The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-04-14

return; the material and intellectual i'm
poverishment of the lower classes result
ing from these conditions. emphasizing
the added burdens caused by the great
official monopolies.
These studies led up to consideration
OF the intellectual, scholastic and social
absolutism enforced against the school OF
writer's who arose to protest against the
evils of their time. On this day, had
there been no variation in his programme
he would have lectured upon Diderot and
his imprisonment for his letter upon the
blind
Evidently greatly moved, yet speaking
with marked deliberation in the even
tone so characteristic of the man. Dr.
Howard began an address of So much in
>tensity, such marked eloonence and such
lofty purport that we were fairly swept
along by his thought until we were I'M
conscious at the end whether he had
spoken 20 minutes or an hour Beginning
he said that he felt he owed an apology
to the men of the times preceding the
French Revolution. not because he had
criticised them too harshly, but because.
in the light of present events he saw that
he had represented our own times too
favorably
His work during the past % years has
been in striving to teach the young the
nature of human conduct and it's evolu-
ton. He said: Il have never chosen a
soft word to characterize an evil deed"
Stating that he had a positive creed,
he added that he had also a negative
creed. II do not worship Saint Market
Street; do not reverence holy Standard
Oil, nor do / doff my cap to the Celestial
Six Companies"
He went on to show that the evil con-
ditions of today have been brought about
by long process of evolution. He es-
pecially warned his students against
blaming individuals for these socH |
wrongs. ''Far be it from me, = he said, in
effect ito eritieise kind and beneflcent
founder adding that he believed she had
been misled by sinister influences.
1t was here pointed out that the spirit
of commercial despotism of today menaces
our Republic, and that this spirit must be
fought that there is little difference be-
tween the grain ring, the scandalous
"Dacte de famine" of the time of Louis
XIV, and similar combinations in present
times. Speaking of the monopolies in
America and Europe, he emphasized the
necessity of public ownership of the nat
ural monopolies, and declared himself
positively in favor of the municipal own
ershfp of street railways, as this, by
cheapening rates. would relieve the con-
gestion of population in cities, result in
better sanitary conditions for the poor,
and reduce the death rate, etc.
The idea was developed that we must
not be deceived by the immense size of
our country and its apparent ability to
support an enormous population into min
imizing the gravity of our social prob
lens. The tendency of our population to
centre more and more in large cities
causes as serious questions to arise there
as any which are met with in the Old
World.
DR.. Howard went on to speak of the
immortality of our politics, of the fire.
quent use of half truths and unfair tricks.
After dwelling on this point, he spoke
of the place of the scholar in the dis
cussion of social problems
The scholar, DR., Howard believes,
should investigate scientifically and then
speak the truth boldly. as the guarantee
of American democracy lies in the "in-
trepid scholar" The most important
thing in university training is to attain
intellectual rectitude. On the whole, ed
ucation means virtue Here followed an
earnest exhortation: "He saw the bet
ter and followed the worse Let that not
be said Of us
Referring to the common statement that
the scholar should be discreet. DR.. How
ard said: Discretion is a virtue and |
would not say anything to weaken the
force of that truth. 1t is also a vice.
Indiscretion is vice, and | would
not say anything to weaken the force OF
that truth. But it is also q virtue" In
stances from history were introduced to
illustrate each point. Abelard, Luther,
Cromwell, Washington and Patrick Henry
were mentioned among the great indis-
Greet men of history.
1t was shown that it is necessary for
the modern teacher in the field of econom-
| les, sociology or history to be always on
the battle line. and the comment was
added that II a brave man standing upon
the frontier should stumble for lack OF
light he would generally manage to do as
football man would, and at least STUN
BILE forward.
The students attention was called to
the part they were to play as citizens in
the future. Great emphasis was laid on
the necessity of their always standing for
the right in helping to form pubic opin-
ion. Dr. Howard said that he wished TO
SO indoctrinate his students with these
ideas that it would lie in their hands TO
make it impossible for such influences to
work harm in future years. A fine tribute
was paid to his colleague CDR. Ross, Dr.
Howard spoke of his magnanimity of
soul, his high courage, his gentleness of
nature.
The closing remarks were to the effect
that one man had fallen and that others
might fall by the way, but that in the
end all would be we'll
1t seems but justice to say that heard
every word of the address. and did not
recognize anything in it which was dis
courteous or unjust to the founder or to
the University management.
MARY E. HYDE,
Leland Stanford, Jr., University, April 2.
A RAGING, ROARING FLOOD
Washed down a telegraph line which