Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-06-14
LARGE GLASS IS GRADUATED
University of Nebraska Grants Di.
plomas to 1888 Students.
ADDRESS BY PROF. MERRIAM
He Says Greatest Crater is Man
Who Evades Civic Duties
United States Has Great
Problem to Solve.

LINCOLN, Neb, June 13-(Special Tele-
gram 1.-THE greatest CRATER is the citi-
zen, who, whether rich or poor educated
or illiterate, claims and exercises all the
rights and privileges of citizenship in u
self-governing community, but will as
sumo none of its obligations" asserted
Prof. Charles E. Merriam of the Uni
versity of Chicago, better knows as the
professor of politics." in an address to
the members of the graduating class Of
the University of Nebraska at the forty
first annual commencement exercises.
Witness the man who will not register
for fear that his name may be drawn as
juror the man who will not vote the
man who will not perform his plain
political duty for fear of his business.
Those men are civil traitors. They be-
tray not only the living but also the dead
and the generations yet unborn. They
enjoy the advantages won by generations
of sacrifice and struggle. They turn
these institutions to their own personal
profit and advantage and pass on to the
next generation. the wasted inheritance
Unmindful Of the sacred obligation of the
citizen, they are willing to profit by the
effort Of others, but unwilling to keep
effort of their own. They take but do
not give.
Commencement Procession Forms.
Cloudy skies looked down on the an
nual commencement procession as 1t
formed at the campus at the university.
1t was day of the sweet girl graduate
and college youth and the business men
of Lincoln decorated the streets along
which the procession passed in homage
to them, while several thousand citizens
gave them a generous greeting as they
passed along.
Headed by the marshal of the day.
Commandant Halsey E. Yates, the pro-
cession moved slowly down Eleventh
street to o. east on o to Thirteenth and
then south to the Auditorium. where the
exercises were held. In the line of march
first came Chancellor Avery Prof Mer-
riam, speaker of the day, and the faculty.
then the graduates and their friends.
One feature of the procession was the
absence of Dana Van Dusen Of Omaha.
Sam Buck of Superior. and Edward H
Anderson of Holdrege, from the senior
ranks, they having been forbidden to
participate by the board of regents as a
result of the recent Cornhusker trouble
Frequent expressions of regret We're
heard among the spectators.
The program opened with selection
by the string orchestra of the university
Rev. Howard II. Chapman invoked Divine
blessing on the ceremonies and Miss Flor
ence Chapman followed with a vocal Sc
lection.
Cheers Greet Merriam.
Prof. Merriam was greeted with
rousing reception when presented to the
audience by Chancellor Avery. Prof Mer-
riam spoke on the subject of Citizen
ship" 1t was a message of sunshine and
optimism which the speaker had for the
1888 graduates. He found much encour-
agement in the awakened civic spirit of
the times He deprecated the failure of
business men to participate in politics
and insisted that their unwillingness to
sacrifice business interests was respon-
sble for the rule of the ring"
But we stand at the beginning of an
era OF constructive legislation on a
wider and more difficult scale than was
ever yet attempted. These changes are
not confined to alterations in the form
of government or new adaptations Of dem
ocratic institutions. These adaptations
and alterations are necessary to protect
and secure both political and industrial
democracy. No one assumes that they
will act automatically. The changes
which must be made involve broad pol
icies of social legislation, which will not
only tax the courage and honesty, but
also the wisdom of our legislators as
never before.
Far Behind Other States.
Tagging far behind the great indus
trial states of the world in social legls
laticn. We must advance with quickene1
Continued on Second Page)