The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-06-19
| Q GRADUA ES
ARE GIVEN THEIR
DIPLOMAS
Class of '09 OF the Bennington
High School.
ADDRESS BY PROF. 0MAS
Colgate Professor Who Spoke Here
At Lincoln Dinner Gave An
Eloquent Grafton.
ADDRESS BY PROF. Tho MAS

Nineteen happy young peolle were
graduated from the Bennington high
school at the thirty-second annual
commencement exercis S he d in the
opera h-use Friday evening. AL
though the night was cold and some
what stormy the house was filled to
its capacity with fri nds of the school
and the graduating class.
The exercises then selves at al ed
a high degree of excellence and were
a gratifying testimony of the spienuio
work that is being done at the scAool.
Tae delivery was clear and distinct
while the papers showed thought
and pa nstaking. The ma ner OF
every speaker was easy and altogeth-
er the exercises impressed one as no
others for years have done.
The stage was tastefully decorated
with ferns, palms and flowers ana
presented very pleasing appearance
In the background was large stream
er in red and white hearing the class
numerals '09 which were lighted with
! small red electric lights.
Superintendent A. w. Varney pre-
| sided In his usual capable and pleas
ing mann err. The invoc ton was
pronounced by Rev. Philip Schuyler,
pastor of st. Peters Episcopal church.
The first GRAFTON Every American
an Heir" by Jesse II. Carpenter was
interesting and well delivered. Free
dom. he stated. was the birthright or
every American. This birthrigft was
purchased by the trials and suffer ings
of the colonists and should not be
considered a trivial thing but guarded
and cherished by all. The greatest
menace to freedom at the present day
is the corporations and INSCRIPTIONS
politicians. Hence it is the duty of
every citizen to fight these evils and
create public opinion against them.
THE Optimist in Life and Litera-
ture" by Miss Leah Moone depicted
wildly the unquestionable power for
good and happiness that a true OPP
timist has in any walk Of life. Opti-
mists in life are always leaders. In
literature optimism has found many
friends and the writings of nearly all
great authors are filled with bright
and hopeful views Of life.
The struggle of the peasants Ct the
Russian empire for freedom was de
scribed in an interesting manner by
Miss Marjorie Shurtleff in "A Shaft of
Light In concluding she prophesized
that In some future day the despCt'c
power of the Little Father will be
overthrown and the common people OF
the Cars great domain will enjoy
freedom similar to our own.
An Grafton humorously told and es-
pecially we'll rendered was Sources
of American Liberty" by Thoras J.
Healy. Our Declaration of lndepen-
dence and Constitution, he said, were
not the products Of the fathers of our
country. but the cutgrowth of centur-
les, arranged and remodelled to suit
the conditions Of the times In ais
Grafton he stated that the country
was as overburdened with lawyers
at the time of the Revolution as at
present. All the nations look to us
as the source of true liberty and our
birthright should be safe guarded by
every precaution
The address of the evening was de-
livered by Prof. Ralph w. Thomas OF
the English department of Colgate
university. This was Prof Thomas
second appearance before a Benning-
ton audience and his excellent ad-
dress so ably delivered last night
proved beyound a doubt that he Is
one of the most interesting speakers
ever heard in this town. Mr.. Varney
stated in his introduction that he had
the endorsement Of the 125 men who
listened to his address at the Putnam
house last winter. Today it might be
said That he has the endorsement of
all the people in last nights large aud
fence.
The subject of the address was
qualities of Education. The speak
er said that the purpose of educa-