The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-23
PRESIDENT TO WILLIAMS MEN.
DISCUSSES PUBLIC QUESTIONS
AFTER RECEIVING DEGREE.

Defends Course In santo Domingo and Mem
lions Corporation Supervision-Fet-
eral Check on Railr Dads Too -Choate
and Root Are Honored with Degrees.
w1LLlAMsrowN. Mass, June 22,-Theo-
dore Roosevelt received a new honor to-
day when Williams College, on the occasion
Of its nth commencement day. conferred
upon him the degree Of doctor of humane
letters Other highly distinguished guests
were present, and they were honored too.
Joseph Hodges Choate, lately Ambassador
to England, and Elihu Root former Secre-
tary of War received the degree Of doctor
Of laws, and donned the purple trimmed
robes while an audience that crowded the
old Congregational Church rose and gave
cheer after cheer. The same honorary
degree was conferred upon william II.
Prentice of tho New York bar and Edward
H. Griffin of Johns Hopkins University
Tie Ecv. William NJ. Grosvenor rector of
the Church of the incarnation, New York,
and the lev. stephen e, Penrose, president
Of Viii, man College State OF Washington,
received the honorary degree Of doctor OF
divinity.
President Roosevelt was decorated last,
and az he rose to receive his degree the
audience was on its feet waving handker-
chiefs and hats and cheering with en-
thtsiasn. The cheers lasted more than a
miaute and thev we're renewed a moment
later when the hlack silk scholastic robe
with white TRIMMINGS Cienoting the degree
of toctor Of letters was placed on the
Presidents shoulders.
After the comforting of the degree the
President turned TO the audience and be-
ofr, Iy,,i fb n
T., touched upon nearly every one OF the
great questions now uppernost IN the Adj
minlStrl ion, ana was oDnged TO pause
ever, II inuto or so to wait for the applause
to cease. Former Secretary Root and MIR.
(hoate also were generous with their
applause during the greater part OF the Presi-
dents speech, but they were silent when
E.. Roosevelt uttered some pronounced
views on the COntro! OF railroad rates ana
OF corporations generally.
The President spoke in part as follows;
The Presidents speech.
.l,r. President and you OF Williams:
1T is high honor that have received
ct your hands, and l very deeply appreciate
it, I appreciate it particularly because
It is my good fortune to find on the platform
with me so many men to whom ! am knit
by the bonds of personal friendship and OF
work for a common end have listened
with real pleasure to the three ciscourses
to-day. and of course the FIRST was In my
line of business
Before speaking Of what had intended
to say here to-day ! want to say word
Just suggested by that address on 'ldealism
In politics I wish to see every graduate
other college in the land feel land thank
the speaker for the way he emphasized
IT. the need Of ideals in business and in law
quite as much as in politics, wish to see
every graduate do all that IN nun mes TO
uphold standard Of practical idealism
n after life
I want you to have high ideals, but
practical ideals n you choose to have
high ideals 80 fantastic that they are Of no
use when you try to apply them in practical
life do not for one m oment deude YOUR
self into the belief that to have the fantastic
ideals shows that you are more vlrtuous
than the man who has not them. IT merely
shows that you are'more foolish. Have
ahigh ideal and try to realize it measurably
and with infinite power Abraham Lincoln
and George Washington strove to realize
70 realize them in practical shape.
Il do not know whether l can develop
that thought as clearly as want to. What
desire to see you feel Ia that you must have
a d s4as h. you and t so "so sRpH hn hss
avoid the state Of mind in W hich you preach
an impossible doctrine and make amends
for it by not practising the doctrine that
you ought to.
PRAISE FOR CHOATE AND MOOT.
Il want to teach here a little by example.
am going to ask the pardon OF those OF
whom / am going to speak personally,
because am going to sacrifice their feel
ings for the good Of all the rest. On this
platform with me are number OF men
with whom / have been for long time
associated in public life. and who. in public
life, can say OF my own personal know-
edge, have striven to realize high Ideals in
practical ways--men like Elihu Root. like
Joseph Choate. like Senator Crane. like
Congressman Lawrence, like Garfield here,
Il have worked with these men. know
what they have done and how they have
done 1t. With some | have worked more
Intimately than with others. With Mr..
Root have worked for well nigh quarter
IF century. know what they have done
in public life. know their disinterested-
meas; know their effort in accomplishing
something worth accomplishing 1t is
perfectly true that you want to avoid i'm
proper compromises, but you will not get
any other if you are not ebe to compromise
non-eesential matters.
Il do not suppose there ia one OF those
men whose names / have given you who
tioeS not and has not disagreed with me on
some pretty important points. ranging from
the navy to corporations, But we have
heen able to come to a working agreement.
We have been able to establish a basis for
common action, not ny surrendering on
matters of principle, but by agreeing each
to subordinate his views on certain points
so that we could secure the efficiency OF
action that can only come from united
effort | want you to feel that to accom-
psh anything in after life, you men who are
just going out into the great world, have
got personally to keep before your minds
10th the desire to work for betterment and
the power to work in combination with
your fellows who will not on all points agree
with you practically to achieve that better
rnent.
NEED OF NATIONAL R1oHTEorsNFss.
i want the people Of every institution
Of learning likethis, in achieving the sue
cess Of the immediate governmental prob
lens that are now before u.s. to feel that we
have a right to expect leadership from the
men who come out of Williams, who come
out of the other colleges and universities
of the land. and that we have right to ex-
poet that leadership to be shown with prac-
teal efficiency, in seeing that this nation