NO. 7.
KDITOKIAT.S.
155
positos. Hut how could tliey, for the re
potior tools himscli hound to bring the
poorest sis near perfection as his imagina
tion and ability will allow; hence there is
no uhanco for giving real merit any re
ward. Each oration is a model in thought,
language unit gesture, and proves the
author of it a finished orator. Every es
say is tilled Willi the choicest thought ex.
pressed in the most lilting language; nnd
words fail to do justice to the declama
tions.
Every one knows that such statements
are mere bombast, and hence they are
worth nothing. If n young man shows by
his public productions that he has abil
ity, and also that he has given care and
labor to them, let such u statement be
made, but do not disgust him and destroy
the value a discriminating report might be
to him, by foolish llattcry. Some young
men are, perhaps, so conceited that they
cannot conceive any statement concerning
themselves overdrawn; but we think such
cases are rare: most men prefer to be held
at their real worth, well knowing that a
false statement is of no value to litem.
Newspaper reports are generally at ex
tremeseither in the form of dazzling
praise, or of vile aspersion. But very lit
tie time is taken to prepare reports of
public proceedings, and often very little
judgment is exercised in making such re
ports as arc furnished.
The style is generally about as follows:
"One of the most brilliant and intelligent
audiences of the season, at an early hour
last evening, tilled the Opera House to
hear the graceful and accomplished young
men and women, etc." The next night if
there chance to be a dog show, the ac-
count of it will
same way, as,
Prep, and would hardly compare with an
oration from a Sophomore.
Now we do not wish to he understood as
saying that praise should never be given,
but what we do insist upon is that it should
only bo bestowed when deserved; nnd
when criticism is needed do not hesitate
to give it. If reports of college com
mencements, or any other public excicises
are to be of any value or even interest to
the readers, they must be just; and such
reports cannot be just unless the editor at
tends and notes them himself, or employs
some one to do so, who has ability and
judgment, and is not afraid to speak ex
actly what seems to him to be the truth.
SEN 1011 WIET01UCALS.
commence in much the
"The Opera House was
crowded last evening with the elite of the
city to see Mr.-
and his wonderful
performing dogs."
If one were to judge by the reports, a
lecture by Beechcr or Phillips would
not surpass in thought, composition, or
delivery the most crude production of a
Within the catalogue of 1S76, we find
the following announcement of the rhetor
icals for the Senior year: "First term,
Rcidings from English Classics; Second
Term,-Two original orations, one of
which shall he pronounced before thcFac
ulty and students in the chapel of the
University." Of this programme we dis
cover no traces in the catalogue of 1878-9.
If the omission be made because of the
inability of the University to fulfill the
announcement, nothing could be more
proper. But judging from the additional
attention that has been devoted to rhctori
icals during the last two years, we are in
clincd to believe that no such excuse will
tolerate the seeming negligence in this
respect. True it is that great efforts
have been made to improve the condition
of university rhetoricals, and with a toler
able degree of success. But excluding
such excicises and substituting mere es
says and declamations docs in no manner
attain that degree of excellence in ora
tory and rhetoric that distinguishes the
graduate upon Commencement day. He
to make the greatest improvement, should
have his rhetorical exercises graded to
correspond with his studies.
The recital of an oration before "Facul
ty and students," differs widely in its re-