Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-06-13
A WORD TO GRADUATES.


schools and colleges throughout
the country ARE being graduated
with appropriate exercises. and
with a nice regard to the dignity
and solemnity of such an coca
sion. Those who have finished
the prescribed work of the cur
riculum of their Alma Mater,
have passed the last milestone
in their period of preparation.
and like a good ship manned
for the high seas, they stand
eager and ready for the conflict
and battle of life. To them. the
circumstance is necessarily one
of great and vital import, and
the moment one of varied and
conflicting emotions. Behind
them rise the sheltering wing
of their beloved Alma Mater,
the, campus, breathing its spirit
of brotherhood and comrade-
ship; the classroom, with its air
of intellectually and its close
contact with brilliant minds,
and an endless chain of hallow-
ed memories and tender asso-
Citations. AS he stands at the
parting of the ways, he thinks
how happy has been the old life,
how halcyon have been the
days, how dear his Alma Mater,
what good-fellowship has exist
1 between himself, his class
,ates and his instructors, and
is with a feeling of ineXpress-
lie sadness that he lets his
ind dwell on the severance of
IS that must inevitably follow
n his baccalaureate sermon to
the graduating class of Prince
ton University, DR.. Henry Van
Dyke, spoke impressively on
"The Battle of Life" and urged
the graduates to gather their
forces together and fight the
evils of the world at every turn.
"lntemperance," he said, lis
the type of all evils because so
many others grow out of it.
The way to attack it is to make
sober life beautiful and full of
interest. Teach your boys how
to work how to read and study.
you fathers, before You send
them to colicge if you want to
guard them against the tempta-
tions of strong drink and the
raany shames and SORROWS that
with it. You reformers, pro-
ide men with recreations that
Jill not harm them if you want
to take away the power of the
gilded Saloons"
Following the sermon Presi-
lent Wilson addressed the class
wishing the graduates godspeed
in their new fields of labor and
praising them for their loyalty
both to the class and university.
Speaking of the religious at
nosphere at Princeton he said:
Though many of YOU have
lot had an active part i'm relig-
Gus work. yet Christ has walk
d in this place. His influence
as been about you. 1t is inn
,ossible that you should not feel
nd know this"
President Wilson urged them
seeking success to put honor
owe all things else and never
felt good name for mere
>ess.
DR.. Edward III. Griffin, dean
the JohnsHopkins University
oke to the graduating class
the University in part, as fol-
VS.:
"That wisdom has ALWAYS
zen the supreme good has been
characteristic of Hebrew lit
allure, and those books group
l about the time of the one
ON which our text is taken
ave well been wisdom books.
the Greek, in the Stole and
the modern philosophy wis
,m, under different appella-
ons, has been held i'm the same
ght. The projections of Mat
ew Arnold's teachings and
e Standardization of the late
hical writers are Synonymous
with the supreme good. All are
harmonious opponents of the
powers which make life beauti-
full, free and noble, and come
from the concept of be we there
fore perfect
"Wise men in all ages count
ed life not a haphazard thing,
but gave to it a real meaning.
The objective view of life
should be 'to make reason and
the will of God prevail.
'Let us suppose that you
choose the highest and best
things in life, then the more
material things will follow, but
.yill be held in subsection. We
must learn to recognize that
there is as much in small things
as in the large. Each good
must be taken for what it is
Forth, for, after all, practical
sisdom consists in reckoning