The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-09

the national colors draped overhead,
and huge banks OF cut flowers piled
pyramid-wise about the base of two
tall palms. flanked the bust.
The graduates of the normal school.
fifty-nine strong. occupied the right of
the STAGE. ranks of pretty girls IN
white dresses being backed by other
ranks Of tall young men in sober Black
The faculty with the graduates of the
University course. the regents and
prominent alumni, sat upon the left
half of the stage.
Miss Bush on Fads.
President Joseph F. Smith gave the
opening prayer and the Theatre or
chestra played Tobani's Hearts and
Flowers" Then Miss Virginia Adele
Bush was introduced to read an essay
upon the Evolution g Fads in the
School World" 1t was a very inter
esting although somewhat lengthy
paper, displaying both a ready wit and
a thorough knowledge of the principles
of child training. Miss Bush spoke of
the great changes in the methods of
teaching which have sprung into favor
of late years. of how science has come
to the aid of the pedagOgue with new
appliances and bettered arrangements
of school rooms, calisthenic exercises
and numerous other modern improve
mentS that made the school room of
today a very different plate from the
one of the old days. But there are
other so-called improvements. Miss
Bush went on. which are not so com
mendable. Fads in methods of edu-
cation are springing into faVOr-new
methods of teaching which perhaps
might have been excellent in the hands
of their inventors. who understood
them fully. but when taken hold of by
less able teachers frequently did the
child more harm than good.
she spoke also of the present craze
for forcing children forward, describ-
ing how little tots with half-deVeloDed
intellects were being taught things
which they were not old enough to
comprehend all in the mad haste Of
teachers and parents TO get the child
ahead rapidly. This led. she said, to
superfciality and 10 shallowness, or
too often the pupil learned only to for
get again almost Immediately. She
urged greater conservatism and less
anxiety for rapid education at the ex-
pense of thorough education.
II. Claud Lewis gave an Grafton on
Commerce and Commercialism." The
speaker touched at the outset upon the
era OF prosperity which the world is
enjoying. Ii is an era of commercial
ism. he said. and commercialism gone
mad. Too much prosperity is turning
our heads and we are allowing the
wealth of the world to become con-
contracted in the hands of a few To
dangerous extent We boast of po
l'tical freedom. but we are allowing
ourselves to lapse into industrial slav-
ery, by permitting the trusts, which
are everywhere springing up, TO con-
troll all our productive forces. True CO.
operation Will be the only solution of
the difficulty which is impending. he
said. and true cooperation is the COM
bination # the labor of all for the ben
eft Of all who labor
Judge Powers Speaks
Judge O. W. Powers came next upon
the programme. He spoke of the
boundless. limitless world now opening
before the young graduates, a country
which was all open to them TO explore.
Our own land. he said. has broadened
our in this past year. our flag has
been planted over the islands of The
sea Our land is destined to make
conquest of all the eastern world, but
1t Will be a peaceful conquest Whether
or no our flag remained over all these
isles. none the less American influence
would be powerful there, the curtain
of ignorance would be lifted. the seeds
Of enlightenment would be planted and
watered by the waters of liberty. The
opportunities for this later generation
broadened. he went on. and none went
out into life so well armed for its bat
ties as the young men and ladies who
had successfully completed a college
course
Yet he adjured them not to be too
much elated by their degrees or dip
Tomas, for there were lots of things in
life yet for them to learn. They must
apply the same patience and industry
10 their work in the world as they had
in their college course. Nor must they
spend too much time in dreaming or
planning. 1t is the @get up and GET
he said, which makes successful men
and women OF the new University the
Judge said its future was a bright one
1t was. destined to be the great univer-
sity of the inter-mountain region. That
this might prove true he urged that
the wealthy men of the state be in
duced to found professorships and TO
erect buildings for the University.