St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-06-21
TAFT AT LYNDONVILLE
Addressed Graduating Glasses of Lynn
don Institute and Vail AgricuI-
turaI School

Vermont towns are favored with a
larger array of talent than was pres
ent at the commencement exercises of
Lyndon Institute and Vail Agricultur-
al school held in Music hall this eve
ming when addresses were made by
Theodore n. Vail, James Wilson,
former secretary of agriculture. and
ex-President w. H. Taft Every
available seat in the large auditorium
was occupied and hundreds more
would have been glad to secure adj
mission. An inspiring sight was the
line of IS boys and girls marching
into the hall, the line extending from
the street clear to the stage where
they were seated.
The exercises by the graduates
were original and very interesting,
two of the boys giving practical dem
onstrations on the stage. The essays
by the young ladies were not preten-
tious but dealt with actual conditions
in most interesting way.
Mr.. Wallis address,
The address to the students by Mr..
Vail before the presentation of the
| diplomas was one of his straight,
practical talks, giving clear presen-
tation of the principles to follow in
the attainment of happiness and sue
cess. He urged each one to make the
most of the endowments with which
he had been blessed and that would
more nearly approach equality.
| Among the things he told them were
that young people should not look
upon things they do not or cannot
have as necessary to happiness, that
right living and honest endeavor are
all that is necessary to enjoyment Of
life He continued: 1.-The greatest
satisfaction is to be found in accom-
plishing rather than in things accom-
pIished. Each young person should
thoroughly prepare themselves Tor
whatever they want to do. Thorough
preparation prevents disaster in civil
as well as military life. Discipline SO
one can control himself is one of the
necessary things in preparation" He
said success consists in doing the
right thing at the right time and in
the right way.
EXPIRES. Taft's Speech.
EXPIRES. Taft spoke for nearly an
hour in an interesting way and held
the close attention of his audience.
One could not help but receive the
impression that the ex-president is
happy in his private life and in his
freedom from politics so he could
speak his full and honest convictions.
He spoke upon the Duties of Citizen
ship Where the People Rule"
! He first spoke of the rapid shifting
of population from the country TO the
cities and said it was deplorable De-
cause the cities were increasing in
population faster than they could
comfortably care for their residents
hninP 6RnrlV6d
of many of the strong men and wom-
en- it really needs. A school like the
one here was, he believed, the best
solution because it was opening the
opportunity for an honorable, useful
and successful career in the country
and in that way holding the young
men and women the country needs
He knew that the life of a farmer is
not so hard as it used to be and was
more interesting and offered greater
onnortunities of success than former
~.
Must Not Dose Strength
This is important, he said, be
cause the country must not lose the
strength of it's farming communities
The welfare of the whole country de-
ponds upon the goodness of the indi-
vidual rather than upon legislation.
We already have too much leglsla-
ton. too much effort to make people
good by writing be it enacted
He defined a citizen as member
of the national community who had
the advantage of protection by the
whole. On the other hand that ne
was under the obligation of service to |
the government. Citizenship does
not include political parties nor does
,-fcr re of
A man may be a citizen and not an
alector. but an eIector is generally a
he said.
Mr.. Taft said that we favor popu-
lar government because in the long |
run every class has something to say
about what is to be done and this is
better than if the laws were decided
by some other class. Popular gov
eminent is simply a means to an end.
We believe in it because there is more
happiness when all the people have a
voice in their government"
Misconceptions of Liberty
He said that he wanted to contra
dict some misconceptions OF the prlvl-
eges of popular government, and con-
.inued: 'It is true that we have lib
erty but our liberty is modified by the
liberty of others. 1t is modified by
rules which define that liberty. The
first duty of citizenship is obedience to
aw and respect for authority. Many
people feel they are not obliged to
,bev a law unless they consent to 1t.
There is too much disposition to Ques-
ion laws that we do not like. Ihey
must be obeyed whether we consent to
hem or not. The laws are not made
by all the people but are made by a
majority or a plurality of those who
10 vote Only seven per cent Of the >
whole citizenship of this country are
low saying what the laws and the
policies of our government shall be-
per cent have never con-
,ented to the laws but they are under
he same obligations to obey them be-
cause if they did obey only the laws I
o which they consented we should ]
nave anarchy.
I'VE have too little discipline, we