Alumni Oration

"Alumni Oration" University Monthly 23, 8 (June 1904): 253-254. (UA Case 67a, Box 1)

The following has been largely gleaned from press reports:

Dr. J. Clark Murray of McGill University was present to deliver the Alumni oration. The subject of his address was The University in Our Modern Life. The speaker was introduced by Chairman Foster as one of the most distinguished educationists in Canada.

The orator dealt with the subject from a broad standpoint, and showed himself to be a scholar of the first water. He advanced many strong arguments in favour of University education.

The speaker, first of all, defined what liberal education is both in popular usage and scientific thought, and contrasted the present day liberal education with that of the ancients, dwelling upon the value of professional education. There had been a revolution in education. Students, he stated, must realize the infinite significance of life. Education should be sought after for itself and not for the end to which it may be applied.

He expressed himself as being opposed to a student taking too many subjects, and believes it better to learn a little at a time and learn it well. When he looked at the curriculum of some of our present day schools and colleges, he felt like congratulating himself that he had completed his college course before such a system was adopted.

The speaker quoted the following "The great art of learning much is to learn a little at a time."

He said the task which has been given to us is to make the mortal better than it was when we entered into it.

Passing on he asserted that the age in which we live is an age of democracy and industrialism. The great benefit of democratic government was that the government was better by being themselves governed.

Patriotism, he said, was a practical interest in the well being of our own country. Our government is one "of the people, by the people and for the people." The people must govern themselves for their own good. Political constitution is not a self working machine. The real constitution is not a printed piece of paper which, the speaker said, is not a constitution in the real sense of the work. The real constitution is mutual for the well-being of the country.

The tyrannization of trusts, syndicates, etc., in the United States, the speaker said, is worse than any of the oppressions against which the Americans rebelled.

Every citizen, he continued, must do his duty wisely in the country in which he lives.

Purity in elections, Dr. Murray said, could only be gotten by education.

In closing he deplored the low ebb of political morality in that country, and warned his hearers hat Canada stood on the brink of the same evil. He besought young men to turn their faces against this tide of political corruption which floods our political life, assuring them of he good produced in national life by personal sacrifice of pecuniary gain for right principles. He expressed the hope that the day was not far distant when the law would regard corrupt acts in politics as treasonable.