The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-14
COLUMBIA CVHFERS DEGREES.
" A6FgV egNERiI ~ ar VUI
NNOts fHOsF HOtOReR


= Hssss tsswa lIeses ~ GWtles
Cabmbls faltefsty esufs,fat fiU n.
efess ~ ~ tsst sehusi commencement
res'aftHv Nunutffv desFesa ssse Foe
feffed Hpuu NJ Faith siNe
Nssfff n aas the rev Wiilsm OfArH
rieh fHavef. n " " Westminster N
~ Hafts aehaut antfhhufu Mas dre
iat n ssieHta li#alai nirtti FilIHtl etff
inT NJ speloev. Flehi tettwtlsn NneatNF
Chieaen, and fafun Nsn~hifr fsEahi
" " y N 4 = =iferuH. asnefsl ~ The
iapaaess navYi anrtdS ~ iaNs ths Rsv
Wiliam lrws,t Tuesef y u rt"s'der'
~ f%af'mcnSh Colleae, Nm ininin tde
Wkreirr, ~ n p%reeldrnt NJ the TINT.
versity NJ California, the Han Eiwafd
Patterson. i,ts,lrr NJ tho snpfemr touti
NJ New YORK. and Hts ftc~llrnev ira1uim
Nshuco. Ambassador n Hsssli ~ the I ni'ed
states
Each NJ Tho ecipisn,s NJ ina honorary
deEfrrs Vna introduced Nv 4 member ~
tho Columhia faculty
The crowd that gathered ~ attend the
exercises waa bigger than usual Nearly
Nm persons who had received Tickets ~
admission wetc kept out When every ht'
~ available standing room had heen taken
M tho candidates for degrees filed In, "
abreast. dres-ed In tho regulation cap and
gown. There was tho usual gaudv display
~ insignia Nv the members ~ Tho faculty
and graduate schools who had received
higher degrees. Ur. Butler worc n own
Of scarlet and yellow, significant NJ the
degree Of the doctor ~ letters. conferred
p . him by OAforI last ummer.
DR.. Buffers address to tho graduates
dealt with the present social. economic
and political problems, He said in part:
This great com pany of graduates goes out
from tho university into active work of
the world at a part icularly important and
critical time. Unless all signs fail We are en-
tering upon n period NJ social and economic.
perhaps even Of political. reconstruction A
spirit Of unrest Ia abroad, not only In our land.
but In ot her lands "a we'll. SO far as this I'M
rest has an intellectual foundation II appears
10 he the conviction that the eighteenth CEN
fury formulas and aNioms upon which Our
social and political fabric ia 40 argely built
do not work as they were expected to work.
So far as this unrest has an economic founda-
tion, II appears To he Dissatisfaction with
actual and possible rewards for industry. so
far as IL has a political foundation 1t appears
to be a perception of easily demonstrated in
eoualitles of power and influence and OF an
equally easily demonstrated lneVudINy "
benefits from governmental policies.
An increasing number Of men have come TO
distrust the capacity Of society as now organ-
lied to protect itself AGAINST the freebooters
who exist in il. An increasing number OF
men believe and assert that law and Justice
are pow erless before greed and cunning. and
they are the more ready 10 listen to advocacy
Of any measure or policy. however novel or
revolutionary. that promises relief,
~ - III A. Sc
graduate throw his iniuence2 The first duty
of the trained and educated mind when It
faces conditions such "a these and must take
A definite and responsible attitude toward
them Is not to lose its balance, its poise, its
elf-control. That Our society has It's evils.
terrible and dangerous, cannot be denied.
Bur il ia quite too rash a conclusion TO infer
that society must he destroyed and its corner
stone displaced before those evils can be
remedied. The Astounding prosperity Of our
country. with it's untold opportunities for ma
terial success. the loosening or the hold Of
some Of the old religious and ethical sanctions
Of conduct, and the weakening OF parental
control and discipline have united to place
upon American character a burden which in
TOO many instances it has not been able to
bear.
1t is our own individual characters that are
AT fault and not the institutions whose up
building is the work Of the ages. Given an
acute perception Of the difference between
right and wrong, a clear conception OF duty
and an appreciation Of the solemn obligations
of a trust. our social and political system
would perhaps be found to work equitably and
well. without these traits no system Is work.
able. Moral regeneration. not political and
economic reconstruction. is what wa chiefly
need.
After the close of the exercises in the
gymnasium the graduates and the faculty
proceeded to the upper campus, where
the official acceptance Of the new flag pole,
donated by the class of 81, was made.
Most of the visitors then left the university.
the graduates gathering in the Alumni
Memorial Hall. Speeches were made by
the recipients Of the honorary degrees.
DR.. Wheeler was cheered uproariously
when he said, referring to the recent San
Francisco calamity;
we have other data than tho beef
trust and the life insurance scandals to
tell us W hether the world is growing better
or not in the relays of assistance that
came from every portion Of the country.
We have searched into the higher realm
Of the loser, and say what you like about
the San Franciscans, but you will have to
admit that they are dead game sports
Burlesque games and jubilation among
the graduates completed the day. Over
fifteen reunion dinners were held in the
evening, and the class of '96 held the an
nual kneipe, to which all classes were
invited.