The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-06-15
THIRTIETH COMMENCEMENT.
DR.. ]. M. Driver Delivers Powerful
Address-Clara A. Crater Wins
First Honors.


ment exercises of the Plymouth High
school occurred Wednesday evening
June Z, at the Washington Auditori-
um. The graduating class of 'O5-12
In number and enrobed in the scho-
lastic cap and gown-preceded by the
faculty, speaker of the evening, Rev.
Crowder and the school board, en-
tered the beautifully decorated audi
torium to the strains of Reeves or
chestra of Souh Bend. The stage was
artistically decorated with the class
colors and class flower The school
motto hung over the front part of the
stage near the ceiling and the class
penant just beneath. Also the many
notices of the different classes that
had previously graduated were decor
ated in their respective colors. The
large auditorium was crowded and
every available seat was occupied.
The Invocation was given by Rev.
J. S. Crowder in his usual deep think
ing manner Miss Hazel Neff and
Miss Lura Wilson each captured the
audience by their expressive voices
in their respective solos. The fifth
number of the program was the ad-
dress of the evening the substance OF
which we will endeavor to partially
give. 1t was a masterpiece, full of
deep thought, having fine aim in
view. and full of those SMILES, illus
trations, and exact fitting adjectives
which make a speech so enticingly
interesting and show that the speaker
is broad minded as we'll as a broad
reader. Young America is the speak
e-s ideal
In an address which according to
the clock was one hour and thlrty-hve
minutes in duration but which to our
notion was Of such intense interest
that runtes were as seconds. DR..
J. NJ. Driver, Pastor of the Peoples
Church of Chicago, gave US his ideal
of man. The title of his address nas
Young America and His Mission"
The first part showed the greatness
of youth and what youth has done in
the past-Alexander at the age of 33
conquered the world; Shakespeare
and Byron were monarchs OF the
whole realm of--poetry while yet
young. Youth is the age of conquest
in art (Raphael died at 37) in archi-
lecture, in literature 1t has been said
that there has not been a new poem
since have crooned over the songs
of Homer The seven wonders of the
world iead from the ladder of youth.
All loftiest art is prehistoric. Youth
has conquered the drama. Even in
tragedy the god-like Shakespeare
bows his head to Aeschylus. The
wealth of a country always hastens
into the hands of its youth. How
vapid and insipid is the sphere of
satire and comedy of modern writer's
as compared with the towering early
ones. In music it is the same.
Nothing can compare with the psal-
ter of David Youth is always in all
ages and all chimes triumphant.
Thus is youth, both of man and coun-
try power.
The second idea that the speaker
impressed was that his theme was not
ludicrous and grotesque, and, while
Young America may have humor-
Gus side that is not its mission. He
admitted that Young America could
be funny but his humor is but the
effervescence of his abounding vital
ity. "Wit is his intellectual sneeze.'
Young America has no ambition to
be a second Artemus Ward or Josh
Billings or /. funny man of the Bill
Nye or Mark Twain type. They are
not the king before whom he bows.
Evangeline, the modest, is young
Americas ideal of wpmanhood.
Those fashionable, swell, and some
times cultured opera-going women,
have no attraction for him. He men,
tally contrasts her with his heavenly
mother. He has no use for the loud
girl whose life work is goine. to the
post-ofhce-the girl who coirts ia i
miliarity The girl of the world may
be physically handsome, witty, vi
vacious, cultured, the soul of honor,
vet, he will compare her with the |
quiet, unassuming, modest, home-like |
Evangeline-his ideal He may talk
and walk with the former, escort her
TO the ball and act the gallant; but
in his sober moments when he locks
into the future where the IDEAL of his
heart is anchored, he sees but one
and that must be the implaceable
Evangeline. To the one he may give
candy and peanuts but to Evange-I
line he gies his fame, future, hand
and heart-himself.
Young Americas ideal of manhood
is George Washington. We know
and honor the broad sagacity of
Thomas Jefferson, the spotless integ-
rity of the Adams, the towering
craftsmanship of Hamilton, the pro-
dieious 1abors of Jackson, the elo-