Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-06-07
Entered at the Newport News. Va.
Postoffice "a Sscond-clas' matter.
SUNDAY. JUNE 7, 1905.
G,e,Ne THE GRADUATE.

Again the graduate anu tle ciuciiS
gentleman with LII. ID. hopes are fit
ting across the stage. and the whole
thousand legged question OF human
existence must be seized ty each par
ticular limb and dissectcd in the pres
ence of the spell bound parents and
sweetheartS by commencement ora
tors. lndissoluby bound up with this
part of the program Is the ape arance
Of horde of testers on the scene.
With pencils whitfield to points finer
than their wits. these worthless admin
lister the annual "scOrching" to the
college graduate and his conceits.
Tradition has vested the testers with
certain authority, for they have long
been considered eminently useful Gre
stures, pricking youthful fancies and
smashing academic ideals between
the millstOnes Of caricature and liner.
lex. Thus has 1t come to pass that
commencemsn day without sheep
skins would be less anomalous than
one without harlequins. The college
graduate Is supposed to need the goad
Of contempt and satire for his souls
prosperity, just as the youth OF ear.
Her generations had to be birched now
and then on general principles.
We do not urge the suppression Of
commencement day humor, for that
would derive too many honest citi-
Gems Of livelihood in the spring. But
We are sure that the man W., makes
II MS business to take the be-sheep-
skinned boy down peg or two spends
MS en"rts nnprofitably. The college
graduate no longer needs any more
humiliation than he is served with In
the class room. For some years 1t
has been the fashion among the col
Iese Instructors to assure their Young
wards that a sophomore is only a boy
and senior scarcely more: that sue
cess comes by degrees. but not ty
academic degrees. and that a bump Of
conceit Is mountain in ones path.
stu more porient in dispellinr delu-
ssons Is the much aired opinion that
the ordinary college education L. sad
~ behind the times and does mot At
students for practical life. Whether
. young man believes this or not, he
Can scarcely rc&ain from drIbting his
On genius when high authorities as
sure him solemniy that his bead is
packed with rubbish. With daily les
Sons Ike these for four years the col
ssse graduate commonly does one Of
Two thinss-hc acquires such meek.
sess that job on a hack platform Of
. horse car looks like a mazniHecut
open'ng or else he gets busy during
vacations land sometimes when n.
osshs to be investigating the poii,o-
ecosomic causes Of CharIemaxnc's
e0sfD learning something useful or
laying wires" In the latter even he
ueQsently finds himsolf n more prus-
DefOas citizen on commencement dsy
80 The citizeBs who Iamppons him.
- The former case. however. his sp.rs,
- been too successfully broken. He
Soght not TO embark upon hts career
- hsntly.
One Of Americas most sasacsous
ssesssfy prcSidcnts long ago warned
e9ncners and the public against the
$3.50 Destruction Of self conadence
- sbe dsrkenins Of hope in youns
- A Tying start 10 needed 10
- n sap between alma mater and
- - -. and u 10 t.ssier Tor ths
Dnu6 limbs 10 br driven by dre.ns
= - q 81. 50 les lie cUunszet
uaoTD t,sTu eo~a&nrum< -