The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-14
PRESIDENT EDWIN IA. ALDERMAN.

LIEN i EDWIIN,l,itlA. tALDEN
Muster, seeking unity and development. a
common heart and conscience. If some OF
its early dreams have faded. in the light
of common day. It is because economic
and social questions strike deeper than
issues formal and political, and for their
solution make demand less upon emotions
and impulses, and more upon sound knoWl-
edge, ordered thinking and constructive
Imagination. The craving OF It's present
mood Is for opportunity to share in the
fullness Of life, to break up Its masses
into units, to sift its units for hidden
,treasur and to enter into the finer IN
heritances of the civilization which It has
helped to build. The great-grandsons OF
the men who fanced the suffrage would
bring Utopia now set their hearts more
upon the wages Of labor. the nature Of
capital, good country roads, the enricn-i
ment of rural life, the village library,
the comedy school house, the lnlmpeded
path to some such spot as this
There is still the republicsto be served, .
venerable now, for all its brllliancy. and
literally made over In e outward form, in
spiritual purpose, and in Industrial pa
tumult OF peoples with sobe Hes Ind Sim
pllcity and Americanisn r. hat IS Aineri-s
cansm coming to signify spiritually to the
world? Shall 1t be alone pridc 3of power,
passion for achievement, genius for self.
indulgence, made waste of energy, as
in the anti or shall it mean steadfast
justice, respect for law, sober discipline
responsible citizenship and moral sturdl-g
ness II 8 S3f3 IN ..Jl!5955is SiE
Of American institutions, seeking to guar,
antee the right answer TO these large
questions OF human welfare a sectional,
like a sectarian{ university, is unthink-
able, and we are spiritual neighbor to
Harvard and Columbia, to Michigan and
Texas, to Oxford and Cambridge. AS a
brief answer to the vital question, What
sort Of men have you made I may reply,
forty-seven per cent. of our students game
to US from thrty-nine States jotherftian
Virginia, 500 of our alumni have preach
ed the gospel throughout the world; al
have occupied chairs in 151 universities
and colleges in SO States andE4 foreign
countries, 81 of these being elected in II
Northern and Western States. Our sons
have governed twelve States. and adj
ministered supreme justice in II States;
112 of them have enacted laws in the
Federal Congress. and in law, medicine
business and engineering host Of them
are serving men about the world
To Virginia
Tt Is too clear to call for proof, how,
ever. that the chief allegiance of this Uni
yersity Is to Virginia and to its natural
contributing territory. Its elementary dll-
ties are to furnish q liberal education
substantially free to the youth Of
| Virginia, and to care for Virginia
and the South in their growing
life, in educational cultural economic
directions. IL there be question touch
ing life on the farm, or in the factory,
| in institutional development, in the public
schools, in manufacturing or municipal
problems some intelligent answer should
Issue from tho University. II this Union
symbolzcs the effort of freemen to COM
bine freedom and Justice with wealth. and
mower, the most impressive phase of this
effort Is the proud, self-rellant re-
entrance OF the South after isolation. and
| submersion into the work of tho modern
world, without loss OF ancient5 lovabe-
| ness and with access of modern vlgor and
mobility. This is still a land OF romans
ticism and personality, of conservatism
and reverence. Of loyalty and capacity Tor
devotion, but 1t Is as well q land 81 cOnl-
munity, progress and social sympathy
| pcrceying tho necessity and dignity Of
| Industrial efficiency and realizing and
mastering the economic forces Of
society. 1t has indeed begun an economic
movement destined to revolutipnize its
life. Disciplined and homogeneous,
our, educuble youth are reaching up
Into life, through sacrifice. They
| are no better than other American
YOUTH but God has been good to thent,
because He has let their young eyes see
life as duty and opportunity and not rs
pleasure, and tho republic needs their
tempered strength and their quality Of
soul and their scorn of dishonoE Nowhere
| in the world are there more difficult and
dangerous domestic pIoblcms, Nowhere
lin the world do both nature and man
ask so plainly for tho trained hand, the
trained mind and the trained VIII, Every
whore there Is wealth to be won and IN
situations to be nodded and IDEALS 70 be
|maintuingl and " giant task accomplish
4 cd ofareating In democratic NE master
/ race and freed race on the basis OF JUS
| tice. but conformable TO the solemn oblir
cations of racial growth and ON an uninl-
paired civilizations,
| M Ilumanism produced the man OF culture
i and his peril was self-suillcleney and
1 q conception or suture as ornhment.T,I
! fplied science and the imperlous demands
of commerce have produced me man at
i efficiency, and his peril is personal barren
! ness and distinctive greed. ourEcountry
i needs the ideaism of the one md the
4 lordshp over things, Of the other, and
4 such a. blend will he the Great citizen
4 whose advent an INDUSTRIAL demncIa cy
A has So long Fforeshadowed. Inc Kind OF
II tl,ft Ia