Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-07

| ment of science, the character of war
has changed from fistic encounters, and
| strife with clubs and bow and arrows to
virtual slaughter
| The possibilities of a universal peace
are now strongly considered. The Hague
| peace conferences have been held for
| this purpose. The horrors of war have
been somewhat relieved, sick and wound
| ed are provided for, ana the movement
for reduction of ornaments started
| Arbitration has been widely introduced.
| The other work Of the two Hague con-
| ferences was dwelt upon. The work Of
| one conference Is far from perfect. But
succeeding conferences may improve up
| on the work. The Hague conferences
are links In a chain which, encircling the
| world, Will bind the nations closer to-
| gether, If it does not confederate them,
The choir and students sang Cham
! plain" after which the orator of the
day, the Rev William Herman Hop
kins, D. D., pastor of the First Presby-
terrain Church of Albany, ~ Y, a mem
Der of the class of 1885, was introduced
by Prof. Goodrich, who had charge of
the exercises.
THE INDIVIDUAL"
THE Individual" He emphasized the
need of laying hold of the individual to
make him bear the penalty Of wrong
doing, to remind him of his duty, and
to make him realize his possibility.
He touched upon the difficulties in the
way of individual expression. The
great mission of the university is to
find and develop the individual, as it
/ t.,
closing he dwelt upon the great work
of the University of Vermont to the
State and the necessity that II should
not be crippled in continuing this mis-
sion. He said in part:
This university is set upon a radiant
! hill baptized with rare memories.
Since Ira Aliens time men and women
have gone down in long line to heal
and minister to the diseases and dis
tempers of mankind. We celebrate
founders day, not charter day. We
recognize the personal element in our
! founding, not the impersonal.
Ira Allen possessed nature thought
full, strong, courageous; he was a sol
der, statesman, diplomat benefactor,
! lover of learning Philadelphia claim
ed him after Vermont rejected him
| His brother, Ethan Allen, is honored
with n splendid marble shaft Not
, even piece of slate marks Ira Aliens
grave. 1t is, so far as l know, un-
known. Since we know not where he
lies, we may believe that he has not
died
This university has stood here for
one hundred years, because there was
born a man of courage vision, pur-
pose and power. The foundation is
personal, the founder is individual.
The individual is the final as well as
the foundation. All the walls are
made of living stones. The real wealth
of the university is not in the Williams
Science Hall and the Billings Library,
but in DIR. Williams and Billings, Con-
verse, Benedict. Torrey, Buckharl,
Petty, Pease and the rest. The in
! dividual will ever be her first honor.
1t may seem out of place TO consider tn
| individual in this time when all tendencies
are social Trades unions, the l. w. WIS.
the socialists of every hue all seek the
material welfare of the mass, not the vel
fare of the present estate of the individ
uaL The initiative, recall and referen-
dunn also give power to the masses Thu
great object in life after the constitution
of the Kingdom of Heaven is the upbuild
ing of humanity Any institution must
consider thes" problems.
Yet we must lay hold of the individual
and bring him to the front He must bear
the penalty Of his wrongdoing.
President Wilson, when governor of New
Jersey. said It is much more important
that one really guilty man be put in Jail
than that a thousand corporations BE-
fined. DR.. Hopkins said the question is
not what corrupts the city or cheats tho
State, not what caused the accident, but
who. for the fault is not in the rail so
much as the man who made il, or in thu
man who should have tested 1t. We shall
deal more justly with the past and better
safeguard the future If we can get the
secondary and the circumstantial, and
reach the individual to whom we can
rghtfully say "Thou art the man"
The second point wa that the individual
should be made to shoulder his duty. The
social development and industrial intri-
cacy of the times make this more difficult
but not less necessary. The revival need
ed is not that OF social responsibility, for
we already have it and it nears white heat
but that of individual responsibility when
n man shall not say here am !, send
him. but here am I, send me and I'll
attempt to be the man I ought to be. cut
ting my path by the survey of duty"
Fey the third point, the individual should
be found and set apart, that he may be-
come aware of the greater self that might
be his, and then move on to his high cali
ing. While here and there man thinks
more highly of himself than he ought to
think the too common malady is that men
are overwhelmed by the crowd, awed by
noisier men. borne down by labor and
error, and are without hope of better
day than they know. Such men do not
have the hope, courage, higher inspiration
that should be theirs. Captain Scott and
Abraham Lincoln We're cited as examples
of individuals who We're inspired to their
highest possibilities. a corporation may
be In financial difficulties. II is saved not
by new system OF hooSkoeping hut be-
cause a man comes along.
Our own Goethals in Panama stands
out as an individual, and his individual
genius is accomplishing a great work.
| Lastly, there is the Great Individual who
comes out of his carpenter shop in Naza-
eth and goes to Calvary; and because
| of Him the world sings a new song
evermore For these reasons we seek
out the individual; that he may bear
the penalty, be reminded of his duty
and realize his possibility.
The difficulty of outlining an individu-
ality and getting its expression is great
in q large city. II Is hard 10 see him