Evening star., 1911-05-27
PROBLEM OF PRESENT AGE
Address Before Graduates of Wash
ington College of Law.
LIST OF DEGREES AND PRIZES
Woman Students Of Law Compli-
mented by Prof. Ftts-Pro-
gram Of Music Given.

speaker OF the evening at the commence
ment exercises Of the Washington Col
lege of Law. last night. to sound warn
ing that unless laws are enacted pro-
viding for the distribution of the wealth
of this country there will be a revolution
within a decade.
Declaring the distribution of the accu-
mulated earnings Of the great working
masses Is the burning issue Of the day
the great question which overshadows
every other ploblem in America-the
speaker asked the audience. which nearly
filled Continental Memorial Hall, to bear
him witness that Congress within a year
would of necessity have to struggle with
the problem. and that within a decade
possibly in five years. the question would
be settled. 1t was herein the senator
made his appeal to the lawyer. He said
Disciples of Great Reform.
Il wish to summon you as disciples in
great reform, to enlist you in the ranks.
not Of the law alone. but of q cause
which should be settled through the law
We are wont to boast of the greatness of
our country. Of its wonderful resources
and OF the still more wonderful energy
available for the development Of its re-
sources. There no longer is any question
OF production. The American people can
produce more wealth within a given time
than any other three nations. 1t is the
problem OF distribution that will wreck
the American republic, IL the republic
ever is wrecked, and it is this problem of
distribution that appears to be insoluble.
Our industries are being centralized, the
giant producing concerns of our country
are being amalgamated and merged in
such manner that comparatively few
q M In trSNI IL
of life
There Is but one means of circumvent-
ing the havoc this will ultimately work.
and that is the restoration of competition
1T is not equality of fortune 1 am ad-
vocatins. That would indeed be un-
fortunate. / believe in ranks. There al
ways have been ranks in the history of
the world-ranks in society, ranks in busi-
ness. law. the arts. music, labor-but,
thank God; in this country these ranks
have always been open to the one who
had the courage to seek admission.
But Two Alternatives.
Without the restoration Of competition
there are but two alternatives open to
the American people, first, unregulated or
unrestricted cooperation or combination,
and second. resort to the federal govern
ment to fix the price of every product
that enters the channels OF interstate
commerce. just as the rates of trans
portatiOn are now fixed. From the latter
step the next, socialism, is inevitable.
certain. Oout of all the seething questions
confronting the American people this one
will present itself for adjudication. and
its settlement will determine whether the
United States shall continue to be free
and Independent, or be wrecked by a
bloody revolution.
For 1900 years nations have settled
just such crises as this by force. Within
IA few years we will know whether
strength and virtue to resist temptations
and attain the heights of good govern
ment without the shame OF blood she'd
ding; whether In America absolute JUS
tice can be obtained not over the law,
but through the law. There are discon-
tented spirits who rebel and attempt to
reform the institutions of the country in
a day, and by forcible means. What we
must TO is to have recourse to the peace
able. rational and logical method of
remedying these evils. IL there are
wrongs. and l believe there are. they
should be rectified through the law; but
we should submit to the law, as long as
| it is the law. weak or strong. right or
wrong"
In dealing with the functions of the
lawyer. Senator Cummins declared the
| work Of the man at the bar is more diff
cult now that 1t has ever been in the
history of the United States He assert
| ed the lawyer must be the chief factor
| in the promoting of good citizenship: that
to strengthen the law wherein 1t is
weak. and to right it wherein it Is
wrong.
Presentation of Prizes.
Following the invocation by Rev. DIR.
Samuel H. Greene and Senator Cum
Minis address the presentation of prizes
was made to the seventeen graduates
seated on the palm and flower bedecked
platform I'm their student robes. Medals
for scholarship were presented by Prof.
Paca Oberlin of the faculty of the Wash
ington College of Law. first prize being
awarded to Miss Katherine r. Pike. av-
erage 92 1915. and second prize to Miss
Olive Conger. average 81 1913. Hon.
orable mention was made of the work of
Miss Florence Etheridge, 81 41-46: DR..
Warren d. Dales. 12s. and Miss Ger
trude de Orme Hanley, 91 5-1b.
In presenting the prize Of a set of FL
liott's General Practice to Miss Olive
the science of law knows no sex. and
that he had found the young lady men,
bers equally as proficient as the men in
the moot court work. for proficiency in
which the prize was awarded. Honorable
mention was made of Miss Erna Car
penter and Miss Katherine Pike.
| Miss Pike carried off second prize fol
the highest record in Blackstone. being
presented with Blacks Legal Dictionary
by Prof. Harry A. Hegarty. the prize
having been offered by Mrs. Elizabeth II
Evans. In memory of her husband. An
drew b. Evans, both of the class of 1908
For the best thesis on legal ethics Prof
| Emma NJ Gillett presented a prize OF
cash in gold. given by Mrs. Alice Sternt
Gitterman, to Miss Elizabeth Eggert, g
member of the junior class, Prof. Gtllett
taking occasion to commit the class OF
graduates to the cause of suffrage fol
| women, appealing that women be allowed
to help solve, with the ballot, the prob.
lens Senator Cummins had outlined as
confronting the people.
Degrees Conferred.
Then came the comforting of the de-
grees by the dean. Mrs. Ellen Spencer
Mussey. and the awarding of a scholar
ship In the college to Miss Florence
Etheridge for having attained the bes,
record for graduate work in the senior
year
Announcement Of the addition Of g
new department. that of patent law. tc
the college curriculum was made by Mrs
Mussey, who also thanked the friend.
of the college who had so generously
contributed to its library. A musical pro
gram of varied and interesting character
was given by the T. A. Grey orchestrs
during the exercises. Harry L. Coope
LI1Ms. looked after the comfort of tn,
large audience in his capacity as chair
man of the reception committee.
Those who received the degree of bach
elor of law were: Sallie ID. Been, Erns
Carpenter Olive Conger. George w. Dorr
Florence Etheridge, Warren Dexter