New-York tribune., 1903-06-09
EXCESSES OF THE AGE.
HhitelQ5c Reds 4ddress Before
Tassar PHI Beta Kappa.
Poughkeepsie. y. y, June

PouGhkeepsie. y. y, June s
The exercises q: commencement Week at vassar
College began this evening with she delivery Of the
annual address before the Phi Beta Kappa by
whiteaw Reid. the subject. announced, of
The Thing Do
The address opened with Z reference to De
Tocqucvie's belief. sixtynve years ago in the ne
cessiiy Of conservative influence 30 moderate what
he called the excesses OF Democracyr though the
speaker thought they might as well be called the
general tendencies OF the age exhibited here a
little earlier freely because of the liberty
OF action which Democracy affords Allusion was
made 10 the conservative or regulating influence
formerly expected from certain professions but less
10 be depended now. under the changing condi-
lions The speaker then expressed the hope that
q large BODY Of educated might be found
by nature and by the necessities of their position
the most powerful and the safest conservative in
fuence in the country. The address next proceeded
10 point out some Of the tendencies TO excess de-
veloping Under oUr expanded social and national
lie and their causes follows:
DECAY OF FAITH
OF specific excesses toward which our Demo-
cratic institutions seem to be tending, perhaps
we do not need TO speak in any great de-
tail 1t may Ice enough to recognize that the
American who colonized the Atlantic Coast and
me great Mlddle W est VINO framed ihe Con
sutuuon- started the Government, developed the
country under it, and fought a gigantic civil
war 10 preserve il. IS not the American VINO
leads the popular movements Of to-day. The
type is changing; the beliefs are changing. and
the aims
He is neither Puritan any longer nor Cavalier.
He may outwardly deny the decay of faith nut
he inwardly feels it. Nothing is more notice
able the grea- centres Of population and of
national activity. or in any large section OF
what calls itself and is often called our best
society. than This disappearance OF the old
foundation OF character and action; this loss OF
profound. enduring. restful faith in anything.
Il is a lafssez-aller age: an age of loosening
anchors and drifting with the tide; Of taking
things they are with cordial readiness to
ft-s,z- ONE of "a
indifference. whose universal attitude toward
each startling departure from old STANDARDS IS
short marked h,- a refined ''up-to-date' adapta-
ton Of the ole Epcurean idea that there IS
nothing in this world TO do but to eat and drink
and make merry. for tomorrow we dle- As
Omar prime favori5e OF the flower Of this new
school. has sung
What boots il 10 repeat
How time is slipping underneath our eets
Unborn To-rnorrcw and dead Yesterday,
Why fret about them if To-day be sweet!
LOSS OF SERIOUS PURPOSE.
The loss Of faith brings by this short cut
straight the loss OF purpose in Hfe-of any
purpose AT least beyond purely material ones
To those who need money. the duty OF getting
il first. and above anything else becomes the
gospel OF life To those who feel the heed o.
T7osirion whether in society. business or else
where. their gospel drives them TO all mean ms
Rithin the law TO attain that TO those VINO
have both money and position comes the oniE
remaining purpose in life. that Of using them
for an existence Of amusement and ENJOY ment-
Is il too much to say that never before IN our our
history have such aspirations SO coIhpletelS
dominated and limited such large classes!
WHAT MANY FIND LEFT IN LIFE
But this craze for mere amusement and en-
ioyment like other perverted appeutes, grows
nv What II feeds on. The amusement soon be
comes wearisome, the enjoyment soon palls' uh-
less constantly more and more spectacular ana am.
bizarre Perpetual change and constantly N
creasing variety of extremes seem TO be the ever
rising price Of keeping amused one never -
for long where one wants 10 be, or doing Wlat
one desires: there must he necessarily d IusllIls
u and fro and a change Of pursuits, an uilutI
The glare Of electric lights and the blare OF pfss
ands. If in the country. one mus Ha "a =. -
7be civ where something is going on; II IN the
,f--- one must fly to the country Whefe me
crowd IS not mixed and where pleaSahteI
ro,-es narties can he gathered; if IN ones own
4and one longs for The bouleVarGs or lhe AipS'
Z abroad. one is eager TO Try The ne" SIealIle-
back. Il at the seashore, one wants suddehS 70
l,,ov- what the mountains are like, and can only
trd amusement III going 10 see "heh C~lolHeG ~ :
IL leather jackets protected oH ,iIq in
goggles and powdered with uHt lusi1-lle E
through the dusty air on the highways at 1orlE
or fftv miles an hour il a Red DeNlI, anu iedN :
ing the luckless rustics n Jne way 10 80 10 .
fend Of amy color they like
Even then this vehement Vacuity Is not anus
-, ,Ir,Iaes u is,<a1lxed about one must be for
- iafo-e M footlichts and. If possible, in the
centre Of The stage Privacy Is QeddI! uIeIs, -
Nct 10 have your name every other uaS IL lI
newspa pers is 10 be out Of the world 70 De ~ DoIt
"a 5aa-b Nor 10 see every intimate fact. about
Yourself or vour friends thrust naked and shame
less under -he public eye Is 70 feel mat you az
dropping out Of the swim
C-rega robustness and glare are the lrredeeII-
ably vulgar notes OF il all To seek en)oyIh
within yourself and your own circle, IN resources
- - ov-,7 and without a fresh Tiashlight
rictlIra every day, becomes unenduraple =
country residence is impossible unless a uoZeii
-te-- ..of o1,r own set YOU know" within
f7ze minutes call: and then il Is slow WIN
ON = thronEed racetrack at hand. Thus New
mort rather than BiltmOTe. becomes the NelieeItI
- ebi77, national type for those who can. Al
will command either. As for the Dapes iHal
must gtrIlggle through childhood INTO precocIods
z-7-+r,ritz- in such surroundings. why, they are
70 live in this world. aren't they-not IN the
F1arnz Valley Of Rasselas2 Why shouldnt I they
90 ~, without rest and real country life, as
well as their parents
SUDDEN POLITICAL FENERS.