Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-11

usurious profit has taken Its place
When our statutes regulating the rates
of interest were enacted, the laboring
man. generally speaking. was skilled
laborer. He could produce a completed
article The advent of machinery took
from him hisAssols and put them in the
hands of capital Money no longer Is
borrowed by laborers to enable them to
carry on their trades, but money is
crafty and instead of loaning itself TO
the laboring man, 1t is now buying the
laboring mans machinery. constantly
enhancing its own profit thereby and
constantly decreasing the laboring mans
share of our produced wealth, The
young man in assuming leadership must
create a public opinion and develop a
moral sentiment against usurious proht
as against usurious interest. Evidence OF
a disposition on the part of corporate
wealth to accept this view is not lacking.
l dare the prediction that the railroads or
the country would welcome permanent
five per cent or six per cent accumula-
tive profit in exchange for their greater
profit and the doubt, risk and abuse
which come with It.
1.-The doctrine of states rights is now
seldom heralded save in opposition 10
needed reforms. l must subscribe TO the
doctrine but I realize that subjects
which formerly were purely of state
cognizance have become of common in
terest between the states and that the
doctrine of states rights must be supple
mented by the doctrine of states duties.
ITO control our corporations, 1t be-
comes a states duty to place in once
vigorous and honest officials who will
hail offenders into court and vindicate
the honor of their state laws instead or
eleyating into office men who will quietly
sit by and wait for the general govern
ment to devise some plan to prevent the
evil and to punish the wrong-doer. 10
conserve our natural resources. 1t be-
comes a states duty to adopt a system
for the wise and economic use of the re-
sources and the prevention OF private
control by greedy spectators.
eff states rights are to be preserved,
the young men of tomorrow must take
up this cry of states duties; otherwise
our pleasing vision of Uncle Sam as
patriarchal gentleman with benenceht
smile on his face toward American man
hood striving for success, will change 10
/ that of quack doctor placarded,-.When
others fail, consult me-
1--WE Americans are not dishonest.
neither at heart nor intellectually put
| I am fearful that many of US are inter
| 1ectual towards. When getting on IN
wolves us with our eonsciences and Win
the laws of the land, we do not hight the
battle out with ourselves. We throw
ourselves into the arms of the law ana
demand dissolution from sin and protec-
ton from punishment. The law, OF
course. has defined neither fraud nor
/ dishonesty with that degree Of certain
ty which places our proposed conduct
within its terms.
.sT,he old order of education has
changed. 1t furnished a philosophy and
taught man that happiness was not IN
his material surroundings, in position or
power, but in his own purposes ana con-
| duct. The humanities have been for
gotten in the rush for the successes. our
! institutions of higher learning may not
be expected to furnish philosophic view
of life hut they can be expected TO IN
still into the minds of young men-lntei7
lectual courage. / am visionary enough
to believe that intellectual courage COM
bined with honesty will solve whatever
social ana economic problem may arise.
MAY this institution send no man into
the world to be a leader in thought who
is TOO cowardly to fight error and too
timid to embrace truth.
The graduating class numbered 12o,
of whom % received degrees in the
College of Arts and Sciences, 26 in the
College of Agriculture, 40 in the Col
lege of Technology, and q in the Col
lege of Law. In addition 10 Masters
degrees were conferred. Certificates
were awarded to five upon completion
of the two-years course in Home Eco
nomics. and 10 In the school course In
agriculture.
The speakers at the Commencement
dinner were Vice President Marshall,
Governor Haines, Former Governor
William It. Cobb, Elton l.. Towle, 'Vs,
and Prof Arthur ]. Jones. Charles
w. Mullen. 49,, of Bangor presided.
Officers Elected
The following officers were elected
at the annual meeting of the Alumni
Association; President, Albert n.
Brown, 1880, Old Town; vice presi-
dent. ] Harvey Mcclure, 1905, Bangor;
recording secretary, Fremont L. Rus
sell. 1885, Orono; corresponding sec
retary, Ralph K. Jones, 1886, Orono;
treasurer James A. Gannett, 1908,
Orono.