New-York tribune., 1921-06-20
Lowell Talks to 500

Five hundred members of Harvard's
class Of 1921 listened yesterday after
noon to President Lowell's baccalaure-
ate sermon in Appleton Chapel at Cam
bridge, which opened the university's
28Oth commencement. The president
said:
"Clamor of a crowd is often mistaken
for opinion. The art of producing the
semblance Of public opinion by gen.
eral shout has progressed greatly within
generation. 1t is easy to provoke
such shout for a catchword which en-
bodies principle good in itself, with
out a perception on the part of the
crowd that it has its limit, and that they
are in effect being urged beyond that
limit. Group psychology has been studied
until we are familiar with its principles
and its use. Professor Dicey remarked,
IN crlticizing the historical method Of
studying human problems, that when the
cause of an abuse has been explained
the abuse itself is half condoned. Let us
not suppose that because psychology Of
crowds is fact its results are therefore
right; or that, because organization and
machinery furnish g powerful weapon
for propagating ideas on the part of
those who believe in them, the ideas
themselves are therefore correct. The
weapon may be used for an unjust or
unWlse movement as well as for one
that is just and wise.
More Personal Thinking
CAS- I have said in this place before
we are told in the Bible that the HoIv
Spirit will convince the world of sin.
OF righteousness and of judgment. by
which is meant ones own sin, and the
righteousness and judgment Of God: but
we are too prone to think of some one
eIse's sim, OF ones own Righteousness
and of Judgment by popular vote.
nat we need now is not more or
ganlzatlon or more machinery, but
more thought; personal thought, clear.
1arreachlng and profound, as unbiased
and lllumined, and, not least. as wide
spread among our people as possib1e for
IN the multitude of the wise is the vel
fare OF the world; and where shall we
look for this multitude if not amone
those upon whom have been lavished the
oest educational opportunities that our
country can produce-the graduates of
our colleges" -'''N 'N9 u
Bishop Wilson at Wesleyan
Bishop Luther Barton Wilson in +ha
baccalaureate sermon at WESLEYAN IN
versity, Middletown, Conn, conmentad
on the words of President HARDING
who, IN placing wreath on the casket
Of s5 soldier who had been brought from
France, said: "This thing must not
happen again" The Bishop said:
This thing will happen again unless
men recognize the possibility and GER
tainty Of it, and it will be more terrible
than it was in 1914. We cannot bow or
vote war off the stage. We must have
new constructive program for the
world if it is not to happen again. We
must be able to meet and master the
dogmatic theorists with the power of
our reason and the simplicity of our
morality"
The baccalaureate sermon at Trinity
College, Hartford, Conn, was preached
by President Remsen B. Ogilby.
He said that he hoped the present
Administration would not be content
with negative results. And, in another
vein, he said that distinction between
leaders and file closers must be made.
and that, with all respect to those who
march in the dust at the rear of the
column, more than that is expected of
collage men