The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-20
CLOSE OF THE CENTENNIAL.
YESTERDAY THE FINAL DAY AT
THE UNIVERSITY.

The BaccaIaureate Address by DR.
Henry Van Dyke of Princeton the
Leading Feature Yesterday-Chan-
ceIIOr HIS Address, THE Future
of the Univcrsity.'' at the Alumni
Banquet, Received an Ovation
Messrs. Lavton. StOvaII, Barrow,
samuel Spencer and GOV. Gambler
Were Among the Speakers-Col.
MeIdrim Was TOastmaster.
Athens, Ga, June 1e.-The closing
scenes of the university centennial were
Inspiring The alumni banquet last night
was the most enthusia site affair of COM
mencement six hundred alumni were
present Hon. P. W. Meldrim of Savan-
nah, acted as toastma ster. and the re-
sponses were made by Albert H. Cox, P.
H. Nell. A R. Lawton. D. c. Peabody,
Samuel Spencer. P. A. Stovall Pope Bar
row, W. A. Blount, Gov. A. D. Gambler.
President Bowman of Emory College, ex-
Congressman Turner. John Temple
Graves and Chancellor Hill.
Chancellor Hill received a perfect ova
N1UiA anu Tue SHEtNl iAt maui L ilt Il u
ture CT the University" was a master
piece. To-day Dr. Henry Van Dyke, of
Princeton, delivered the baccalaureate
address.
DIR. Van Dykes Address.
DIR. Van Dyke announced the subject
Of his address as Ruling Classes in
Democracy" declaring that a Democracy
differs from a monarchy, or empire and
an aristocracy, not in the absence of ruling
classes, but in the method by which they
are selected.
Few men doubt their ability to make
laws. Most men, at some time or other.
dislike the necessity of obeying them.
Personal restraints are not after personal
pleasures. 1t is easier to do what you
please than to do what you ought. Under
every form of government known to man,
there has been. there still is and there
probably will be, AN element of discon-
tent and restlcssness, arising from the
natural human impulse-na tural at leas
20 man in his present condition--to resist
rule The problem of civilization is how
to subdue this impulse by correlatve So
cial duties with individual rights. and
how to develop, enlighten and guide the
civil instinct which seeks order through
rule.
Now 1t is evident that the method OF
selecting the ruling, classes must have a
considerable influence in the working out
of the problem. 1t is true that at any
given time people are most Likely 10 be
contented. peaceful and happy under the
rulers who actually give them the most
firm, orderly and equitable government
There is a certain amount of hard COM
mon sense in the remark of Alexander
Pope, although it was made in poetry:
For forms of government let fools con-
test,
Whateer is best administered is best
But the wisdom of this couplet is
confined to the present tense A goVern-
ment may be we'll administered to-day,
badly administered tomorrow. The great
question is, how to secure a continuity
of good administration How shall the
men who are best qualified to control
and direct the common interests of their
fellowmen be discovered? How shall they
be sanctioned in the use of just author
ity and restrained from the exercise of
unjust tyranny? How shall it be made
most easy to correct the accident of
power falling to unfit hands? How shall
the great force of public opinin from
which, in the last analysis, all govern
ments derive their energy and stability,
how shall this common sense of justice
and right be satisfied in the selection of
the ruling classes?
Different classes have been devised.
They may be classed under three heads,
autocratic, automatic and democratic
The autocratic method practically
amounts to allowing the chief ruler TO
select himself and appoint his subordi-
mates. This is the oldest method and the
rudest. The automatic method relies upon
heredity to supply the ruling classes. All
that man in that class needs to do is
to get born at the right time and live
long enough. and the scepter comes to
MIN as matter of course. In practice,
this method has two serious drawbacks.
First. the wrong families are sometimes
chosen to start the procession; and sec
osld, the so-caled law of heredity often