Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1906-06-13
A Brilliant Grafton By Harold Elliott
Address By Professor Taylor. And
The announcement of Prizes Are The
Features of Commencement Exercises.

Five young men and young lakes who
have competed the curriculum Of the
High school, formally badc farewell to
their scholastic cnreer last evening, and
male their debut into the woskaday
vorld. The Elks' thcatcf was crowd
al with friends and relatives Of the
sradua,es when tho exercises opened
with an overture BY tho orchestra, and
thru followed the GRAFTON by Harold
Allen Elliott, who was scleeted TO re.
vresent hh class. His theme WAS "A
SEPARATE Star" dealing with the sub.
,sc, Of statehood, and the sentiments
rrpessed met hearty approval from
The audience. Mr.. Elliott's oration
Wa thoughtful, was expressed in we'll
vhrused language, and his delivery WAS
EXCELLENT. Ills Grafton, which was M
follows. was the subject Of much favor.
able comment:
"A Separate stas.''
On this our commencement evening
We conclude our four years high school
course. Tonight the senior class Of
nineteen hundred and sis Of the Pres.
eott High school ceases it, existence
- n class. Tomorrow its laboratories.
recitation rooma and assembly hall are
lost to IL irrevocably. II In with com
mingled. fceliags - Joy and sadness
that I address you here tonight. Deep
IA my pleasure In the honor con.
fered on me by my class In extend
ing TO me the opportunity Of speaking
It's farewell. but there In great sadness
for ~ all In the reflection that the
friendships formed ~ long ago and
strengthened through 10 many years OF
intimate association must now At iest
undergo o change In which nm indie.
scfibable element must be lost never
10 b. found aesis. :,
Before the doors elo~c forever behind
~, before our high school life ebba
entirely away, and while, still lingering.
we may consider ourselves q part OF
tina, student body In which side BY side
We have worked for 10 many years, the
class Of nineteen six wishes here to-
night before you all TO express its sen
timent on that all pevvading and en-
crossing issue against which almost 20
every man, woman and child witmn
bee borders. Arizona has risen Win all
A@r might. joint statehood. ,
The senior elaas Of nineteen hundre"
and six raises its voice against the I'm.
pending injustice and Wishes with OIL
ia heart that shoulder TO shoulder with
our present gallant defenders. Il might
land what atreugth Il possesses to'the
preservation Of our homo government
free. unrestricted, and individual.
Consider the Purpose for which the
government Of the United states was
undertaken. Recall the outraged feel
ings which gave rise to the course pn!'
sued by our forefathsrs who institut'
ed and NO bravely defended from ths
onslaught Of oppression this great lana
pouring forth their life's blood, boil
my with the spirit Of libtrty that
haven might be established for thoss
torn by anarchy and the cruel ciutsne'
u liceatiens 0ovsrsment. for 'nost
seeking rest aud peace ard an eqoa'
association with their fellow men
The chains Of slavery which Tor ~
many thousand years held manhinl ~
bondage. which under the ever incre"s
ing ferment and discomfort OF a mos,
alb ject existence were bent, twisted nne
strained to their utmost. fell at last be
t.re the eyes Of . falss and eraveI
master, the oppressive nobility, nnt
bringing freedom clAttered downwaf'
with n ring ominous to the world o.
the feet Of those whom they had X
long held In subsection. MANKIND wa
freed. Tho domination OF a class wa
destroyed. The equality Of man DC
fore man was established. The old OF
der waa changed, yielding place to new
Liberty Il was, liberty that inspires
courage In the minds Of those despairinI
patriots, and infused their limbs, weaA
ened by the fatigue Of long enduI'nl
hardships, with q new strength 70 con
,inue the battle Of their hopes. L'be'
ty for one and all laid the foundation
Of our national government, and
was the fear Of the loss Of that liber'
which ovcrcame the jealousies OF IN
colonies and forced them into concord
when again the tempest Of mans III
humanity 10 man and mans polite"
and social subordination to man VA
about to sweep down upon them. In
love Of liberty, that conjuring foree, u
whose call ind0mitable armies nav
arisen, rescued them from the brink o
that precipice over which with bu
one step more the grandest victory o
civilized people would have dasne
through tho abyss to an ignomin'o.
death on the rocks below, q prey
the vultures Of the earth.
But Il was not for themselves a,on
that the colonists brsved % many 'nI
gers. Their struggle for liberty wa
that their children and their children
children might exist under goveil
ment free from the oppression by VINE
they had 70 deeply suffered. - gov
ernment smbodying the principles
Justiees and. not might VA established
That flame Of liberty has been ket