Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-07-19
DIR, ANGELS FAITH
IN AMERICA SFUTURE
Optimistic College Head Has a
Word For PessimistS.
YOUTH HAVE LOFTlER IDEALS
City Government the Place to Begin
Reform. Says President Of Michigan
univsrsity-west Already Advancing.
yisw. Of Life to Be kobler.

10 Tie peSslliilsls ol tile tdNh VIM
fear Cor the future OF our country say.
cross the Hudson river. come out 10
die middle west and We will convert
VOC into optinists.'
One OF the grand old men OF the ma
ton extends this Invitation through
the Ann Arbor CMichJ correspondent
of the New York World Ia the carpins.
the cynical and the doubtful Of New
York and New England the molder OF
d hundred thousand minds. the idol OF
a hundred thousand students, James
Il. Angel. president Of the University
OF Michigan. For thirty-six years lie
has been the active head OF this inSti-
tuition. with more undergraduates than
Yale and Of nearly every nationality.
Now at the age Of seventy eight his
mind stored with the observations ana
experience of long life, has acquired
a clear perception of the future.
Il am ali Optimist," lie continued 10
the correspondent who had sought an
expression of his views and found the
venerable president plunged In work
closing up the affairs Of another sue
cessful university year. As Justice
Brewer OF the United States supreme
court recently said. | look forward
with every hope and confidence 10 the
continued greatness and Improvement
of this country.
IL know that among many persons
I'm the east there Is spirit OF pes
simism. bruoding and Gloominess
over the outlook. Let all such come
out here aud We will cure them. We
viii show them Il broadening spirit OF
responsibility. Il higher plane OF Ideals
and a serious endeayor to make things
better.
81 know the temperament of New
England was born In Rhode Island
and educated there. | know the IN
clination of the men OF Boston TO look
with misgivings on what Is coming
and 10 doubt our democracy, our imam
cial virtue and our political morals.
| To certain extent you cannot blame
Boston. She has had more than her
| share Of bad government. And You III
| New York have had some experience.
| Philadelphia, too, has been through
| hard trials of public corruption.
But out here In the middle west
though we have our bad spots and
occasional conditions not TO he com
mended, there is general pulling to-
gether toward higher and better things
| In public and private life We have
no fears, no gloom, no forehodings
| about the future. We look forward
with confidence, for our young men
are setting out inspired with lOftier
| ideals and tirmer principles than ever
| before.
IAN my life has been spent in uni
versty work, and ii is because | have
seen and known the young men that
our Institutions turn out that | am SO
hopeful. So much OF an optimist. Any
mans forecast of the future depends
OH the spectacles through which he
| looks. They may be colored darkly by
his Immediate surroundings, but mine
have been bright and clear because !
have looked on the young men.
"Onr universities are giving more
attention TO teaching mans duty to
the public welfare. his responsibilities
as a citizen and his Obligations TO the
state. We have reversed the old order
of political instruction. and instead of
beginning at the top we start at the
bottom with the specific subject OF
| municipal government. Departments
dealing directly with municipal prob
lens have been created, for II is in city
life that our great reforms must be
inaugurated, SO that they may spread
through the entire fabric of govern.
ment.
"lf you 90 among the cities and
towns of the middle west you will find
the results showing In many places
There Is an honest endeavor to dc
things as they should be done, to puri-
fy municipal government and to work
for the public good.
TO the students who We're gradual.
ed from tEis university last week
said: Your education calls you to de
vote yourself In all practicable ways
and In the broadcast sense to the public
good. This Is true in certain sense
OF every educated man. But it is EN-
phatically true of men educated In Il
university supported at public expense
Whatever advantage you will rear
from your higher education you owe
largely to the generous aid OF the PEG
pie of the state.
ION txrli1 l, I !
owe to the public, wherever you had
received your education, this fact adds
the special obligation of mnisterlns
as y0u can to the needs Of the people
of this state. This does not REQUIRE
you to enroll yourself in the list OF
office seekers But il You are called il
an honorable way to bear the burdens
of public place you should not shul
it. il it Is clear that by accepting tn.
call you can render real service t,
the public.
Hold yourselves ready to discharg,
public duties which belong to educated
men, even il they furnish no pecuniar,
compensation and make heav,
draushts on time and strength. Blu
whether in office or not. you should
as citizens, cling to the high ethica
ideals which you have learned to cher
ish In the best hours of your colleg,
life and illustrate in Your intercours,
with your fellow men the upliftIn.
power OF those IDEALS
1T is because | have known tn,
young men of the past generation anC
because | Know the young men of to
day in the west that am an optimist
IN our universities and schools Their,
are many thousands of students, the