Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-06-27

| ~ tcPpiS uONH anu replace lnc ago
| worn and crumbling buttresses, and
dislodge the hideous gargoyles and leer-
ing demons and not disturb the praying
apostle and the sleeping saint-to make
not suspicion. jealousy envy, hate, the
principle and motive forces OF social,
| economic md political life, but religion,
| the spirit Of Christ, law. freedom. broth
| e-hood, love-the righteousness that
| evalteth nation and cannot endure and
| must punish and destroy all inidutv,
whatsoever loveth and maketh a lie, yes
| -but-cont~olling and animating restor-
ing and empowering ALL the justice which
strikes when II must and would rather
spare than smlte, and the charity which
suffereth long and is kind thlnketh no
evil, reioiceth not in inquity but in the
truth, bellevcth endureth, hopeth all
| things
Members OF the graduating classes:
| There Is never a moro hopeful time,
| and never a moro dangerous time than
when the people take I'm hand serious
! ly the vital questions which concern
the body social and the body polite.
| And such n time is this time. The
| time Is hopeful because amid profound
| and widespread restlessness, both tho
mind and the heart OF the people arc
believed to be sound-without any bias
| toward wrong thinking or wrong do
| ing in any direction. It Is a danger
Gus time because the questions before
us are so far reaching that serious mis-
takes would entail long and formId-
able train OF evils upon our own and
succeeding generations. Tho problems
are fundamental and the results for
good or evil will depend on whether
the issues are mot fundamcntallv or
supernciallv, Tho debate Is not be-
tween conservatism and radicalisrn--
both principles will be in demand and
both will enter into the settlemcnt-;t
is rather between destroying and ful-
filling-between methods of getting rid
| of evil or OF installing and maintain
Ing the good. The present danger Is
that the people, because OF certain
fragrant wrongs, will punish them
selves vindictively, and viii make this
retrihutive and punitive mood perma-
nent In laws and institutions. II is
no uncommon thing for an individual
to be so awed and cowed by some un-
usual revelation OF evil as to go bowed
and humbled all his days, his nerve
lost. his faith, hope and charity fire.
vocably gone. From such danger
understood and foreseen the brave man
will rouse himself and like the Patri-
arch job will stand up and assert his
own integrity and that of the system
of things. Society In our country is
just now facing this danger. It is to
guard you against it that I have spok
en- as I have to-day. You have come
to full manhood and womanhood in a
time of general condemn alton. There
are many who tell you that business is
fraudulent--that politics are corrupt
that wealth is illgotten and
ill-sper' -- that social life is
demoraliz d-that the bosom of des-
truction must go through our whole
social order before we can begin to
be in right relation one with another.
| warn you against coming unde" the
spell OF this spirit of ill-will, of sus-
picion, of depression would rally
You to the ranks of the reformers-for
our age certainly needs reforms-but
TO those who would reform by fulfill
ment rather than by destruction. In
every profession and calling there are
new truths waiting to be discovered.
new methods to be put in operation
old truths and methods not yet half
before you which may be as honestly
got and as rightly spent. as were the
meagre returns of labor in former
Mines. For while doubtless the good
people of San Francisco must give
their main energies to the extermina-
tlon or plunderers. But the reason
why one should want to live in San
francisco Is not to police IT, but to
build UP transcendantly beautiful
city. Nature In her wild and way
ward mood came to destroy-lt will
be the glory of man to fulfill, In this
respect San Francisco IS type of tho
whole world of civilized mankind st.
Andrews Cathedral will never be re-
built-San Francisco will be II is
more glorious TO build than destroy.
But / must not dismiss you in this.
our last meeting together without
saying a few words which shall be
less individual. more what the entire
body of your instructors would wish
me to say for them. The sum OF IL
would be that they have put their best
or toll and love into you. into your
minds and characters, in the confident
nope that in so doing they have done
sood work not for you only but for
ehus higher than those which affect
elther you or themselves-work which
Will make FOR the health Of many COM
4lu"iteS' Tor the prosperity Of many
industries, for the prevalence of tus-
'lce IN many districts and circuits; for
good instruction in many schools. for
rove ana happiness in many homes; for
'!'e maintenance OF true relg ion in many
churches' The rewards of this our acad-
emo ire are not in money or in wha.
money VIII buy-hut in what YOU and
such as you-are as compared with what
you were when you came into our hands
and still more in what you Will be and
will do hereafter. When one of you shall
hereafter do a fine thing in your calling
or In your life--even though II be not so
great a thlng-if II is a fine thing. some
thing worthy Of scholar. and a gentle
man or gentlewoman and a Christian, Il
ought to add 10 your own joy to think
that II will bring special delight 10 some
one of your old professors; and he, on his
part will get one or the supreme Joys Of
his life In neutrality-suspicious. he cannot IN
his exultation keep from saying, Il
taught him, or her, to do that And so