The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-18

pie now accept with equanimity. The
prophesies Of disaster made quarter
of a century ago have, of course. not
/ been realized. THE powers of the
State governments" Mr.. Underwood
continued. "have not suffered by the
enactment of pure food law. and the
sentiment of the people is in favor Of
! its honest and rigid enforcement.
"Only a few years ago a political
party that contended that taxes on
/ consumption should be diminished.
( and that part of the burdens of the
government should be borne by the
wealth of the country, was hailed be-
/ fore the bar of public opinion as being
guilty of extreme radicalism. and yet
even those who condemned the pro-
posal have enacted law taxing COR
porate wealth, and have ceased to
/ protest against an equitable income
/ tax that shall fairly distribute part
of the tax burdens of the government
! on incomes derived from all classes of
property.
THE tendency of our times is I'M
doubtedly toward greater freedom of
| thought, the uplift of humanity. the
/ adjustment Of governmental privi-
lege. the equalization of the burdens
of taxation. and an open and honest
/ administration of the laws of our
/ country.
There are some who, from selfish
motives or from the bias Of their bus
mess interests, have not yet realized
/ the sound sentiment on which this
/ forward movement rests. who view
! with alarm the changed conditions
that lie ahead OF u.s. There are others
who delay the forward march toward
/ better conditions and higher ideals of
life and government by radical sug
gestions and the advocacy of the gov
eminent taking extreme positions.
They often halt the column by alarm
ing the conservative thought of the
country; but in the end the common
sense of the American people can be
/ relied upon to separate the chan from
/ the wheat and to discriminate between
progress and radicalism.
Rapid March of Events.
What may be regarded as radical
today may Ic the inner citadel of con-
servatism tomorrow. The real dill
Guilty lies in the approach and not in
the attainment of the end, for If the
o-el SOUGHT is 81 tatec We. the dis
covery will be made before the end is
attained and the movement will be
abandoned. On the other hand, II the
object to be attained is sound and for
the public >weal, the nearer we ap-
proach the more apparent 1T becomes
that the movement is a worthy one,
ana Wnen the ROai is TeaCneu all nom
est people approve.
1.-The danger that confronts, us in
the onward march of the nation
i comes from the hasty adoption of ILL.,
| considered proposals, sometimes COM
ing from ill-advised but honest ad-
vocates of real progress. and as often
| coming from the cunning hirelings Of
reactionary interests who would I'M
der the name of progress start false
| IN n1jC1aQd and CnnfnSa In
the hope that they may delay the day
when special privilege shall be di-
vorced from our economic and gov
ernmental system.
I'm my judgment we should cease
to view with alarm new proposals
that are the natural growth OF the
| tendency of our times, but we should
1 not rush forward with undue haste to
welcome every legislative or business
stranger who comes to our gates; we
should progress in our national life
with the honest desire to attain high
ideals in our country's growth. but we
should move forward with conserva-
tism that will avoid a reaction in pub
/ ic sentiment. Let us start our. journey
with care and elaboration. Let the
speed be attained in the end. not in
the beginning. In the onward march
of the nation let us not forget the
sound precepts and teachings OF the
great founder of the University of Vir-
/ ginia-Thomas Jefferson--for then,
during all time to come. we shall have
/ for our political guidance as a people
the inspiration of his presence, which
shall be to us what for the moral
guidance of men the word of the Lord
was to the psalmist of old--a lamp
unto the feet and light unto the
path"
Class Day Exercises.
At o'clock in the afternoon the
j913 class day exercises were held on
the plaza of the north front Of the
rotunda. The members Of the class
attended in cap and gown and vari-
GUS class and university songs were
snng--Th class fseeaa--was readily
Henry Porterfield Taylor, OF Rich
mond Va, and a toast was offered to
the class of 1913 by ID. Hidden Ram
sey. Of Asheville. N. c. The class gift