The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-08

III l were to choose q text for this
occasion. It would be where there is no
vision. the people PERISH" With these
words, President william T. Foster OF
Reed college of Portland, Oregon, be-
gan the commencement address deliv-
cred. before the graduating class of the
State University yesterday morning.
The address was one which will be re-
n,embered as one Of the most fitting.
most scholarly and most forceful ever
given before a graduating class at The
institution. DR.. Foster in his address
amplified his text. He showed that
visi0n is the source and substance Of
idealisn. He urged high ideals; he
showed that the university of this
country is the place where must he
preserved the store OF idealism which
mankind has gathered since it's be-
ginning.
Demand Now Greater.
And right now the demand upon
universities Is more urgent. than ever
before; we are sending the best of our
young men to the front. TO the trench
and to the battlefield. Many Of them
will not return. 1t will be Il tragedy,
but how much greater would 1t be were
we. here at home, to fail to do our
share. These young men have been
taught in the ways of idealism. II is
they who were to have upheld cur
present plan OF civilization, bl:, i: they
are 10 be killed by young men of othe i
nations who will in turn be killed,
where will the support sor idealism
rest?
"ldcalism has given rise to the pres
ent great conflict. as it has gwen rise
to conflicts since the world began. Not
only in armed combat do We see these
conflicts but in the engagement. of
ideas. The common sense man under
stands only that which IS within the
limits of his knowledge. He knows the
value Of q silver dollar; he can see the
practicability of Il modern invention, or
OF a new canal. But he doesn't see
ideals. And, after ALL they are the
things and the only things thu. are
real. Nothing else than ideals has
conquered.
Even Poor Richard.
Poor Richard, the author Of the
Almanac, has ever been regarded as
the exponent OF common sense. the
great advocate Of hard facts. Yet Poor
Richard himself was IAN idealist--a
dreamer. Can you imagine anything
more absurd than man flying u kite
to which was attached a bottle by
means OF q silken thread, and with. a
purpose Of bringing down into that
bottle lightning from the clouds? Can
you fancy anything more foolish? 1t
was dream, an idle dream. And yet
the lightning was brought down; it
runs your railroads and your lis: it
furnishes the light with which this
very hall is lit.
IA +a,4 Dream Dreams, Always.
= ss:ycung people. if l may leave one
thought with you, it is this---dream
dreams, not tomorrow or the next day,
but dream dreams now, in the immc-
diate present. The hard-fac man will
tell you you are losing money. oppor-
tunity. power. But never mind, you
will pick them all UP upon the Ion =
road. long after he has ceased to
climb.
"Thc place for the university nov is
to stand as cool, quiet place for
thoughts which have been disturbed
and troubled into chaos by Il world of
strife. 1t is the duty of the university
to preserve this idealism which, aftel
all. is the greatest thing in this life
DR.. Fosters illustrations were en-
phatic, appropriate and added much tc
the strength Of his argument.
Procession Impressive.
The commencement exercises were
begun with the academic procession
Faculty members, alumni and seniors
10 \ IL
library building ana marched to Uni
versity hall. Professor William Aber
senior member of the faculty, led the
procession. He was followed by Chan
cellor Edward c. Elliott and President
William r. Foster of Reed college
Next in line came President Frederick
Schcuch of Montana and former Com :
missioner SESSIONS of Idaho. Then
came John NJ. Keith and J. II. r. Ry-
man OF the local executive board and
the members of the university faculty
Alumni and seniors completed the line
Elliott Appeals for Work.
Owing to the hoarseness of Presi.
dent Scheuch, Chancellor Elliott Off
ciatcd at the exercises in University
ball and the class was presented by
Professor n. J. Lennes. Chancellor
ElliOtts brief address was an eloquent
plea for the maintenance of high ideals
in the Montana institutions for higher
education and for the continuance OF
the large attendance which has char
acterized these schools In recent years
In no other way, he said, can the uri-
vcrsities justify themselves Or theil
commemorative maintain their own
positions, for it is the universities tc
which the government has turned fol
its leaders in this crisis and TO which
1t must turn through the years of the
bitter conflict which is ahead of us
We must prepare men and women to
meet this demand; the state must send
its youth to the university for this
training.
n.I,o .,,.,ua