Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-06-20
JONES MAKES GREAT ADDRESS
Commencement Grafton of the Popular Congressman Was
Masterpiece---Hundreds of Visitors Attend
the Closing Exercises.

On Thursday occurred the twelfth an
nual commencement exercises of the
Washington State College, in which
eighty-one degrees were conferred by
the faculty and board of regents of
that institution. From the courses
in a agriculture and horticulture, there
were twelve students, this being the
largest number ever graduating from
the department. Eight young ladies
received degrees in Domestic Economy,
which is three to one more than grad
uated from this department last year,
and six to one better than graduated
two years ago. The special degrees
conferred were: Doctor of Laws. upon
Judge Herman D. Grow, Justice of
the Supreme Court. Olympia; Master
of Ars. upon Miss Josephine M. Hoep-
ner; Master of Science. upon Harry
E. Burke, now in Washington DC,
and the advanced degree in Civil En-
gineering upon c. C. Carlisle, now in
Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Congressman Wesley l.. Jones de-
: livered splendid address to the grad
uating classes. He began by denying
that he was an "orator," or that his
effort deserved such dignifed title as
commencement oration," but said
that he was going to give plain,
every day talk. His "talk," " which,
however, an audience of fifteen hun
dred persons were unanimous in pro-
nouncing one of the most splendid ora
tions they had ever heard, is condensed
as follows;
Occasions of this character should
be source of great pride to our good
state of Washington. There is no
force among us which is fraught with
greater good to the state than our edu-
cational system. Every young man,
and every young woman who graduates
from this, or any other institution, is
an active, dynamic force for good
that cannot be measured in dollars and
cents.
An institution of learning is an in
vestment that will bear one hundred
per cent in the future. If there is to
be any curtailment from any source,
hore that the educational system of
this state will be the last to suffer. The
greatest menace to liberty and good
government, is ignorance; and the
co nrI Ea
perity of people is an enlightened cit
izenship."
Speaking directly to the graduates,
he said:
We speak quite frequently of the
sweet girl graduate, and of the in
telligent young man with the future
rosy before him; and use other com
mencement day phrases which are
fowery, and of rhetorical elegance,
rather than expressive of practical,
business like ideas. But with all this
there IS an undercurrent of sincere
prime In the work of our educational
institutions. We of this state are
proud of the fact that this agricultural
college is sending out to US such q
large class of Young people to do theil
part IN the uplift of the people, not
only IN the Northwest, but throughout
the whole United States.
All of you, no doubt, desire to be
successful in life, and have your owr
iuea OF what success is. Perhaps &
young man among you wishes to be
famous; to be president of the United
states If so, am glad, for 1t i:
NICE Tor a young man to have such &
worthy ambition, if he is sure he is
'ne man for the place But the pros
pee's are not encouraging. This ma
nun does not need very many presi
ueh's' In one hundred and nineteer
'eats' We have had only twenty-five.
or' perhaps you wish to be rich
t tou wish to make money. Perhps it il
''ause | have never had any wealth