The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-28
A CLASS OF 43.
New Record for MfdwInter High
School Commencement.
Exercises Marked by Absence Of
Demonstration.
DIR. STRONG SPEAKS.
DIR. STRONG {
Chancellor OF State University
Delivers an Address.
Discusses the Effect OF Puritan
Religion.

A remarkable feature Of the gradu-
at1ng exercises at the Topeka high
school last evening was the notable
absence of shouting, cheering, and
rowdyism.
During the past few years, since the
graduating exercises have been held
at the Auditorium, there has been a
growing custom of stirring up Excite
ment" at each of the semi-annual
graduating days. The nearest SEM
blance of disorder at the commence
ment last night was the class yell of
the sub-seniors, released as the grad
yates and speakers were mounting the
platform. Otherwise the evening
passed very quietly and without event.
Forty-three students were turned
out of h high school last evening
with their sheepskins. It was the
largest midwinter class In the history
of the school.
The exercises attendant upon the
graduation of the students were
simple. The programme was opened
by an overture by Halls orchestra.
This was followed by an invocation by
the Rev Francis L. Hayes of the First
Congregational church. Following a
vocal number, L. d. W~hittenore, city
superintendent of schools, made a
audience, outlining the work which it
will be sought to accomplish at the
manual training building of the To-
peka high school. Mr.. Whittemore
ing force which has been employed,
and which was printed in the State
Journal last evening.
Supt. Whittemore introduced Chan
cellor Frank Strong of the Kansas
state university, who was the speaker
of the evening. Chancellor Strong
chose for his subject, The Puritan,
Then and Now"
R~fnHr ca1 y, szs IT, -~-z -.es4-
of the early Puritans, Chancellor
Strong made the declaration that
we of today are what we are be-
cause they were what they were.
mo maj can accomplish anything
of great consequence" he continued,
unless he has high aims. He should
be enowed with the Puritan's sense
of honor and of religion. Our Iegisia-
tratfons purer and our churches
higher If all men were to get a
glimpse of That sin really is.
THE Puritan was a mar with a
mission. He wanted to establish a
new ideal country, anew ideal race
of men with a new ideal of Christ,
government and liberty.
The early Puritan believed in the
plan Of educating the children at the
expense of the state, and that idea
has row until the United States has
the best free public school system in
the world. Many of our oldest and
leading educational institutions in the
east we're originally established. and
kept up by taxation upon the people
Of the locality in which they were
"The early Puritan believed in a
new political and social democracy,
and he believed in the Bible as the one
TT is too bad that our high school
students do not know the English Bible
better. To read Shakespeare, Milton
and the other English writer's is all well
enough, but the Bible should be read
first for a better and clearer concep-
ton of the English. We see our ire
mendous mistake now and the mex few
years will doubtless mark an improve
ment in hat direction.
1.-The Puritan of today is altruistic
instead of ind~ividualistic. He under-
stands that political freedom is not
enough. but that religious experience
rather than religious theory is what
counts with man. But in gaining relig-
experience, the young should avoid
the religious bigot as carefully as he
does the one who has cast loose from
all religious mornings.
There are II millions of students
attending our public schools. These
minds should be impressed with
true sense of the responsibility of
If they are not impressed
with this responsibility then the schools
are a failure ana ought to be done
away with.
"Our high school students of today
are the men who will later go to our
legislatures. to congress-, and will con-
duct the administration, and we want
to be proud of them. In the old days
training vas considered when
account of a man. but in these
DAYS and the days to come, it is the
of education that counts. We
do things in the twentieth CEN
along seventeenth century meth
There will be social and economic
troubles to be settled. So the young