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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (May 26, 1898)
TAL = AToIITMNT WV Ane Ky. perchance, carry out our desires. Such an assembling of ourselves together might be worthy of the hour, but it is not needful for us now. We meet with the possibility already turned into a reality and the plan even more than ac-_ complished. Through the efficiency of those who voluntarily took upon them- selves the responsibility of carrying out what was undertaken, and through the generous enthusiasm of graduates and undergraduates, the means for provid- ing the gift have been secured and the gift itself is placed at the disposal of the Government. We accompany it to- night with our words of presentation. Let us send these words with a prayer that we may soon see the realization of an honorable peace. Let our pa- triotic sentiment be true, calm, worthy of us as reasonable and educated men, free from: all false excitement, in ac- cordance with righteousness, generous and abiding. Such patriotism befits the membership of our University and is characteristic of its history. After some further words recalling the past and connecting it with the present, he closed by calling to the thought of the assembled company the sentiment of Yale’s well-known College “For God, for Country, and for Yale.” Then the President brought forward the business of the meeting by intro- ducing Dwight H. Day, ’99, Chairman of the News, who was also Chairman of the Cruiser Fund Committee, to tell how the work started. ‘The story of the origin of the work has already been told in full in the WEEKLY and its progress has been noted from week to week; so it is unnecessary to report Mr. Day’s brief and very effective introduction of the Committee reports or to print any- thing of the short address which fol- lowed from Lewis S. Welch, ’89, who told in a general way how the choice of the Committee fell upon the gun and how it was made possible to se- cure these guns; how the money had come in so fast that the Committee couldn’t stop it, until the surplus was already $2,000 or more. Mr. Welch said, on behalf of the alumni, that the work on the Committee had been a pleasure to them as a constantly in- creasing revelation of the loyalty of all Yale. The Treasurer’s Facts, The facts about this response of Yale were then set forth by Mr. Edward Sawyer, ’98, Treasurer of the Commit- tee, in an itemized report, which gave an idea of the extent of territory from which these contributions had come. It had already been brought out by the previous speakers that the appeal had been made in a very simple form, merely by statements in this paper and by let- ters or telegrams, as the exigencies of the case arose, to the secretaries or to Photo by Randall. PRESIDENT TIMOTHY DWIGHT. — other persons connected with the differ- ent associations throughout the coun- try. In this previous report, it had been brought out that as far as the alumni were concerned, nearly a thou- sand men had partaken in the gift and that unquestionably, without any seri- ous effort and with only a little more time, the entire sum might have been raised on the basis of dollar contribu- tions. The subscriptions had ranged from twelve cents to two hundred -dol- lars. The latter was given by Dr. Depew, ’56. Several subscriptions of $100 were also received and several of $50. Mr. Sawyer arranged his estimate of expenses as follows: COST Dt AatinS. Finesse. es $5,200 estat olor. c's. S33 500 Expenses of Committee... The last two items were estimates. The colors are being finished under the direction of Mr. Ernest Carter, Chair- man of the New York Committee, and will be presented to the boat on her next return to port. The expenses of the Committee, made up principally of telegraph and correspondence bills, will be given in detail in another issue. Mr. Sawyer’s report, amended. by a few slight changes, the results of the reports received from different sections since the meeting, gives the receipts as follows: Wew (tlieanss. 3)... ce... $ 7.00 Columbus 0... 9.00 Satatoen oprinme... 6 eS 10.00 OR Eee ee. a a a 10.00 PPOUSON Ter ae os 10.00 ANONYMOUS 4 Fees... cake 11.00 West Winsted: Coan: <. 265.555 12.00 Dery; (Onegin eee ee ees 15.00 mGattle VW asn 8 ee 16.00 Detroit, Mich. 16.00 Latehfield,. Coan, 2433.4. 20.00 Wyoming Valley Ass’n........ 20.00 Oregon .Association. 2.43.05. .5° 25.00 Roehester, Ne ¥o55 es as e 2o.56 Wallinetord, “Conn: G33 5 25.00 Rangeley, Me. 32.5 ves. S.eneaae 25.00 Baltimore,’: Mais. 6 6s 31.00 New: Britain: O6nin? ote 31.00 Cambridge; Mass... .. 0. S35 32.00 Northwestern Ass'n (Minne- SDOHS) i Or ae loathe 38.00 Meriden, Conic... isc 39.00 Llouieweiles is een ny a ee 40.00 Davo, Ch a es. ee oe A4.00 Washitteton ee tas ae 48.50 Duttalo.2 Ne Ye es 4 52.00 Pairheld County, 2% 4344. -ores 75.00 Hatrishute Paws ea 70.00 Waterbury, Cogea:c. 23... 93.00 Denver Cole cece a. ee ee Fiss@xe1ounty SS oi asa 115.00 Cleveland, Fe os ee 120.00 Scranton. “P@iswuse)si.5.. ence 123.00 Piiladeiohia, P4435 3 Poe 162.00 Crncinnatic ty Wea a ed 163.50 Pittspure, Pas oe cs 192.50 Boston. Mass. co. cee ul oe ee oO Caliternia ASSOCIAtIONS a,. -s5., 220.00 Ciieee 0; Lie. ee a 267.00 Hareord, Gonk. 240.5 aes 317.00 Long Island Association ...... 355.00 New Diaver Alum... 20.53 633.00 New. York City Abimgit 7-20). 2,045.50 Smaller.contributions from the following places: Brooklyn, Al- bany, <"Sing = Sing, — Auburn: Ithaca, Poughkeepsie, Norwich, Canandaigua, Oneonta, Mor- ristown, Newburg, Calendonia, Brockport and Wellsville, N. Y., Wilkes-Barre, Easton, Erie, Bethlehem, Uniontown, Coch- ran, Pottstown and Kittanning, Pa.; Portland; “Me.: Concord and Dover, N. H.; Rutland and Brattleboro, Vt.; Worcester, Athol,.:,Andoyer, .N. Adams, Whitinsville and South Wey- mouth, Mass.; . Bridgeport, Stamford, So. Norwalk, Bris- tol, Rockville, .Terryville, So. Glastonbury, Norwich, Middle- town, Talcottville, Lakeville and Brookfield Center, Conn.; Montclair, Orange and Plain- Held, N. =. Wine, OW a Pleasanton, Kan.; Toledo, O.; Paris,.. y.>. Rachmond,.. Va,: Wilmington, Del.; Baltimore, Md.; Cedar Rapids, Ia.; Vulcan Mich.; Rockford, Ill.; Madi- son, Wis.; Salt Lake City, Utah; St. Louis, Mo. (final report not yet in). Amounting to $141.00 Undergraduates: Class of 08.205 iors $178.55 2 8 Re aa 190.75 1GOO. saa sere 301.40 ae ROOT, eae sae 166.00 re Qe aes Vie 78.52 Sees OO: Saves, Mie OGae oO ian oa ae 89.50 LAW SCHOO! 4 cissey suet 71 Wivinity ocioOl os. 18.50. Medical School . ..;;. 12,25. SI.103.32 LOM eee res $8,102.82 At the conclusion of Mr. Sawyer’s report, which was most enthusiastically received, the audience, under the lead of the Glee Club and band, sang the “Star Spangled Banner.” Mr. Walter Haven Clark, 96, of the Law School, then introduced the following resolu- tions: “Whereas, The Government has con- ferred a distinguished honor upon Yale University by naming one of its new auxiliary cruisers the Yale, and “Whereas, The graduates and students of Yale University desire to express in a substantial manner their hearty ap- a of this act; now, therefore, e-1t “Resolved, That we, graduates and students ‘of Yale University in mass meeting assembled, hereby tender to the Government our sincere thanks and beg to present to the cruiser Yale, as a token of our support of the Govern- ment in the present crisis, two rapid- fire guns and a set of colors; and fur- ther, be it “Resolved, That the secretary of this meeting be instructed to forward a copy of these resolutions to the President of the United States and to the Secre- tary of the Navy.” These were’ ‘seconded “by CGC. Hi. Studinski, ’97. President Dwight then introduced Rev. Dr. E. 5. Lines, ’72, who spoke of these resolutions as follows: Address of Rev. E. 8. Limes. All men knew that in a great crisis in national life such as war makes, the voice of this ancient University would be heard, although no one could. have anticipated how the opportunity would be given. I suppose that we were all among those who wished the war deferred as long as possible, that all the resources of diplomacy might be exhausted and that the influence of the world’s trade might make its influence felt for peace. There is little use of discussing that now. Probably war was sure to come. It might have been delayed, but few believe that it could have been averted. From the day that the Government demanded the withdrawal of the Span- ish troops irom Cuba, and the end of misrule and unutterable cruelty in the island, our course as a people was de- termined. Now we. stand together, united as in no other war in which the country has been engaged. Now all: our resourees-im men and ‘money are sternly pledged to the execution of the order that Spanish soldiers shall leave Cuba and Spanish cruelty cease. I count it a righteous contention. It was not determined suddenly last month, nor by the destruction of the Maine. The decision was hastened by unwise agitation, but we have been for many years coming to it. it. GOULD NOT .GO ON. Nations are no more called upon than individuals to go about the world like wandering Knights correcting abuses. But when nations or indivi- duals have at their doors an intolerable nuisance, a menace year after year to health and peace and life, the time comes when it must be ended, and by force if necessary. Spanish misrule in the colonies has made what Livingston said slavery in Atirica made, an.open, sore, and the world’s life required that it should be healed. In three years Spain sacrificed 100,000 soldiers by death or disease, to crush a rebellion into which the Cubans had been driven by decep- tion and unendurable abuses. No man may know the number of innocent non- combatants killed and starved to make a desert of one of the most fruitful islands of the sea and call it peace. And this could not go on. We kept our treaty obligations, but we could not stifle the sympathies of our people who have been taught to hate oppres- sion and to love justice and mercy. Across the sea, where we were help- less to act, the Turk killed his hundreds of thousands of Armenians and burned and persecuted to his heart's content, and the jealousies of the great powers left him free to do his wicked work. We said that it was a crime, a blot upon Christian civilization, that the Turk was not told to stay his hand and let Armenia live. We have had our Armenia at our door and now we have said that abuses and murder which rival those in Ar- menia must end. It is a righteous de- mand, a grand word to speak in the name of humanity, and we may be proud of our country for having spoken it. It will mean unmeasured good for the world to have an end of Spanish corruption on the Western Continent and to have this open sore healed. It ill becomes me to speak of war as other than evil. I would not fall into the error of many of my call- ing, in trying to interpret the divine purpose in this war. Two lines from one of Dr. Holmes’ war poems have come to me many times of late. “God help them if the tempest swings The Pine against the Palm.” One may hold Hosea Bigelow’s first opinion of war; aez: fer owar,- <1 eall: it- murder, There you hev it plain and flat; I don’t want to go no furder. Than my Testyment fer that.” “Ef you take a sword and dror it, An’ go stick a feller thru, Guv ment aint to answer for it, God’ll send the bill to you.’ s And yet one may find some wisdom in his later utterance: “Ez for war, I go agin it, I mean to say, I kind o’du, Thet is, I mean thet, bein’ in it, The best way wuz to fight it thru; Not but wut abstract war is horrid, I sign to thet with all my heart, But civilyzation doos git forrid Sometimes upon a powder cart.” We are not thoughtless about war and we would have had the issue made up a little differently, but.we are at war with a just cause and contention, for humanity and civilization, which we be- lieve will be approved by history what- ever may be the judgment to-day oi Paris, Berlin or Vienna. | The way before us may be long, beset with difficulties and demanding great sacrifices. They who were most urgent for war will be soon impatient and we shall hear that old cry of the Civil War for a forward movement to satisfy public sentiment. Professional politicians who have already had too much to do with the army will mar its efficiency, and thoughtful men, such as the great body of our graduates are, must stand out against this flood of impatience and favoritism and foolish criticism. We send to-night from the old home to the great family of the sons of Yale, the assurance that the new men in our long muster-roll appreciate the need of the new time. Yale men are giving themselves for the country’s service even as Yale men did in the war for Inde- pendence and in the Civil War, and are thoughtful and sober-minded. It is hopeiul to see the college community stirred by the sense of responsibility to the country and brought to feel that sacrifices must be made for the State. A new generation of College men is learning how much the country means for them and that patriotism is more than zeal for party, fervid oratory and the display of flags. The war has touched the heart of the University and the response is worthy of her best tradi- tions. A TRIBUTE TO WHITNEY. Our hearts go out to the College men at Niantic, who took their places in the lowest rank, rather than to those who have come into high places through the influence of fathers or friends. As we turn with confidence to the navy, let Yale men remember that the country owes to a Yale man the ability to meet in any hopeful way the crisis which has come. As you follow with pride the squadrons, whether at Manila or in the Atlantic, or the vessels which guard our coast, remember that the new navy with its noble ships and well trained men is the work especially of Secretary William C. Whitney, of the Class of Sixty-Three. The thoughts of all of us go in all these days to one great ship which keeps watch for the country and for us, far out upon the Atlantic or among the Carribbean islands. When the govern- ment took this ship into her service the name of our University was given to her, and we take her under our care as best we may. We follow her with our thoughts and good wishes, and we give her guns and the set of colors that she may speak for Yale against her country’s foes -and be the first in their faces to fly her country’s flag. Her place is out on the farthest line, to watch, that no enemy’s fleet strikes ours unwarned, that no war-ships' break through to destroy our cities. And we rest in peace and go to our work while the Yale, yes, and the Harvard too— rivals now only in the service of the common country, keep their lonely and ceaseless watch. It comes to me that
