Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-28
HANlY TALKS TO GRADUATES
HOWARD STUDENTS MISSION
INDIANA GOVERNORS THEME.
Negro Race Needs Leaders-Urges
Them to Uplift Their People and
Fight Liquor Menace.

ard University last night, In the First
Congregational Church. degrees OF bache-
lor of arts. bachelor of pedagogy, bachelor
OF divinity. bachelor of laws. doctor of
dental surgery. doctor of pharmacy and
doctor of medicine were conferred on nine
ty graduates.
President W. p Thirkield presided and
awarded the degrees before a throng that
more than filled the huge auditorium.
j. Frank Hanly. Governor of India ma.
was the principal speaker. To the grad
yates he pointed out the opportunities be-
fore them
1.-THE call to you comes from your own
people," he said. They need you as no
people ever needed leadership In any age
If this university. through you, can give
the needed leadership to the ten millions
of your race. 1t will win the gratitude Of
generations yet unborn
During his address he also made a
strong plea for prohibition, declaring that
every pradua tie should Consecrate a part
of his life toward wiping out the liquor
traffic.
Gov. Hanly's Address.
Addressing his remarks largely to the
graduates. he said In part:
We plant tonight another milestone In
the progress of race as yet but newly
enfranchised. History for you is but IN
its Genesis For 80 years your fathers
toll was unrequited in this land. Inen
when the nation struggled for lis lie.
fighting it's way through the cloud ana
smoke and carnage of battle to our per.
petuty it found itself compelled by wars
necessity to loose your fathers bonds
and set them free.
ITO loose the bonds of four million PEG.
pie. clothe them with the dignity OF
American citizenship. was perllouS act
You were 10 build. without the prestige
of past history or past achievement, fol-
yourselves.
Progress, ve are wont to think. has
been slow. But forty-tive years inter
advancement made. the development at
tained, the things aspired to and won by
YOU, we are profoundly impressed by the
belief that your progress is without
parallel in human history. As the gov
ernor of a great commonwealth l bring
YOU congratulations and Fluctuations.
.'Forty-five years has brought to you
property investments aggregating more
than a third of billion of dollars
brought to you more than 5O.NO homes
owned by you. an ever-fncreasing ana
enlarging share in the affairs OF our
country and an ever-increasing and en-
larging responsibility. The white race
may aid or retard your progress. but. al
ter all. your destiny is peculiarly in your
own hands.
most concident with your new-found free
dom. establishing in the National capital
an institution of learning having as its
purpose the development. instruction and
culture of your young men and young
women. What an institution it has been.
/ am told that substantially 1000 young
men and young women have gone from Its
walls. equipped to bear a mans and
woman's share in the problem of the de-
velopment of your people. and these have
l.
message of hope. extending the helping
hand. carrying a call to higher efforts
to millions of your race. Every life Is a
golden cord. binding your race with
threads that cannot be broken to this
higher ideal that in the end is to solve
your problems
Who can measure the value of these
). 600 lives to the members of your race
and who can measu their value to this
nation and to the people. taken as a
whole?
when l speak of your progress I do
not mean all the difficulties are overcome.
Your responsibility was never greater
than at this hour. your destiny never
more in your own keeping than now
Others may seek to deprive you of your
rights under the laws and Constitution of
this nation or seek to draw limitations
about YOU but II you. with sobriety. with
meekness and with sincerity. do but live
up to your opportunities you and yours
will come to and maintain their own.
We may sometimes forget. we may
sometimes be careless. but deep down in
the heart of the American people is the
love of the square deal. and the man or
race who conducts himself or itself with
a care for the obligations laid on him or
1t need not long appeal to the people who
believe in justice to all people.
Value of Law.
mo man ought to violate the law and
expect to go unpublished. The great, the
powerful cannot afford to violate the
law. but much less the humble. those who
toll and spin. l say that because to such
people the law is a house of refuge, their
only protection. and II they pull that down
they pull down the pillars of their own
house upon their head. And your race
needs peculiarly to learn this lesson
I'm the capital city of my state there
are 35.0OO of your people. Many are in
dustrious and honorable. But with them
is large number of men and women that
need more than l can tell you the leader
ship of such men and women as you are.
There's your opportunity.
1T is not enough for your people or for
mine to own homes. to share in the public
affairs More than this is needed The
physical must be sacrificed to the spirit
ual. the material wealth to the moral
good and your people need your leader
ship in that direction.
mo one need be surprised II your peo-
pie are susceptible to the temptations of
complex American life. The white race.
with sixty centuries back of it. is sus-
ceptible How can we expect your race.
with forty-five years back of 1t, not to be
susceptible.
Dangers Of Drink Evil.
Il have made an investigation in my
own city. 1 speak from experience when
say that no class In Indiana is SO griev-
ously harmed by the excessive use of
intoxicating liquors as your people. They
cannot stand up under its ravages. What
a call 1t is to you and to me. 1t is a
part of your duty to dedicate a part of
your life to a warfare against traffic
that SO demoralizes your race.
Il conjure you to consecrate yourselves
that you may justify the opportunity that
has come to you. Waste no time in pray
ing for opportunities. Prepare yourself
one need fret for opportunity: 1t lies about
him everywhere. Opportunity has come
to you in this institution it is coming to
you tomorrow. May God help you to
measure up to this opportunity
The commencement exercises began
shortly after o'clock. when the MEM
bers of the faculty and of the graduating
marched down the aisles of the church.
the faculty to seats on the platform, the
students to front seats in the pit of the
auditorium.
After an invocation by Rev Walter H.
Brooks. Commissioner mcfarland was
presented.
II wish to present the congratulations
history of the university" he declared
He said he had sDecfal interest in the