Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-10-15
DAY
ATLAFAYETTE
IS OBSERVED
Governor Sproul and Palmer
Make Addresses; Degrees
Are Conferred
By Associated Press

Easton, Pa, Oct. 15.-The ninety
third annual founders day exer-
cises of Lafayette College, held to-
day, were featured with addresses
by Attorney General A. Mitchell
Palmer and Governor william c.
Sproul, Mr. Palmer placed himself
on record as being against a ban on
immigration, as suggested by Sena-
tor Poindexter in the Senate yester-
day.
Degrees of LII. d. were conferred
on the Attorney General and Gov
ernor Sproul. and that of D. d. on
the Rev. Harold McAlpin Robinson.
secretary of the Presbyterian Board
of Publication and Sabbath School
Work.
Governor Sprouts address was
entirely informal, or, as he de-
scribed it, "neighborly talk" from
one who had always felt very
closely interested in all that con-
cerned Lafayette College. The Gov
ernor told his auditors that, during
his college days and since, he had
known more Lafayette men and had
known them more closely, he be-
lieved, than the alumni of any other
college except his own.
The Governor spoke of his early
days at Swarthmore when he and
Attorney General Palmer wei e
room mates and of how they had
discussed their ambitions, and of his
pride in his friend who had attained
the great place which he so credit
ably is filling. Mitchell was a poll
tician even then" said Governor
slant in his political faith that
seemed inherent, so deeply was It
| ingrained in his makeup. But we
| took our political differences more
i seriously then, before we could
vote, than We ever have since, and
now it would be hard to define them
at ALL"
Recalling that it was Founders
Day the Governor eXtolled the vir-
tues of the people who had "hewn
! this great Commonwealth from the
wilderness and before the stumps
of the primeval forest had been dug
away from their door yards, found
time to establish colleges to instruct
| their youth" While Lafayette is
not one of the more ancient temples
of learning, it is interesting to recall
that when the first steps were taken
for its foundation. Adams and JEFF
| ferson, two of the outstanding fig
ures in the formation of the Repub-
| lie, were yet alive.
The Governor dwelt upon the
habits of thrift and the patriotism
/ which made possible the establish
ment of great philanthropies "by
| people whose incomes. measured by
latter day standards, would seem
meager indeed" He said that many
people seemed to think that as a
result of the war "all laws of nature.
economics and good living had been
| swept aside" and that men could
| legislate substance out of shadow
and material out of void. He re-
minded his hearers that the law of
gravitation had not been repealed
and that the old principle of supply
and demand and the requirement
that we must work to purchase the
necessities of life even in country
so od-favored as the United States
| of America, were just as much in
evidence now as at any other time
in history. The golden rule is still
the best principle of life and faith
and sacrifices would be needed still
! to correct and readjust the mixed
conditions which the war had left
! here as well as abroad.
The Governor said that he be-
! lieves one of the lines of political
! division in this country must be be-
tween those who believe in the in
stitutions of America, in her Gov
ernment and her institutions and
! those who do not and who were
/ inimical to our Government and the
! fundamental principle of our democ-
| racy. He said that it might be nee
! essary to return to the old principles
! of faith in ourselves and in our God,
in the militant spirit shown by the
founders, and that the days of easy
going liberation of the enemy in our
midst would have to come to an end
If we are to ensure the permanency
of our Republic. The Governor said
he had no fear but that the Ameri-
can people would meet the prob
lens of to-day with the same wis
dom and the same spirit of patriot
ism with which they had settled
other great questions, but it was
time to be alert and not to wait
until the crisis was imminent