Truth and Eloquence

At Williamsburg, Va., when the President received his seventh LL.D. (the first, however, from any college outside New England/-) he paid a tribute to the founders of the country such as he has frequently paid before but in a style more ambitious than his usual utterance. Consider the following sentence: "And when the wanton ravages of war reduced this once flourishing institution, which had spoken so boldly in the cause of liberty, to a state that left little but the vibrant tones of the college bell and the fervent prayers of a devout President, it was a distinguished son of Harvard, Senator Hoar, who pleaded her just cause with such eloquence in the halls of Congress that a dilatory Government at last made restitution for a part of the damage done, that this seat of learning might be restored to take its active place again as a citadel of truth and liberty and righteousness."

He went on vigorously into the theme of state rights, which seems to be gradually reviving in politics (see p. 8) :

"Direct primaries and direct elections bring to bear upon the political fortunes of public officials the greatly disproportionate influence of organized minorities. Artificial propaganda, paid agitators, selfish interests, all impinge upon members of legislative bodies to force them to represent special elements rather than the great body of their constituency.

"When they are successful, minority rule is established, and the result is an extravagance on the part of the Government which is ruinous to the people, and a multiplicity of regulations and restrictions for the conduct of all kinds of necessary business, which becomes little less than oppressive. . . .

"If the Federal Government should go out of existence, the common run of people would not detect the difference in the affairs of their daily life for a considerable length of time. But if the authority of the States were struck down, disorder approaching chaos would be upon us within 24 hours. No method of procedure has ever been devised by which liberty could be divorced from local self-government."

/-The President has been "Doctored" by Amherst, Tufts, Williams, Bates, Wesleyan University of Vermont.