Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-28
CREATIONS, MUSIC AND FLOWERS
The Eighteen Accredited Graduates
Presented Fine Appearance Amid
The Decorations,
DR.. TAtMAGE ADDRESSES THEM.
Prof Paul Gave Annual Report aud
President Lund Announced Grant
Scholarships,

oNuVldl Aulpa
The commencement exercises Of the
Latter-day Saints university occurred
all. The stand was lastly decorated
with bunting, in the university colors,
and with palms and flowers A large
audience OF students and friends was
present to listen TO the exercises.
Among those on the stand, besides
those on the program, were Presidents
Emery and Ashton Of the salt Lake
stake. President Jos. S. Wells Of the
Ensign stake, and also a number Of the
university board, and other prominent
business men and educators, Some eN-
cellent music, chiefly university talent,
was rendered, some numbers OF which
were repeated by request. The pres
dents report gave a brief account OF
the progress made by the institution
during the past year, ana compared
statistics OF both years, showing sub.
stantlal gain In the principal courses
Miss Mitchells valedictory address
was concluded in simple and dignifed
language and was delivered In a clear
voice. Or. Talmage's address 10 the
graduates, though brief, was IN the best
style and delivery Of this fayorit e pub
lie speaker.
REPORT OF PRESIDENT PAUL.
The principal business Of mankind Is
the training Of the youth and upon the
future OF its youth depends the sue.
cess or the failure Of any people, The
problem which has confronted the Lat
ter-day Saints has always been that OF
providing Tor their young people an
education i'm accordance with the ideals.
and I'm harmony with the duties that
must be performed by this people. II
has been claimed, that IN order to do
this. "a complete system Of education
from the primary department up 10 and
including the university would be re-
CURED; and certainly there are argu-
ments I'm favor OF this view, which II
Is In no sense my purpose to controvert.
But If those arguments are wholly true,
we are confronted by situation that IL
Is almost II not altogether. impossible
for us to meet, And | venture to be-
lieye that a complete system Is not the
only solution Of the problem before us.
Not alone does the vast expense OF such
a system appear 10 place It out of the
question for the time being hut also
our relation 20 the state as loyal Ct o..
2ens thereof and az supporters Of
necessary institutions, makes IL part o.
our duty TO support and patronize the
public school system. Such has always
been the attitude Of our people and
see no indication Of a change in this
attitude ! therefore suppose that our
conditions or circumstauces--let them
be called either providence or fate rs
you Will-haye SO shaped themsel.-as
that we shall not maintain complete
system Of schools In the sense of taking
the place Of the state system In the
education Of our children We shall
simply add 10 the state system what
seeker we deem advantageous 10 the
cause OF education I'm our midst and es-
sentinl TO the ideals which, az a people.
we cherish All our efforts hitherto
In this direction have taken the form
Of an addition 70, and not thar Of n
substitute for, the public school sys-
tenn,
A DEMONSTRATION.
Years ago in tho history OF Europe,
Loyola, a spanish priest Of the Josu-
its, conceived the idea Of making the
ideas OF Catholicism influential
throughout the countries Of western
Europe. This he did by providing for
the education OF the youth He cared
little for either the elementary or the
university education, but concentrated
his efforts upon the period of youth and
adolescence, In the system OF schools
which were established according TO his
Ideas, the youth received training at
the critical period IN their history, all
this training being influenced by the
4 ~ g..
education thus received was shallow
and booklsh and not q few Of the doc
trines taught in these schools were
demonstratably false. Nevertheless
even with superficial education, one.
sided views and unreasonable dogmas,
the 1esuits succeeded In getting control
Of the trend OF thought throughout
western Europe, and thereby welded
an unparalleled influence over the des-
TIMES and progress of whole nations.
Here, then, "a the demonstration OF
what may be accomplished In any
cause by taking hold Of the youth II
the right age. And ! have no doubt
that schools supported by the Latter
day Saints with their rational and
scrlptural doctrines. their broad and
tolerant views and their devotion to
truth I'm any Of It's aspects, would on
able them 20 WELD n righteous influence
for good over the lives Of their young
people, and through them, perhaps
over the dcstInios 81 whole communi-
ties N we seize upon the right mo-
meut for iustructing the youth In q
definite and systematic manner. there
can he no real question MS 20 the re-
suits. An education begins I'M The
home and IN the early surroundings
ana ! do not mean that the influence
of the parents, especially that Of the
mother ls not considerable at au
stages Of youthful progress but there
comes q time when the youth begins
90 ask which Of an the religious demon.
mations ia fight That time, rs power.
fully illustrated In the case Of the boy
Joseph smith, Is Just when the dictates
Of reason begin 10 demand "a cause. am
explanation, AMI a reason Tor beliefs
actions, and crceds This is the time
when youthful minds awaken to tho