The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-09-30
STATE UNIVERSITY OPENS.
Pres. Benton Delivers Address to Stu
ents az Burlington.

ents at Burlington.
Burlington, Sept. 30.--The l24th yea
OF the University OF Vermont began a
10 o'clock this morning with the openins
address to the student body by Presi
dent Benton, who spoke in part as fol
lows:
The gospel of God is the gospel o.
human hope. The gospel of the extrem'
educational doctrinaire is the message
of human despair. The Great Teacher
would inspire every one of you with the
belief that you may multiply your I'M
tial gifts without limit and use them IN
acquiring others. The narTow-visioned
pedagog of the goth century would have
you believe that most of your inherent
capabilities should be thrown on the al
tar of sacrifice TO efficient specialization
One is Christian confidence; the other
is pagan fatalism.
Physical lop-sidedness, intellectual
one sidedness and moral short.sighted-
ness are the fashions of the times. Does
that sound like the wall of cynic or
the lament of a pessmistY Well, it IL
neither II would be the attitude of an
inexcusable reactionary to take the posi-
ton that the former times were better
than these latter days. 1t is the part
OF wisdom, however, to recognize tend
encies in order, if possible, to avert ul-
innate misfortune. 1t is because of my
profound desire that You shall invest
your initial gifts of primary perfection
so that your maturity may be guaran-
teed usury of increased symmetry that
venture to warn you against the ca
lamitous consequences certain to follow
the contemptuous neglect of any of your
God-given capabilities.
In some respects this is the best day
humanity has seen since the daybreak
OF time, but failure to recognize per-
nicious drift may ultimately check the
forward march of civilization If, indeed,
it does not give it a backward turn.
Each generation OF men is responsible
10 succeeding ages for the transmission
OF an augmented patrimony. Ii does
not follow because we have advanced be-
yond our forebears that posterity will
be the better on our account. 1t depends
altogether on the way in which we re-
gard our capabilities whether tomorrow
is to be better than to-day. If we min.
we may be well assured that those who
come after MS will pay the penalty OF
our disregard. That was very happy
answer given by a certain ambitious boy
on his way TO college To an older man
in pride of heraldry inquiring who The
boys ancestors were, the youth made
prompt reply, Il haven't got ancestors
m going to be an ancestor" Fortu-
nate indeed is that young person who
can point to an honorable lineage, pro-
vided only he improves on his inheri- |
lance OF physique and character and cul- /!
ture. He who does not strive earnestly |
to move forward from the point where |
his parents left off is miserable cow |
ard. The boy who loafs on his fathers |
achievements is unworthy of good pedi- |
gree. He will be a poorer ancestor than |
his eomrade who, without any bequest |
Of fame, position or circumstances, filings
his every capacity into action to make
his present all that it may be so that
the future shall have no call to offer
apology for him.
1t is burning shame that any physi-
cal or spiritual endowment should be
by neglect.
In conclusion, let me warn you to be
on your guard against the development
Of any kind of one-sidedness in any field
1f human activity. The religious spe- Il
,ialist, in his narrow seetarianism. for
yets the catholicity of Jesus and would
ieny salvation and eternal life to all
hose who do not come through his