Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-30
VIEW YEAR OPENS
At UNIVERSITY
WITH LARGE CLASS
tCcnsinnvS from Snee opc.t

nunit,' bo,tcrnccnt would doubtless say
hat oar age Is distinguished by its h'Eh
deal of sosal service. Again there are
those exalted ~ the belief That the gov
srnmcntai millennium is at hand VINO would
affirm ,llat the out -standinS ideal of our
day Is thGt OF political reform. linen
there are the racriSts who are sure tnat
.he last grcc. var il now being waged ana
.hcr Gclisae TO think that the aGtuatns
ilcdl Of cur own ti,ucs Is one that LOOKS
TO tho near approach Of the era when
"svords shall be beaten into rlowshares
nd spears into prunnC-hooks." There
nrc vet othcra dnder the ntflatus y: re-
ii,ocs zeal who think thcy see the sun
wise OF 'hc morning when. through univer-
sol yearnin, after those things which are
"dnsccr ana eternal" every knee shall
bow ana every tongIc confess the God
We Worship
'fi:rc and .tice would fail Us to speak
Of the nutlt1dcs who believe that they
1--we in an age that yecrns after perfect
,tat'triel. economic ana moral conditions
ions. II il moro than probable That ali
tbCse optimistic classes are right While
iicae cf thtnl cound the all-inclusive torn
hig enough tc comprehend the animn0ne
ideal nc our great epoch. THIS is an ago
Of lot. ilaAls ct sucia. service. Of political
;r,nrovcrent ot universal International
rcacc. of applied. religion. of better IN
dus.rial, ccpn0inia and mora, con1itionc
but II Is more than any enc or all %:
tncsc in corlblno tion--it /. an age waoce
pnra!nourt ideal is bcs. expressed b. tARt
wide-eubra cling term -A.truism
THIS lofty ideal which distinguishes our
century from all those gone before
comes with Special appeal to college Eicn
AID women. You IRE no better, perhaps
than those who ere dcnei these high
privileges of education, but it is never
tho less true that. for each enc OK yoi,
Your possibilities consti, ute tho measure
of your responsibility 1t is your solemn
duty to use tho unusual opportunities af-
corded by college training to lift Hour-
selves IN into the altruistic atmosphere
where YOU may breathe the breath OF n
life that will make YOU fit to play your
fun part in an age that through the saliva
ton of humanity from sordid CONNER
calisn, from the bondage Of animalism
from the extremes of poverty. and from
the thralldom Of disease is to make sure
the progressive march Of civilization.
SPEC1ALlHATIoN CONTROLS
To fail to take account of the fact that
specialization controls in every line of
human cnieavor in this present would be
to fail in recognition Of an established
principle that must necessarily control In
Your effort to realize a manhood or wom-
anhocd of largest potency to the
civilization progress. The Cniver-
sty of Vermont will be faith
less to your welfare it if does not inspire
YOU with unfaltcring belief in the certain
contamination of that larger altruism
which is to make the whole race Of men
letter and happier 1t is the altruism that
is to be realized from the conviction that
the greatest good is to he accomplished
through eXempifcation in each individual
life of the specify 'ahd the general ideals
This happy combination of the private
ana the public ideaism expressed in each
Of your lives and woven into the social
fabric along with the particular and
universal ideals Of other specialized men
and women. will hurry the coming of
GumanitY's perfect day
You can believe that the whole world Is
10 grow constantly better because you are
inspired hy the ideal of a civilization sure
t. hc made progressively better through
the realized specific ideals of yourself and
other hign-minded folks. No career IL
complete without vocation and an avo-
cation You have heard Of the man who,
when asked what his business was, an
sWered that he was in the service of the
Lord and that he sold dry-goods to pay
expenses. Perhaps there may have been
some cant in that reply but 1t was a good
expression of uhe duality Of interest all
people should nurture 1t Is the business
of every immortal man to see to 1t that
his making of a living is simply incidental
to his making life.
There are worse things In the worG
than earning bread and butter but yoy
will make a tremendous mistake II you
regard bread and butter an enc
rather than a means to a larger end. Good
health, neat personal appearance, home
friends, property, culture. travel are not
&C. hc aJnS:lt after for mere selfish graft.
sications Success in business. or profes
sion and political honor. ar social standing
arc o: req: value only as ihcs minieter tc
the Mert2.ed worth of tho individual II
hi scr-icc To mankind.
II desire to succeed ir ones chosen
oAlng is an altogether la-.lable ainbi
tInr-pro viGod only that auccoss nc dc
sired for the sake of the larger useiu
neos wnion will enTue to society. Tn,
nan knuWa as Il failure in his vocation
may he called a Iood mon but lie canno
command tie following enjoyed hy tn,
Epot man ~ acknowledged success IL the
w:.i.. which gives him HE livelihood.
Should 10 y:rS' sorry to holicvc that an,
one ot this splerJid company Of students
IS nursing the expectation that his late
achievements In tho outside world are II
Do orly ordinary Too many lives hay,
BEEN GWerfcd, too many careers stuntcd
~ the false preaching Of those who hav
placed too great emphasis on the yalu
% tho commonplace. Yes, young people
resolve To succeed In your business o
profession hut let tho resolution b
prompted by the higher desire for super
lative service 10 mankind of which bust
ncss or professional success Is the pre-
urinary ECarantce
III like manner You will each do yo,.
part IN promoting the spirit Of universe
altrulsm BY specializing in a pni.!cua
lire Of atruistc service Tho temperate
movement may very properly conman
The interest IF some of you, while other
nmong you may accentuatc YOU
value to society and add
your JOY OF living b. maxim
regular pursuits contribute TO the allevia
ton Of unhealthful and unhappy cond
lions in workshops, mines or slums. 70
will certainly each have political, civi'
and religious obligations which You wi
not dare 10 shirlS unless sou are wilin