Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-05-04
Annual Celebration at the Uuiver.
sity Of Vermont.
Addresses b. n. r. Ferry, 'o0, and I. II.
Hulett, '06, with Grafton ~ Judge
q. G. Mower, %, ON "The Col.
legc Man II Civic Lifc,Y

hymn, the chaplain, Inc Kew. Charles j.
Staples. offered prayer.
Ralph Foster Perry. 'o6, Of Westford,
read very complete biographical sketch
of the late Hon. Frederick Billings class
of "A, one of Vermonts best known alumni
and the donor of the Billings library
The address was followed by the singing
of the following ode, written for the oc-
cason by Levi +. Smith. 'Os, of this city:
Mountain-grt college. firm based and
abiding,
| Deep thy foundations and lasting thy
fame;
Still as Of yore thou art teaching and
guiding:
Proudly we hail thee in loyal acclaim.
Traits of the brave men by whom thou
vast founded
Long in thy customs and aims shall
Men strong and stalwart, in righteousness
grounded,
Teaching for great ends to labor and
strive.
Ever advancing to new fields of learning,
Yet holding still to the gains of the
past
Kindlc our spirits to thoughts high and
burning;
Marshal us on to achievements more
vast.
Free though our praises. this heartfelt
emotion
| Greater shall grow with the frightening
Parted by mountains or sundered by
Loved Alma Mater. We'll sing to thy
praise.
| The second address was by Lee Harris
| IIuett of Granville. y. V, %, The Col
| lege Which Is Neither the Largest Nor
tho Smallest" WIS the theme.
| The speaker took up various phases of
| college life. contrasting the existing con-
ditions and the advantages of the one with
| the other Mr.. lIulett made a plea for the
small college. He argued that the small
college has the advantage in athletics, in
social relations and in the fraternities.
The opportunity for sympathy between
man aud man between professor and stu
dent is much greater in the smaller coll
| lege than can possibly be in large uni
Ivcrsity, and the benefits are therefore
greater in the smaller institution
AT the close of Mr.. Huletts address the
choir rendered a song written by A. j.
McKellow, 'O1.
| prof Goodrich then introduced the Hon.
Edmund Curtis Mower, %. A. NJ. of this
city as orator of the day. Judge Mowers
subject was 1.-The College Man in Civic
Life" and he spoke in part as follows:
Il ask your attention briefly to the
| consideration OF collegiate training as
an equipment for citizenship In the
everyday. prosiac sense of that term.
| and to the civic opportunities and re-
| spOnsiblites of the college man. No
| finer thing could be said of the men who
made this university possible than that
their sacrifices in its behalf were to
them the natural and the highest express
sion of their patriotism. their pride in
civic achievement. They felt profoundly
| that in point of intrinsic merit the high
est function of the modern man. and
especially of the man upon whom Is
1 placed the immense responsibility of
self government. is the due performance
of civic duty
LAS good citizenship is the highest
function Of the man of today. 80 it is
vastly the most difficult Of performance.
II is true, Think, that the college man
nf to-day not infrequently fails to grasp
the scope of the opportunity opening be-
| fore him and TO realize the burden of
responsibility placed upon him. by rea-
''Il VI tfe complex ana mover conditions
of our modern political and social life.
| Conccdng the utmost that may be said
in criticism OF the politics of today
think We may safely stand with those
who believe that the present weaknesses
| in our system of governmental admins
tration. though most dsheartening, are
not fundamental in the sense that they
are inherent in democracy. I believe
!,
wrought by the century just elapsed.
| "'rhera has been great evolution of
our industrial system since the founding
Of this university. a century ago busi-
ness was crude. unorganized and nerve.
less. mnistering to the simple nccessi-
ties Of n provincial people. To-day it is
international. touches all shores and
dominates all things And here oppo,tu-
nifty brings responsibility.
| And it has been the same with orr
Development along all the lines which
tcrd to make the administration of gov
| eminent II responsible business
| such has been tho rapdity OF IL all
| that wc have perforce tcen a race OF
| Rip Van Wrinkles ava cning to the sense
Of the utter outGrowth Of our old enyir
| Onmcnts.
the education Of the people in the es-
sentials of efficient self government has
inevitably failed to keep pace with the
demands made upon them by the exigen-
ces of government.
From year to year there is an ever
widening range of governmental func-
tons. an increasing complexity of pow
crs. We have lately been taking a hand
in world politics which forcibly reminds
us Of the passing OF the old order of
of things international and the beginning
of distinctly new era.
THE practical test of the governmental
capacity of the people will almost GER
tainly increase rs time goes on. The SUI
preme civic leader: these must be
first of all honest and OF Independent
conviction. They also must have the
capacity to grasp all the essential facts
of a political situation.
"With grasp should go great power
of discrimination. This kind of mental
surgery is a rare part of the equipment
of the useful civic leader.
And finally. 1t seems to ma that not
by any means the least OF these qualities
of the civic leader Is catholcty OF view.
He should limit his sympathies. his in
terest. his sense OF Justice. his philan-
thropy by nothing narrower than the
bounds of the civilized globe.
THE college man must realize. as the
man OF narrower training cannot the alb
so'ute necessity OF individual civic in