The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-06-19
THE CLASS OF 1902
Annual Commencement OF the PIym.
outh High School.


statements of work successfully COM
lpleted. While these diplomas are in
no sense guarantee of success in the
future, the same hard work and faith
fulnesS to duty that secured them
will, almost certainly, bring success.
That is whyMonday night may proper
ly be named commencement for this
class.
Twenty-six classes have preceded
this, have commenced in the Plym-
outh schools, and most members Of
these classes have been successful.
That good work in the future, may be
accomplished by each member of this
class is the wish of everybody.
"Their class motto, "You will rise
no higher than your aspirations" is
probably true of everybody. but some
thing more than aspirations is neces-
Sary to success in this age of keenest
competition.
1t is not necessary to speak of the
stage the music or the surroundings.
Elbels orchestra was here as it always
has been ON commencement evenings.
After the grand march and overture,
Rev. w. S. Howard opened the
exercises with prayer, then came an
anthem followed by Miss Claude Edna
Bollmans grafton, subject, NATURE
Influence upon Man."
1t was an argument showing that
environment has much to do with
character, and that the temperate
zones are the best adapted to bring
out all that is good in humanity be-
cause here man must work to secure
success and the climatic conditions
are better for the improvement Of
body and mind than torrid heat or
| frigld cold. Miss Bollman handled
her subject we'll and spoke clearly and
easily leaving good impression on
her audience,
She was followed by Schuyler Frank
lin Helm. His subject, was "Man s
Influence upon Nature"
Without attempting to dispute the
fact that nature to certain extent
influences man, he launched into his
subject showing that mans skill and
industry almost controlled nature,
making what seemed to the untutored
mind the greatest and most danger
Gus obstacles, the means of
greatest good. Man has har-
messed. controlled and directed the
forces of the cataracts to assist him in
his work. He has changed and modi-
fed nature until what seemed to have
no force has become power beyond
the grandest conception Of the prima-
tive man.
Steam, electricity, chemical COM
binationS, machinery, and the brains
Of man have transformed the earth.
Trees and flowers are more beautiful
and useful than before they were
touched by the hand of man, wild
beasts have been destroyed, or domes-
ticated and made useful, the boys
wildernesses, mountains and waste
places of the earth nave been made
useful and beautiful-in a word man
has subdued the earth.
"America for Americans" was Miss
Effie May Conger's subject. This ora
ton evinced, perhaps the deepest
thought of any subject presented and
was wonderfully well handled for a
girl of her age. The racial problems
were discussed as if by professor of
physiology and anthropology, and she
contended that there was always
weakness in the intermarriage Of diff
ferent races and the attempt to as
simulate and harmonic all the nation
alities of the world in the United
States was fraught with great danger.
"The Open Door" was Ralph j.
Leonard's subject. He argued that
the intermingling Of the different ma
tionalitieS was one Of the causes of
our great success as a nation. We
got the best ideas from every quarter
OF the globe, and even the most ignor-
ant knew something that the wiset
man had never learned. The "Open
Door," was not dangerous in this
country. We can retain the good,
cast away the bad, and make ours the
greatest of all nations tn world has
ever known.
Miss Edna Browning Capron's SUBJ
ject was POLICY" "Policy molds
the world' she said. There can be
NO government, no harmony in fam
lilies, communities, cities, states or ma
tions without policy. Principles are
essential, but policy is often necessary
to secure the adoption Of principles.
Abraham Lincoln had his emancipa-
tion proclamation ready two years be-
fore he proclaimed it. He waited for
an opportunity to present it. He