Ann Arbor High School

Another school year has been úotttpleted, and the cla.s of 'Si lias slcppcd OQt "f the liih sriinui halls, 55 stron, Mme to ter the university, some to t:ike Bpoa tlnmI business aml ilutics t' lite, bul liever aain, pmhably, to be all unitrd while sojournino; On this fooUtool. The ties of frieadship, as the proverbial sclrool girl would say, which bftT been knitted by sweet communkm with meta other In the feleaaed school daya, hare been sundered by esparation ; and COOtACt witli the world aml its reaütíes will haveehan;:ed itiis one, taken the peculiar kiuks out of that un', and rouiukil off the sharp corners oí airnth ert so that the same happy state of fcOClety could Oever aiain be cemented and dovetaüed totjether as it has in the pMt Hut we moralize, whicli will nevir do, our tluty being simply to reiort proceedings. To start ott" witli we will say that a pleasanter day for an occasion of the Kind never imfled upon the people of this city, than was last Friday. The air was cool, the heavens clear, and all nature halbed in blissful stillness. Tlie M. E. Charch, win mv the exercises were held, was tilled full, and chaira were carried in the side aisles to some exteut. The youth and beauty, as we have previously heard remarked soinewhere, were there, together with severalof the fond mamma's and occasionally the 'old man," the "Guv.," you know, who furnishes the money to buy the graduating UU UU, togcther m fcfcfc ¦ lt-nulnnie bOUqiiet, and aa is very often the case has to come down handsomely also wlien tlie tax collector comes aronnd, to help foot the school expenses. Thonrh there wasn't as nianv of that class present as ought to have been. The churcli was tastily triinmed, the mottoe of the class ''Per Augusta ad Augxm.i,"1 was suspended apoa Lnrltible irirei in front of the organ and over the orchestra, with the figures 'Hl directly umler it. There being no table for reportera, and having a seat to one side under the gallery, with lus hat tor u stand, your ivpurter labored under disadvantae.-, bot being able to beur distinctly all that was flald by the speakers. After tnusic and prayer by Rev. R. H. Steele the first speaker announced wa Nathan D. Corbin, of Ann A rbor, with "The Iconoclast" for his suhj et. He said this is a world oí progress. Who can consiiler the revclations of hitory and doubt it The r al advance line of cïviiization is the cause of moráis and religión. Nations sometimes rise in great wavcs and cast aside wrongs and evils. The Iconoclasta arn found among the men who take hold of these great movements. The speaker tlien r. counted how tlie people of Holland, ground down by oppressions, had lina up agaist the evils; and how some, more zealous than the rest, had thought to help th ir cause by destroying everythintf which belongcd to tht-ir opprebsors, the Pope, and the Church oí tiome, and in a ftw days completely destroycd the works of the masUrs wAm.ii !¦& i-k., -ti- - j wmnl4e. Politlcal iconoclast pn-dict the entire overtbrow ot our country because a iVw corrupt men may he found in our partit'S; they wou ld overthrow our banks tn;cause tiie bonds deposited to secure their circulation ore not taxcd; the social inconoclasW would overthrow society because some people are more prosp,'roits than others, and soine use questionable means to secure wcaJth. The iconoclast never builils, however mucfa ht' may destroy; it is enough lor him to tear down the structure, let others rebuild. But lincehe te with uü, he must have some useiul mi&sion; noihing was created in vain, ] Ie labors for some good, Hy us not understood. Next was an essay by Nellie Boland, "1 Tmliy City, havinir lor her subject; %iEttu Brute." Sh Htarted ort witli an assertion directly contrary to the writbigs of Proude, that Caesar was thorough y indifferent to the suiicrings, the woes, or the happinessof his ptople. anu no umount of pleadinif, of e nes or tears could swerve him ironi lus jmrposf. It ut with the ürst blow of the assassain a new Itffht broke in u]on him. The friendship of Caesar ard Urutus was rtcitcd, and the vile deed of this assassin, under the guise of friendship, condemncd. Il a friend reprove us we can perhaps sec our wrong, and endure thi reproof, but not so if he greets us with tha hand of iriendship but to deal a deadly blow. The true friend ncver spies around to discover intirmitits, and enin ity never rankles in his bosom; he would Mcrtfai Krcuniary probects, endanger btt OWO bftpp make any sacrihee, if necessary. How noble the truc friend; how base the fuKe friend 1 Yct he hnunts us froin the dewy mom until the shadow of uight Cilla about us. "Self Made or not Madu" was the subject of Klnicr Dwiggins, of Kensselaer, Ind., aud he handled his subject well. The eflbrt might not havo been M smooth and polished as some of the others, but it had Uu riug ol originality, without any scent of plagiarims, and his in. inner was in keeping witli the sentimei.ts expressed. He said the world had her pets, some men being the very buttons on fortune's cap; wealth, fortune, fame coming to them at the bidding. others occupied the happy medium, were contenten! with moderate success and a cnmpetency; while still others had to drudge, yet tlie right sort of metal in a m au was what made Mm. The one who was continually hclped, would have a hard time il' assistance should fail. The best rich relationonecan have is his own deur self, and the sooner he learns it the better. Money which is not earned is very seldom apprectated and orings a momentary pleasure only. The school boy who avoids the book and expresses his ideas in his own way, who thinks for himself, is the one who prospers best. He then compared Germaiiy and America, classing the fonner among tlie readers and the latter among the thinkers. A Germán could give perhaps the most exact answer, but the Americau would give the same ideas in fewer words and in an original way. The business man who succeeds is the one who knocks all props out lrom under him, and makes his own way. A good government ís put a combination of such men. He then spoke of Kussia, and the differente in her pee ptet snowing why it is possible for our peopte who are self-made, to be free, while they who have been surfs and dependente for generations could not mamtain such a government as ours. Let us adopt for our mottoe that much quoted saying : "God helps Ihose who help themselves." After an interlude of rnusic. the subject of "Monopolies" was treated by Kdward N. Darrow, of I lomer. Mr. Darrow's slyte was a little over-conhdent, but what he had to say savored of good sense. He began by eUuqh that there were two kinds of monopolies, those brought about by natural cauces and those eftected by the combinations of men. No one would question the benefit of our postofüce departinent which belonged to the former class, but the other class we were in doubt about. The world stands to-day iu awe of a half dozen men. He then referred to Vandcrbilt and Gould in the railroad and telegraph monoply; and the Standard oil Co., of Cleveland, in its special field. They were gathering in everythinu they could, and únicas chcckcd would non control the country. They already controlled to a certain extent the press ot the country, owning some of the most prominent newspapers. They haa scattered broadcast the eeds of political corruption, and had turned investigation Into a farce. If this hydra headed monster could not be put down history would soon record the fate of our nation. We should remember the fate of the ancient republics that went down because of the same trouble. Greece had her Alexander, Rome her Caesar, and America with her Washington and Lincoln may too soon be remembered only for what she has been. We desirr no monopoly; the arts of peace should flourish. There is nothing more necessary than to protect our laborers trom being ground down by privileged classes. "Tongues," that's what Mis Jennie O. Cornwell of Ann Arbor, told the audience about. and it struck us that shc had a pretty good understanding o! her subject. Shc conimenccd bv giving the fable of vEsop, where a servant was told to prepare a feast ol the best thing he could obtain, and served tonque, giving as his reason that tonque, rightly used, was the best thing he knew of. Itelng told to prepare a feast of the worst thing hc could find servea the same, stating that illy used it was the worst thing he knew of. If not held in check it would separate triends. set communities, on fire, etc, while on the other hand it could do untold good. Some tonques keep up a conunual jabber, llke the pendulum of a clock with its coDstant tick, tick, tick, and while doine no evil, perhaps, were tiresome and annoying to the nei;hborhood. The tongue of wisdom was slow of speech but dropping words to guide the whole wnrld. Hom refreshing the tongue of wit. The essayist referred to Hood, the poet, who looked upon the funny side of cverything, and even on his death bed wrote a couplet containing a pun. The oi]y or fiattering tongue had great inrlucnce with some people, ana would lead theni easily, but its effecU are sometimes disaslrous. The golden or eloquent toogue sways the people with great power, plunging them from one emotion to another so that they wilt laugh one moment and cry the next under its ïnfluence. If we use our tonque ari'lit.tts sounds will lingcr in the hearts of its friends like ripples of swect music. The next effort was that of Emmet 1.. I loIHnsworth, of Rensselaer, Ind., upon "L'seaof Ainbitiou." He had a good clear voice, and coutd bc distinctly understood. To be weak is miserable, embodies in one sense the sum of all ambition. As the popular outcry is all against ambition to attempt its detense would be to oppose public opinión. It is not justice to Judge a whole community by the actions of a few, or the entire people of a nation by the inhabitants of a certain section. The very fact that the world has had leaders from time immemorial.prove man's ambition, and his effort to excel his fellow man is what has given us our great men. But ambition must be guided bv prudence and not ride rough shod over popular feeling. Our greatest men have conquered great obstacles. Dcmosthenes labored for years to overeóme an impediinent of speech; In modern days D is rae 1 i's life is in example of successful ambition, and his beginning a flat fallare, people laughing and ridiculinK his efforts ; but hc told parliament that the time would come when he would be heard, and the time did come. Henry's Clay's life was all shaped to gratily an ambition, that of being president. He never realued his dream, bqt as long as men live they will admire his name. Our great men are not the rcsult of circumsUnccs but oftheir own energy and perseverance. The average youth of the day must be ambitious or be failures. -Effect of the Crusades." by Chas. McClell in, of Ann Arbor, was a good effort, nicely presented, and wcll received. The holy land has been for ages an object of interest to the Christian oations of the world. The rushing of the people to the rescue of the holy sepulchreat the cry oí St. Peter, was bul a natural resul of the education and blind faith of the pcnple of that age, who but needed a leader in anything, to follow. Hut the the Christians were hardly jjrepared for the civilization they found in the east. The results had been very great, in some insUnces apparent and in other obscure. Many of the sciences were brought back, and the knowledge (fained opened the eye of the people. While the crusade had the etiect of checking the onward march of the eastern jmwers, and stoppea the progress of luxurious Turkey, it also ertected a radical change in the form of govenncnt. in Europe. The oíd feudal systera was soon alter wiped out of exUtence. The small feudal states gave place to grai.d and Ktrong goveroments. The svsiein af the judicUry wa# alaochaiiged for the bctter.bemg Laken out of the hands of the feudal lords, and giben :o re presea tati ves of the people. Hc thought the moral inHuenceof the Crutade had been exagerated. Kut still it wat better for the Christians to beeng;igt-d in tighting inndels abroad than in quarreling ainonjf ihcmselves at home. The crusade hsd a duty to periorm in bringing tlie feudal system to a cloae. Thr iiiuir dtirinjr this intorlude is wortliy if nutu'f Jt is a f;ift, we ihvit lnurl beter orrhestra inijsic, hihï tliü mnllcy pla) cl it this tinc fü especially beautiful. Aa he miMJdiM struik into somu f tfci mjlijr airs of our country, the rhiine In the fcodtenoe ril ttfarked, h' Ing w fclwii tast1 rcaliy was. The next was an essay by Miss Clara A. Hayley, ol Ann Arbor, who cho&e "Shadows" for her tabjrct W'ho h;ts not glancec at his shadow cast by the sun, and wondered at it forin and proportions, at one time t glgaatic in its diincnsions, at another dwartèd to the represeuution ol :i pipBJ? 'l'he little child.as he begins to toddie around, how he wondrrs.it his mm shadow ! To him it is a rt-al baby and he seck l Uke it in his atins ;tml to hug it to his liltle lie.irt, Vt-t how often do children of a ornt (rowth taak tn thfnn wlnch o f ten all are hut tleeting Bhadows. The Madowi on the wüII at home ot i lag wi-re then spoken of. after which the mnai kaKe pheoomwM oí "the ftpactit of the ltucken," in the Ilart mountains was recited. How blank atui ben the earth would be if everywhere we turned there wfi-c oaly ltg-ht If the It-al'h.id no thadow, the nfreshing shade of the forest would not attract us t" its quiet depths. The artist loves to picture the pikt st e tin wit h the autumn foliage dipping down intothe depths of its placid waters, or the cattle at noontidc Ín the tranquil shade of the Jeafy grove. Li glit and shadow! Shadow and light! IIow many a game of hide and seek they pi iv over the billowy wheat and the long bladed coro. Ana not less swiftly do they folio w each other in the lives of men ; for there too there is never a shadow that is not soon folio wed by a gloriou iMirst erf liü'it. What is so true a friend as on shadow. How constantly it attends us. In sorrow or in joy, in youlh or in oíd age, the faith ful shadow s ever by our side. The story of Peter Shimmei. from the Germán, who was cóndemned to pass throogh life without his shadow, was then told, and tlte dfigTMt was such that even the cliildren in the streets hootcd at him. The shadow mayhe utiÜ.cd as a time pu.ee, Üie laborer in the field being ablc to teil the time by the length of his shadow. Henee, in early days a man who would pronounce a ! upon his friend could tliink of nothing more appropriate then to hken life to the labors of a day, :md in thought of the peaceful, happy evening lo brcalhc the wish, "May your shadow never be less." "Our foreign Element," was what Thos. C. Phillips, of Calumet, enlightened the audience upon. Many circumstances make man a migratory animal. Our government holds out to foreigners such a welcome as no other nation can. We have plenty of room for Ihem and plenty of work for them to do. Our western wilds necd cultivation and our mines need developing, and the foreigners are hired to do it. No matter how thickly thi-y swarm in upon us. the country is able to absorb the heterogeneous mass and make such good Amcricans out of them that in the third generation, atdeast, no one would imagine their forcign extract, The cry against the Cathoiics the speaker thought uniust. He then recited what the world owed this rvliginus denomination. We owed to the Cathoiics the granting of the Magn Charta, the great charter of liberties forced from King John ; we owe to them also the writ of habeas rpim; (o them is due the birth and UCm of .11 mm repubhes; In O w.w ui this country Catholic soldiers iought side hy side with protestant; in the dark days of our revolution Catholic Trance carne to our aid and made the birth of this republic possible. He then took up the cudgle for the much abused Chinamen, siieered at our governtnent for paying sufficient attention to what he termed contemptuously "a great bugaboo," to send a commission to that country to regúlate emigration. He commended these foreigners for their economy and made the astonishing assertion that the fortunes which they acquirehere and take back to China, are a great benefit to this country. But just how itnpoverishing this nation to enrich China was a blessing to us he didn't make clear to his auditors. A nother thing, in lauding this curious people he forgot his as-ertion in the commencement that all foreigners coming to our shores were made Americans. Nearly a century's experience has failed to make a Chinamau anything but a Chinaman. He never conform s to our custoins, n-iigions or van, and is not emigrant Ín any sense of" the word, but raerely an adventurcr. Ora Thompson, the third of the Rensselaer, Ind., quaitet, essay .1 upon "Pama, no Iteward." v witness lamentable Ciilures in this desire for fame. It has been said that "there is room at the top," but tht-rc is not room for all; there may be room for the naturally great, for those of genius and indomitable perseverance, but not for the mediocrity. Many people are upset becuuse they spread more sail than thty can carry. From the eradle up our childmi bear nothii g but a constant talk of fame. If a child displays a liking for Hags, drums, and soldierly accoutr ments. he is certamly an undeveloped Napolt on ; if he is dictatorial, given to t h, and shows himself the boss of the nursery, he is a Daniel UYbsUr in an incipient state, etc. We never see a commence ment program but has upon it a subject: "Aitn at the highest." Fame is tJie only successful go.il. the airn aiui crown of all things, but is it & sulli ici.'t rcward to pay for all ourlahors? Are fninout ineti liap py and fimtcnted t She thouht not, their evidence Hoinii ti show that the coveted prire was but a baubh: afttr it was atUined. We should look for our rrward in a true htart and ele ons, ,, a, e ihe trutjioblem n are thosc who are known tbr their pure lile and vlrtu. iil.„ ,J11( (a _ „„cy j.íj, ;-. to strivc lor it, aad look up n labor as dusirable and honorable. A resolute will and a pure heart may ennoble any une. Elias F. Schall, of Moore Park, next spoke upon Leadership in Popular MovtiiKíiits.' As civilization advances oíd governments pass aw;iy and new ones, netter suited to the wants of the people. take tlieir places. It was not necessary for Caesar to have been very far above the Roman peoplc to have baea thir leader. [Doubted.l Keforms must be inaucuratedandmen must oc had feo lead Lhcm. Lincoln alone was not Ihe man who eflet ted freedom for the ¦lavet; Üm ¦entlmeot had leen nowiog Gn and it needcd but his pen to complete the act after ÜM growth of the Uta was ri;e. So in Oarmaay, it was rmt l.utht-r who made the reformation ?Ione. it was his powtriul mind that carried into effect what the people had nourtshed lor gencrations. and the tune had come for its ciiliiiiniitioii. Adams and effcrsun proclaimed the declaration of independenrebut it was ¦imply the CTOWnlog sentiment of public opinión. The leaders have been niit so far above the peopU.. but simply raist-d to their position hy the world's nei d of such men. As wc look beyond men e we may hope that we have not reachcd the highest poínt of our prosperity. After the soothing infllMDCe of some more sweet ¦traint by the orcbettra, Iliram A. Sober, o( VpVilanti, gave "Some Aspects of Sociali-sm. Modern socialistic tendencies aim at reorganization. Cooperation is what it seeks instead of compelition. A desire to overthrow the exisUng state of tttnt not be without some excuse, and we fiad it in ¦ Lam accumulatioii of private property by the few. They claim the present distribution of property unfair, and cannot see whv the prorits of the employcrs should be so large and those of the employed so mail. 1 bar (U-mam! universal and compulsory education, which he thought would be conceded without sodalism. Upon nalional character was where sociahsm had the most marked effect, for it was dependent upon the state. To take away our healthy commercial competition the minds of our people would be dwarlid. The system was impracticable. Socialism would also put rcügion under state control, which would in a measure stamp it out. At present socialism furnishes dangerous opportunites for designing men. Those who cry out against private property are indolent. When the people discover that there is a natural bond between capital and labor there will be no deruaud for socialism. "Consistency," by M. Adell Wheeler, was I pleasing ssay. 1Í striving to be consistent with the past is what is meant by being consistent, then the saying of the poet, 'consistency thou art a jewel" was a lalsehood. If the rose bush fails to put forth hlossoins this year, to be consistent it should fail vear, and sothe world be deprived of roses. If Luther liad striven to be consistent with his past life, he would have remained true to thechurch of Home, and the iight of the reformation would have remained in darkness. The greatest men who ever iived had been continually misunderstood. We pass for what we are. not what we have been or expect to be. Greatness of soul is humility, and we mount the ladder step by step. There are people who refuse to acknowledgt; their errors for fear of being inconsistent. Not one blade of grass makes the meadow, but it is composcd of myriads of blades. With conststency a great soul has simply nothing to do, liFunction of Doubt," by Delos Thompson, o Uensselaer, Ind., closed the program. The speaker was easy upon the stage, and his eflort was pronounced among the very best by the audience, ,jLlMM4a"' the uth century was not the era nf tt. " "l he peoCle placed imúlicí - Jence in their leaders and lindly foliuwèd them. Not all the tortures of the ivr nor the basbarisms of the inquisition could effect their faith, and it was not a good era for mankind. The age of faith was supere eded by the age of doubt and investigation. We owe all we have nowto doubt. It has given us better homes and better governments. It has brought the lighting from the clouds and subject ed it tú man' use. It has taken the tear of nature and produced the mighty power of steam. If our ancestors had not doubted we would have. been to-day steeped in ignorance and darkness. Doubt teaches the people to investígate before believing, and investigation is a shíning star over the eradle of truth. Let us fearlessly take up the implements of toil and press on, and let free thinking America be the first to reach that wished for goal of all gencrations : J'erfcction. Tliis cloaed tlie addrowü tttd essays. Tbc prtscntutiou of üiplom:is caniu next, with tin usicil ooropUoMnt of bonquata We connted I7.i of Chwa in tin ball, before presen tat Ion. They were Lndeed beftutiful. The ejerclMM ven cloeed bjf baaedictinn. Hl SBADOAT1V8 i'LASS. Classical Coursr- Caroline P. Bell, Norris A Colé, Edward N. Darrow, Herbert J. Illndes, Curte H. Hendrickson, Eugene L. I,ockvood, Chali Clellan, Edwanl V. M.ick. I.twis A. Khoades Chu 11. N.nith. Hiram A. Sober, William P. Tvlcr. M. Adeil Wlicelcr. Lalin Voitra. - Ncllic Ilorl.md. Don Carlos Corbett, [enais O. CornwdL, Carril IC. Cos, Edward N. Darrow, Kittie M. Greene. Mirinie Hamilton, Clara A. Hjylcy, Abby L. lütchcock, Fred. W.Job, Jcnnle I. Jooci, Utto Landman, John W Maikli William J. Nlchot. Amy A. Orcutt, Elias F. Schall, Mary Sulliv.iiit Marv wrlllliWIIIIHl. Earl U. Walker. Knglisk Cours. - Rlmer Dwipins, Emmet I. Holuönwonh. A.l.i L Kelloav. Víctor K. Looghridjic, lclos Tliniiijisüii, üru 1 Jiumpsoa. Sattttiie Courst.- Aleda F. Bishop, Nathan D. torbiii, Herbert II. Cricp, Klmer Dwlggla. klsic A. Hallock, Aii.i L KellnprL, Iiz.ie Larncd, Minute A. Le Van, Thomas C. l'lnllip,, Zada A. Rhodes Krank A. Sniith, Emina L. Spoor, Ora Thompson, Delos Thompson, Cora A. WeUuoie. Commërciui Courte. - Sara C. Itraun. Clara L. Doaue, Saraii Jewell Joseph A. Polhemus, Martin kt. SS li. Phsba Wlutncy. ¦OT1 The yoiin"; ladlea diqdayed Um hkwI pvoe, and tkowed the moet carcful rhetorical iniiinii".'. Tlio jroung gcntlenieii, in Hvo or t'hrrn tintinori. rtiaplayed too mucli coniidence 11 thenii-flvcs, and ¦ ¦ cniuwqnciHW iliil not pniiliice as t'avoruhlc au ini[irissi.iii npon tin1 kudienoa u Um ton brward. One yottOg man had the bad tastr tO prOnouiuc geography "gograiy." Kopoitris, I llicy aru mpcrtii 1" dojotice by such ocCiü-iiMis, sliould bc npplled u itli a lalilc and not si-atcd muit r tbc gXliry where a oonttent (train Isaeorauyto ralcli t lic wordt of tlie speukt-r. üc-i.lr-, it is t'trcniulv tiriusniiic takinu' noli ¦. lipon i 1 1 1 ' s lmt.