The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-15
FUND OF ALUMNI
GROWING APACE
REPORT OF THE TREASURER
SHOWS THAT THERE IS NOW A
BALANCE OF $2S,OOo.

$4,000 by Next Commencement,
when They Will Vote Upon the
Disposition of the Fund--James
II. EckeIs spoke at Commencement
Yesterday Peabody Library
Building Formally Received.
Athens, Ga. June 14.-At the meet
ing OF the Alumni Society to-day Hon.
Frank Wilson of Tennessee. a noted
jurist of that state, was named as the
alumni orator for the next commence
ment. Ee is a graduate of the class
of 1868.
The report on the alumni endowment
fund showed a balance in the treas
ury of $4,000. and by next commence
ment it is estimated that the fund will
be 000 At that time the subscrtb-
ers to the fund are to be present here,
either by proxy or in person, to de-
termine to what purpose the fund is
to be directed.
This afternoon at o'clock the Pea
body library building was received with
appropriate exercises, which were held
in the new library building. Chancel-
lor Hill delivered the keys of the build
ing to Gov. Terrell, who responded in
neat address, in which he took oc-
casion to pay high tribute to the gem
erous donor, Mr. George Foster Pea
body of New York.
The address of the occasion was de-
livered by Rev. Henry S. Nash of Cam
bridge, Mass, and was a masterpiece.
Mr.. Peabody made a few remarks
at the conclusion of the exercises and
as he came forward the entire audi
ence arose with much cheering and
gave him the Chautauqua salute.
The alumni banquet tonight was
splendid affair and number Of bright
and eloquent responses were made to
the toasts as announced by the mas
| ter of ceremonies, Hon p W. Mel
drim.
! The address of Hon. James H. Eek
els of Chicago to-day was the feature
of the university commencement. The
large and cultured audience greeted
him most heartily and throughout the
address the applause Of the audience
was almost continuous. The impress
sion made was profound.
Speech of Mr. Eclxels.
After referring to the one hundredt1
commencement of the university, the
men of history who have been and are
graduates from it's halls, Mr.. Eckels
took up the modern university idea of
! education. He said: "A distinguished
scholar has declared that the preamble
to the act for the final establishing
of the university by the state would
do honor to any legislature and will
stand as a monument TO the wisdom
and patriotism Of those who framed
and to those who adopted It, And
who that has studied IL will declare
the praise bestowed to be extravagant?
/ quote the words of IL that to-day
we may relearn from them its lesson
of political philosophy bottomed upon
truth and as sound as the eternal veri-
ties. AS 1t is, the distinguished hap
piness of free governments that civil
order should be the result of choice
and not necessity and the common
wishes of the people become the laws
of the land. their public prosperity and
even existence very much depends up
on suitably forming the minds and
morals OF their citizens. When the
minds Of the people in general are
viciously disposed and unprincipled.
and their conduct disorderly, free
government will be attended with
/ greater confusions more horrid than
the Wild uncultivated state of nature.
1t can only be happy where the pub
lie principles and opinions are properly
directed and their manners regulated.
This Is an influence beyond the reach
of laws and punishment, and can be
claimed only by religion and educa-
ton. 1t should, therefore, be among
the first objects of those who wish
we'll to the national prosperity to en-
courage and support the principles of
religion and morality and early to
place the youth under the forming
hand of society, that by instruction
they may be moulded to the love of
virtue and good order.
what the University stands For.
'If / interpret the language Of this
preamble Alright, this university stands
as the visible expression OF the doc
trine that in democracy the careful
education of the citizen is a pre-requi-
site to a proper respect for the admin
istration of law, advancement Of NOR
ais, protection Of rights and mainte-
| nance of order. 1t further proclaims
the close relationship which should ex-
list between the state upon, the one
hand and its educational institutions
on the other, and that in the well-be-
ing of those institutions the people
themselves are vitality concerned. II
could not occupy higher ground nor
discharge a more sacred duty The
ultimate object of every school of
learning must always be the education
of the citizen, not only as to his duties
as a citizen, but as to the importance
of a continuing interest in the exsr-
else of them. If it fail in this respect
and sends forth either the mere
scholastic or the devotee of CONNER
cialism, 1t contributes nothing to the
happiness of the state and of the ma
ton.
THE basic principle of democracy
is the exercise of the largest power on
the part Of the people restricted by the
least number of legal restraints.
have little faith in what has been
termed the all-powerfulness OF the
law in times when questions OF far
reaching importance are to be decided.
The be Il enacted OF a legislative body
has never yet wrought a great reform
where a moral question was involved,
/ and II never will, for In the higher
range OF political obligations the mind
| and action Of the citizen are controlled
! by the concensus Of educated thought