The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-30
PLOMAS GIVEN LARGE GRADUATING !. CLASS AT ALABAMA Eighty-First Annual Com mencement at University
 Passes Into History DEGREES CONFERRED
 BY DOCTOR DENNY President Mitchell of University of South Carolina Addresses Gradu-
 ates on "The Ethics of
 Democracy"
Fly K. A. RoTHARMEL staff Correspondent

Tuscaloosa, May 29.--lSpecial.) 1.-The formal exercises of the University of Alabama's eighty y-first commencement came to close today noon with the presentation of diplomas to large graduating class. The exercises were held in the assembly room of Morgan hall. the building being crowded with the relatives of the graduates. The programme was opened with a musical selection by the Davidson orchestra of Birmingham. After the invocation by the Rev. Dawson, pr. c. H. Denny in- troduced President g. c. Mitchell of the University of South Carolina, who had been chosen to deliver the com mencement address.
 Dr. Mitchell announced that he would speak for a short time on "The Ethics of Democracy" In opening his address he spoke of the individual power in the graduates of the university. He told of the potential energy entering upon | active life that may change human af- l fairs"
 Democracy is a government by in- 1 1uence; Woodrow Wilson said that l democracy was a government by dis | cussion; perhaps both are right. But l the glory of democracy is that every man is to count according to his ca pacity No matter if you do not take public offices, you can count in the making of the state, the nation. That is the great boon of democracy. You need public mindedness. No matter what following you may take up, you should have the attitude of mind Of the publicist Every man can count in the government But democracy must be educative in every instance. believe that there are three separate tasks confronting the south today They are, first, material development; sec ond, building the south into the life of the nation, and, thirdly, racial ad- justment. All three of these problems are to be worked out through the schools The statesmen, the financiers and great industrial men of the south realize that they must rely upon the schools to develop material resources.
 As a people we are advancing edu- catlonally along three lines. First. the extension of the public schools to the masses of the people; second. in es tabllshing a series of high schools, and, thirdly, in the democratizing the ideals of colleges and universities. over forty | millions of dollars are annually ex- pended for the public schools in the
 
 schools in Alabama has Increased ten fold. But I believe the greatest step we are taking along educational lines Is in democratlzing the ideals of the colleges and universities.
 "The universities are no longer content to live in cloisteral atmosphere but are reaching out into the lives of tile people. They are interested in good roads, in farming, in every phase that touches the life of the people. We use to say that there were three divisions to the govern ment-the executive, legislative and judi cial, but now we must say there are four and add on the education part.
 But democracy is not alone educative. It is q great spiritual force. We are indebted to Thomas Jefferson for this con ception." MT. Mitchell told a story of a London prisoner who, while confined in his cell, managed to write out a doctrine, saying that the state had nothing to do with the conscience of man. The speaker talked along this line for some time. No Common Man
 Democracy involves a new notion of the worth of the individual man. This idea is advancing steadily" MT. Mitchell told of Polish woman on the Inflated Titanic. who was rescued by some plain seamen. "The papers stated that she was rescued by common seamen, but there is no common man. They were heroes. God has showed me to call no man common. The voice on the housetop at Joppa shows this" Tn speaking of the church and |sstate Mir Mitchell said: Tn 1906 France adopted the great principle and only re- gently we have received news that Portu- gal has cut the relations between church and state.' Further on he said: Why