Colby's President Roberts

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Ral ph Waldo Emerson had been the choice and in August, 1 8 4 I , he was made an honorary mem足 ber of the Erosophian Adelphi. I{eeping to the custom begun by the two early societies was a fine way of linking the old with the new. On Wednesday, Commencement Day, when all the speakers were members of the Senior class, Arthur Roberts spoke on "The Decline of Patri足 otism. " His opening paragraph might well have been written in the present year : "It is the universal feeling that in America as in no other country on the face of the earth, is the realization of an ideal form of government made easy. So it may be said that on the fate of this nation depends the fullest fruition for that longing for liberty which has been steadily growing in the, breast of man for almost half a score of centuries. "Yet much exists that bodes no good to our system of Government. The idea of the sover足 eign will of the people which we hear so much about is j ust about as specious a bit of nonsense as ever tickled the vanity of man." Among existing wrongs he mentioned "the blind following of party leaders" ; "unpatriotic political lives of the people's representatives" ; "the danger of lobby-


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