Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-03

telegraph and telephone IN case tney
were needed.
The President arrived at the college
before II A. NJ. and was enthusiastical-
~ received by the faculty, the students
and their friends.
After affectionately greeting his
daughter, Helen, who is a student at
the college and will be graduated next
year the president, with Miss Carey
Thomas, president of the college, led
the procession from Taylor hall to the
cloister garden, where under an i'm
mense awning the Commencement ex-
ercises were held Twenty-Five hun
dred persons, nearly all of the gentler
sex, were there ahead of the Presi-
dent and he was warmly greeted.
When the President came out strong
ly for the higher education for women
he was greeted with a storm of hand
clapping.
President Taft spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Young ladies of the graduating
class:
Your able and distinguished presi-
dent has asked me at this Commence
ment to say something in respect to
the higher eduation of women. 1t is
OF course. a theme most relevant and
germane to the occasion. but it is one
of which | hesitate to speak In the
presence of those who have made II
their life study and whose opinions in
regard to the matter are of so much
more real weight than my own.
The marvellous progress in material
and other ways made by the world In
the 18th century is only less wonderful
than the ease and rapidity with which
we forget the steps in the progress.
the difficulties in its attainment and
the conditions that existed prior to its
coming.
The President reviewed the advances
made in educational advantages for
both sexes since 1900, reciting the
growth from the two small schools in
Pennsylvania that offered opportunity
for even Grammar school education
for girls in that year to the magnificent
colleges of the present day, turning
out women capable of teaching in its
highest form.
Continuing the President said: Il dis
sent from the view that an academic
education units q man or woman for
business. 1t may be that the tastes
that lead one to an academic education
are not those which insure business sue
cess but that the mental discipline, the
power of reasoning, the cultivation ana
comparison of ideas are not OF assistance
in business transactions In which the
best qualities of the mind are acuteiy
in action, can. hardly be true. But II Is
said that women are not all going INTO
the professions and so that the educa-
ton necessary as a basis for profess
sional career is n needed by those wo-
men who have a competency or who look
forward to marriage and motherhood as
the chief end of woman.
ut is even suggested that the higher
education of women rather units them TO
discharge the duties Of a wife and moth
er; that in some way or other 1t robs
them Of charm and gives them an In
tellectual independence that Is inconsis-
tent with their being the best wives and
mothers. / utterly dissent from this
view. The companionship Of married life
Is the chief charm and reason for 1t be-
ing, so far as 1t relates to the two per-
sons concerned. The enjoyment of the
home, with children and training Of them,
are, of course, among the most important
duties and pleasures Of married life. and
it certainly does not detract from the
power of woman to make good COM
panion and to teach and train her chill
dren up to high ideals that she should
have the advantage Of higher education.
IT am quite ready to concede that mar
riage and motherhood are a normal sta
tus for woman and, other things being
equal. she is happier in that condition
than in any other. But this Is far from
saying that woman's life is failure
because she has not married and that her
life may not he failure because she has
married.
The home and the family are the
nucleus of the highest happiness. but
IL circumstances are such as to force
(CantipYred on Page Twelve