'S ADDRESS,
DIR. Harper was the last speaker of the
morning. His subject was college Affilia-
ton"
THE future of the state university is GER
tain and bound up with the future of our
democratic institutions, but the who
says a nonstate institution will come to an
end-whoevar told us that such institution
must gois certainly wrong. Educational
work in this country needs both Finds of in
stitUtiOns. Without either one o. them edu-
catioral work would be deprived of one
arm,
'9rhe significance of affiliation to the coll
lege lies in association, in coming together
fna dow Ia fsr.ra
good of communities out of which sonie-
times evil may come, for there is nothing
which may not be made a vice
DIR. Harper said, in conclusions "No col
lege in Indiana can exert the influence that
can he exerted by Butler. There is no CEN
ter in Indiana from which so much money
can DE obtained, and money is essential in
building up college. You can get along
without some professors-not without all Of
them-you can get along without a great
many things, but you must have money !
mean to say a college must be equipped
with laboratories, libraries and things they
did not need to have fifty years ago. We
are living in an age when there are demands
made upon the trustees of a college that are
nifty to one compared with the demands
institutions in little, separated communities,
where can never be found funds with which
to make institutions of power. In no other
point did your founder show greater wis
dom than in planting you here in the COM
handing position of the State. Be proud of
your own institution. Have faith in its fu-
luIG ana SldDQ DN IL / am mere TO impress
upon YOU the Importance of looking for
ward to work, of going on, doing something
beyond the college course; ask you whether
the spirit that has been borne in your hearts
is strong enough to carry you on in the
search after truth. Affiliation is continually
to hold in your mind the thought that you
are never through. We have men at the
University of Chicago sixty, sixty-five, sew
enty years old, some of them college profess
sors who came to study perhaps to study
more seriously than when they were boys
and girls. Atiilation has nothing to do with
the money management of the affiliated col
lege The university keeps us frcm all that
kind of detail and interested in but one
thing-the cultivation of the highest spirit
of learning.
In the Afternoon the college chapel was
completely filled by students and their
friends to see the college play, Jason Up
to Date; Or Willie Lambkin in Quest of a
Sheepskn." The play consisted of four acts
and took Willie through the four years col
lege course. The first act showing expe-
riences of freshman life, was presented by
the seniors, principal parts being taken by
Miss Ethel Cleland, Miss Bertha Mason, Mr..
Elvet Norman and Mr.. Albert Ward. In
the second act, given by the juniors, Miss
Ethel Roberts, Miss May Griggs, Mr.. Ems
ley Johnson and Mr.. john Carr gave a par
ticUlarly clever scene from the hero's sopho-
more life. Act g. in charge of the sOpho-
mores. had the good luck TO have Mr.. Ed
ward Powell who represented his character
with much dash and fun, appreciated by the
audience Others in this act were Mr. Wal
ter Lybrand, Miss La Verne GlasscOck and
Miss Mary Hawkins Act was given by
the freshmen Miss Poulson, Miss Powell