The San Francisco call., 1905-04-29
GARFIELD TALKS
TO COLLECIANS
Believes Every Man Should
Take an Active Part in
the Politics of Country
WORLD GETTING BETTER
Common Sense Is Needed to
Keep Citizens From Chas-
ing Impossible Ideals

BERKELEY, April 2s.-The univer-
sity meeting this morning was ad-
dressed by James R Garfield, son Of
former President James A. Garfield and
commissioner of corporations in the De-
partment CT Labor and Commerce.
Commissioner Garfield had been in
vited by President Wheeler to speak
to the student body and chose as his
subject the necessity Of good citizens
taking part in politics and setting up
high standard of citizenship and po-
htical activity. He declared himself
an optimiSt; that the world is not
growing worse, but better; that there
is no such thing as a dirty pool of
politics from which good men should
shrink. His remarks were in part as
follows:
assure you that it is a pleasure to talk TO
you. 1 have no special message TO deliver, but
] know that l can gain inspiration from you
that win help to carry through the work that
has been given to me to do
l wish 10 say first that 1 believe the world
is getting better. The idea OF our forefathers
century ago that men were becoming
worse and worse every year L believe to have
been erroneous. A man who announces to-day
| that such q view is his should take chloro-
! form. l am an oDtimist OF the extreme type.
/ ] am optimistic because l have found in my
work and in my relations with men that never
before were the ideals of citizenship and the
| strivings of men and women on as high a
| plane as they are to-day.
1t is true that some men, some places, some
| conditions are bad. That is natural and not TO
4 be avoided: but on the whole viewed broadly,
things are better than they ever were before.
such thin= that which some call the dirty
| pool of politics. No such thing exists except
| in the minds Of the evil minded. There is
| nothing in political life that we need be
| afraid Of that we need avoid, except the evil
| dences of human nature that occasionally take
! the form Of treachery, which we may there
| encounter
| We need three essential characteristics in
| our national life We need courage TO do right
! and to do right to the bitter end; honesty to
| carry what we have determined to do. and
| an honesty that kills sophstry, fundamental
| honesty that will teach men not TO quibble in
| matters of finance any other matters: and
! last of all we feed common sense the hard
| of all. We must have common sense that Will
teach US not to chase the impossible ideals OF
our fancy at the foot OF the RAINBOW. ous -
deal carefully and nationally with such dan
| gers as may confront In our national life.
] think the first essential of our college
training should be to give us the hrst prin-
| ciples of good citizenship. In this should lie
the difference between college bred men and
| women and those who are not college bred. II
is not what we learn of the classics and the
sciences or Of literature and history that Is
! going to ht most for the after college
years. 1t is the inculcation OF principles that
stand for the best in life-this is the most
serious business here. Lastly, keep young
I as long as you live, and that Will aid you
| most IN carrying the business of life.
The remainder of the meeting was
! given UP to speeches by prominent
members of the senior class. Miss
Ethel Richardson represented the Co
ed' section, as president of the Asso-
ciated Women Students. Other seniors
who spoke were j. P. Loeb, editor OF
the Californian, who protested against
knocking in college politics.; Eugene
Hallett, class president, who discussed
college comradeship'; Ollie Snedigar
who talked of athletics; W. H. Dehm
president of the Associated Students
Leo D. Bishop, editor of the Occidenti
D. p. Boothe, A. c. Keane, j. S. Ed
wards and o. S. Orrick
During the meeting Professor Henry
Morse Stephens announced that Jules
Klein, senior, had won the James
Bryce historical essay competition. The
winner receives prize of s100. 1t was
also announced that the Bonnheim con.
test would take place next year dur.
ing November and December and that
the subject of the discussion would bt
Voltaires dictum that "internationa
law is the jurisprudence of highway
| robbery"