The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-06-27
JAMES BRYCE
DELIVERS GRAFTON
At HARVARD

Cambridge, Mass, juno 27.--The
commencement week festivities OF Har-
ward university were concluded today
with the annual meeting OF the Har-
ward chapter OF the Phi Beta Kappa,
the great national fraternity. whose
members represent the highest stand
ards OF character and scholarship In
their respective colleges.
James Bryce, the British ambassador
to the United states. was the guest OF
the day, and during the forenoon he
delivered the annual oration before
the society in Sanders theatre.
The subject OF Mr. Bryce's grafton
was Human Progress" and he spoke
in part as follows
Ever since man disengaged himself
from nature and began TO reflect upon
his plain in the universe. mems minds
have been occupied with the question
whether the human race as a whole
is advancing and towards what pos
sible future. When first we catch
sight OF the subject In literature the
idea prevails that mankind had fallen
back from an earlier state OF simpler.
easier and more innocent life. Thus.
Hesiod compared the iron age with
the heroic and with the bronze and
golden ages before. The same idea
occurs at intervals through Greek and
Roman literature. With Christianity
a new element OF hope was introduced
and instead OF looking back regret
fully men looked forward TO a time
when the kingdom OF heaven should
have come upon earth.
During the dark ages and down
through the 14th century men looked back
again 10 a time when Christedom was
more peaceful and better ordered than
when they saw it and when knowledge
wisdom and the power of literary creation
stood on n level far higher than their
own"
Mr.. Bryce then proceeded to disclaim
any intention to examine whether there
is or is not a general law OF progress,
and explained that what he proposed was
rather TO investigate the meaning and
content OF the idea OF progress itself and
OF the relations OF each kind of progress
TO the other kinds.
THE number OF men who live off the
soil is larger but the men ned not be bet
ter off. There is more food, but also
more mouths to eat 1t. Many parts OF
the earth are already too crowded for
comfort"
The speaker then discussed the growth
OF the so-called higher races and indi-
that growth might have. He then pro-
ceeded 10 examine the causes which were
making for health and vitality, and call
cd attention 10 the increase or lunScy
and to the causes that might bring that
about.
THE law OF differentiation and inn
provements by means OF natural selec-
ton and the survival OF the fittest may
be reasonably thought have continued
TO work during the earlier period of the
history of mankind. causing the survival
and multiplication of the strongest and
most intelligent races. But in modern
society the case is quite otherwise.
THE richer and more educated class
marry later and as a rule have smaller
families than the poorest class. whose
physique is generally weaker and whose
intelligence is generally, though OF course
not universally. on a somewhat lower
level. Fortunately the lines of class dis
tinction are much less sharply draws than
than they were some centuries ago and
the upper class is always being recruited
by persons of energy and intellect from
the poorer classes.