LJ 75 m Tan ®i D«It« Kappa Mall »!• - 1900 d Percy Loyall Wight PRESENT»D BY Tau of Delta Kappa Epsilon Half-Century Anniversary ■r /•l*v ^PPIr'--, , i fiS w .Jr /nw-ibTose. lo-yso-ris /Nejsev (5te p. 7.) Tau of Delta Kappa Epsilon Half - Century Anniversary 1856-1906 THE CELEBRATION OF JUNE 27th, 1906, TOGETHER WITH A COM- PLETE ROLL OF THE MEMBERS, Edited by PEKCY LOYALL WIGHT Clinton, New York GEOEGE WILLIAM BROWNING 1907 4-^" '>.f5 «Af?26i9l3p CONTENTS Page Ambrose Parsons Kelsey, '56, Founder . . Frontispiece John Dryden Henderson, '68, President . . . Facing 7 Scheme of the Celebration 7 Asahel Norton Brockway, '57 Facing 11 The Toastmaster's Address 11 Henry Harper Benedict, '69 Facing 17 The Oration 17 Willis Judson Beecher, '58 Facing 31 The Poem 31 Warren Isbel Lee, '99 . Facing 41 The History 41 The Chapter House Facing 53 The Eoll of Members . 53 Scheme of the Celebiiatiok Scheme of the Celebration T the Annual Meeting o! the Incorpo- rated Association of the Tau Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon, held June 28, 1905, plans were inaugurated for celebrating in a fitting manner the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Chapter. The date was set for Wednesday evening of the 1906 Commencement week. Dr. A. Norton Brockway, '57, was elected President for the occasion, and Chairman of the General Committee, the other members of which were Murray H. Gardner, '84, Frank H. Finn, '98, Howard I. Davenport, '01, and Alex- ander M. Drummond, '06. On the evening of June 27, 1906, at the Annual Meeting in the Chapter House, Kobert G. Kelsey, '98, on behalf of his mother, his sisters and himself, presented to the Chapter a portrait of his father, P rofess orAm brose Parsons Kelsey, '56, the founder of Tau. " Theassemblage adjourned to Commons Hall, on the Hill, for the Anniversary Banquet. The program follows : A SONG By A. M. Drummond, '06. Tune : ''Die Wacbt am Rbein.'* We come across the rolling years With song and shout and rousing cheers OfTau, ofTauof AKE, With swelling hearts we pledge to thee. 7 8 Scheme of the Celebration Chorus : Dear AKE, our hearts are thine, Dear AKE, our hearts are thine, For Tauand Hamilton we guard thy shrine. For Tau and Hamilton we guard thy shrine. Full fifty years of love have sped, Tonight we bless thy haloed head ; From '56 thy decades run And every day^s crowned with a sun. CZzorw,s; Dear AKE, etc. The sons of yesterday and now Join in the sacred love-fraught vow. And time hath yet an ampler store To swell the prophecy of yore. Chorus : Dear AKE, etc. Wrapped in the mantle of thy love, A deathless brotherhood we move, Old Tau, old Tau of AKE, With swelling hearts we sing of thee. Chorus : Dear AKE, etc. The banquet menu is omitted in order to spare the feelings of those unable to be present and enjoy it. The Committee of arrangements were Hon. John D. Hender- son, '68, Percy L. Wight, '91, Eobert U. Hayes, '05, Walter M. Palmer, '05, and Harwood M. Schwartz, '07. Toastmaster . . Dr. A. Norton Brockway, '57 Orator . . Hon. Henry Harper Benedict, '69 Poet . . . Rev. Willis J. Beecher, D. D., '58 Historian . . . Hon. Warren I. Lee, '99 TOASTS Fraternity Life . . Hon. John D. Henderson, '68 Ye Olden Time . . Hon. Charles Kelsey, '60 Honors in College . Rev. Anthony H. Evans, D.D., '82 The Second Generation . . Robert G. Kelsey, '98 The Fraternity and College . Frederick W. Welsh, '92 The XXth Century . Hon. R. C. S. Drummond, '01 The Toastmaster's JIddress The Toastmaster's Address By Asahel Norton Brockway, M. D., Class of 1857 t^'^ii ^j^k^^ l HE Sons of Tau meet tonight to celebrate her ^^ M completed half century, her Golden Jubilee, of existence and to congratulate each other upon her long list of honors and successes. Fifty 3^ears ago last December a number of boys, not quite satisfied with the Fraternities which then existed in Hamilton College, petitioned Phi Chapter of A K E at Yale College, (which then had the power to grant charters) to establish here a new Chapter of our Fraternity. A Charter was granted January 15th, 1856, and in due time fourteen put on the diamond and scroll and stars and proclaimed to the world that a Chapter of A K E would hence- forth be known on College Hill. We were proud boys, though some of us were not a little fearful as to what reception would be accorded us. Instead of the cold shoulder, we were welcomed to the Fraternity world of letters with hearty hand shakes and many were the questions asked as to our Brotherhood, of which many had heard, but of which few really knew^ anything. We met with no opposition and no attempts were made to belittle our organization, or the Fraternity of which we were a part. Ambrose Parsons Kelsey may justly be styled the Father of Tau, and to his unwearied efforts we owe our existence as a Chapter. He labored early and late and always most assiduously to promote her welfare. He was most ably assisted by men of strong intellects, such as Baldwin, Long and Newman of '57, Howe of '58 and Scott of '59 — men w^ho have been leaders in the world's activities ever since. We were hopeful and laid the foundations of our structure upon enduring rock, and during the last fifty years our Chapter has shown to the world that our structure is strong and abiding. During the first half year we had our doubts and our fears as to our future, but the fall of '56 found us with four excellent men, 11 12 ^he Toastmaste/s jiddress two of whom were Charles Kelsey, a fine scholar and a brother of A. P. Kelsey, and John Keese Lewis, who was beyond question, even as a Freshman, the best speaker in the College. He proved his superiority by taking, in his Freshman year, the first prize in Declamation, and afterwards Clark Prize. In our first year, in addition to the fourteen, we admitted others, so that at its end we numbered twenty-one members, and we took the Salutatory and two other prizes and in '58 another, Willis J. Beecher, our Poet tonight, was Valedictorian. We considered that our work had been well begun and were satisfied. Of those twenty-one members, fifty years ago, the fatal star of the catalogue proclaims that eleven have gone to their reward. They are remembered with affection and their good works follow them. Seven of them served in the War of the Rebellion, two giving their lives for their country, Peebles, '59, on the Union, and Gwathmey, '58, on the Confederate side. Our Chapter has done honor to our Fraternity. Our Cata- logue of members is emblazoned with the names of those who have distinguished themselves in Arms, in Arts, in Science, in Literature, and in all that ennobles mankind and makes the world better. All honor to Tau Chapter ! The professional walks of life have been well occupied and adorned. Three have been Supreme Court Judges— Newman, '57, Foote, '70, and DeWitt, '75, and the ermine of justice has been unsullied at their hands. Two are Trustees of the College and Benedict of '69 brought great honor by his gift of the Hall of Languages and by many other munificent gifts to his Alma Mater and by his loyal remembrance to Tau Chapter enabling us to free the Chapter House of a burdensome debt. We are especially indebted to Brother Benedict for other most substantial proofs of his loyalty and devotion to his Mother Chapter. I say with you all, long life and continued prosperity to Brother Henry Harper Benedict. Fourteen have been Professors in Institutions Theo- logical, Legal and Literary. Three have been Missionaries in foreign lands and two have been foreign Ministers — Scott of '58 and Norton of '73. Knapp, '66, was twice elected to Congress and served the two terms with distinction. Many of us remember the thrill of pride which we experienced when the announcement was made that Frank Foster Laird, '77, ^he Toastmaste/s jiddress 13 had been awarded first prize at the Intercollegiate Oratorical Contest held in the Academy of Music in New York Cit}^ in 1877. Eleven have been honored with the degree of D.D. or LL.D. The long list of prizes and honors which have fallen to the lot of Tau's members makes us feel proud that our steps were turned into her portals. Her banner floats with the best of them all and we are proud of fifty years of achievement and prosperity, and look forward with confidence to her future. For my presence in this position of honor and the privilege of addressing you I am indebted to your Board of Ofiicers. Look- ing backward over five decades, replete with the exertions of persevering men working in many directions for the same ends, I am thankful to be able to be a participant in this semi- centennial celebration. Time has wrought very many changes during the half century of Tau's existence. At Tau's birth the Fraternity was twelve years old. She now rejoices in the mature age of sixty-two years. Her influence is widel}^ extended, her Catalogue of Members is wonderfully enlarged, so that now we number more than smj other Fraternity. Her Chapters are firmly established in the best Institutions of the land, and why should we not be the best of them all ? Labor well, m.j Brothers. Choose the best, always, and keep full high advanced the banner of our glorious Brotherhood. Dr. Beecher and I, tonight, are the sole representatives of the twenty-one members of the initial and crucial year of our existence. Eleven of the twenty-one have passed over to the majority. Ten a little longer wait lingering by the wayside. We were boys in that eventful year, enthusiastic, buoyant and proud of our Fraternity. Now the shady side of life claims us, but we are none the less enthusiastic, none the less proud of the achievements of Tau Chapter. Times and the College have wonderfully changed since fifty years ago. Of those then in authority, all the Trustees have passed away, and of those who then composed the Faculty all are gone save one, Tutor Hudson, now Kev. Dr. Hudson. The College Buildings then numbered seven, now we have fourteen, and all substantial structures of which we are proud. The Faculty consisted of nine, the President, six Professors, and two 14 ^he Toastmasters Jiddress Tutors, all learned men, and we respected them for their scholarlj^ attainments. We have an enlarged and beautified Campus, the most charming in the country. We have the same lovely and enchanting view of the distance over the beautiful Oriskany Valley to the distant hills beyond, a view nowhere surpassed or soon forgotten. The College has taken to herself new strength and added influence and a prestige never before attained. Hamilton, which we love so well to call our own, ranks with the best in the land and she prides herself upon her long list of distinguished alumni. From Tau's past history her future is assured. We look forward with confidence and pride to her continued prosperity and our best wishes are that the days and years before her may be as brilliant as those now past. The Oration The Oration By Henry Harper Benedict, Class of 1869 S this Half-Century Celebration implies, the Tau Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon dates from 1856, the year of the Fremont campaign, five 3^ears before the outbreak of the Eebellion, only four 3^ears after the death of Clay and Webster, six years after the great Slavery Compromises " of 1850, eight years after the discovery of gold in California. Tonight we round out a period of Mty years. It is a long time. Moses was a long time in Midian, but it was only forty years. The Children of Israel were a long time in the Wilderness, but it was only forty years. The greatest life that was ever lived in the world, the life from which all subsequent events have been dated and will be to the end of time, was a life of only thirty-three years. Tau of A K E (I make the comparison with unspeakable reverence) has existed seventeen years longer than our Saviour tarried on the earth. The Fraternity was born in another age than this, an age so different from the present that its history has something of the flavor of remote antiquity. It was an age of small populations in this countr^^, of limited wealth, of undeveloped resources and unexplored territor^^— an age when there were few railroads, no sleeping cars, no transatlantic telegraph, certainly no wireless telegraphy, no telephone, no phonograph, no electric light or electric propulsion, no breech-loading firearms — an age w^hen slavery still cursed the land, and Abraham Lincoln w^as an unrisen star of hope to the black man. Webster, the profoundest states- man of his time and the greatest orator, perhaps, of an^^ time ; Cla^'^, the astutest politician and the most magnetic personality, but always the compromiser ; Calhoun, the irreconcilable— these giants had led the antagonistic forces through many long years, and had passed aw^ay; and the jesiT of the Fremont campaign found the "Irrepressible Conflict" between freedom and slavery 17 18 Vhe Oration still raging, with no visible prospect of termination or abatement. Then it was that something happened. A Pennsylvania Democrat, a gentleman of the old school, the scholarly, the polished, the courtly, the amiable, the irreproachable, but invertebrate, James Buchanan, was elected President ; and those of us who, too young to vote, had rent the heavens with our hurrahs for Fremont, the brilliant pathfinder of the West, were heartbroken. But Heaven overruled the mistakes of men, and when in four years Buchanan went out of office, with "none so poor to do him reverence," we had reached the threshold of the new era. Lincoln's hand was on the helm, and unhesitatingly and unflinchingly he sw^ung the shivering ship of state into the teeth of the storm. The craft which carried the hopes of human liberty rode out the tempest, but when the billows had sunk to rest and the sun again kissed the flag, the greatest figure of the modern world had vanished. Lincoln was dead, and the earth was lonelier for his absence. But the transformation had come. The war period was the dividing line between the old and the new. We older men have seen the nation re-created, and have witnessed a development in ideas, in government, in liberty, in inventions, in science and in art, which the younger men, born into a new age, can hardly comprehend. All of this trans- formation has been seen by Tau of A K E. But this is not all that Tau has seen. The changes in the modern world, especially in the last half century, and not alone in our own country— changes political, social, scientific and historical, have been kaleidoscopic in rapidity and in brilliancy of rearrangement. Victor Hugo called the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, " a change of front of the universe." Victor Hugo was given to exaggeration. If he could describe the result of Waterloo as a change of front of the universe, what w^ords could he have found in his all but limitless vocabulary to describe the changes that have occurred in the world since Waterloo, and especially since the American Civil War! Not always changes of front, indeed, but rather the forward march of progress. Tau has seen the unification of Italy and the rise of the German Empire : it has seen France and Brazil abandoning the forms of monarchy and adopting the principles of democracy : it The Oration 19 has beheld in Africa the rise of the semi-civilized power of Ab^'ssinia: the establishment (for good or evil — I think ultimately for good) of the Congo State: the splendid work of England in Egypt, and her march through ways of blood to the ultimate betterment, let us hope, of the vast regions of South Africa. And it has observed the influences which are tending towards the civilization of all the African Continent. It has witnessed the disappearance of the Spanish Power from the Western World, and the separation of Church and State in France. But, more than all, it has seen that most spectacular event of modern history — the new birth of Japan. Until 1852 Japan had been a hermit nation having no communication with the outer world. Subsequent acquaintance with her has shown that her people were a wonderful people even in isolation ; but her attitude was at variance with the trend of histor}^ and antagonistic to the development of human destiny — an attitude not simply illogical, but, under the workings of divine Providence, impossible. The enlightenment of the world must soon or late cleave asunder such an anomal}'-, and it was the United States that finally drove the entering wedge. In 1852 Com- modore Perry was sent on his mission to Japan, and two years later, in 1854, he secured an agreement with Japan to open one port to the commerce of the world. This was the travail of the new birth. Up to that time the condition of Japan was in many respects that of Europe in the middle ages. The feudal system, which had vanished from Europe centuries before, still prevailed, and, indeed, did not disappear until more than ten years later. Though essentially a military nation, her armies still fought their civil wars with bows and arrows. In the half century that has elapsed since, the progress of Japan has been the miracle of history. Hampered by tradition and blinded by long seclusion, this wonderful people has absorbed the thought of the ages, and translated into action the wisdom of mankind. Many of us here present are old enough to have grasped the hand of the last feudal lord, and to have seen the morning break over the darkness of the mediaeval Eastern world; and now the people who within our memory were fighting with bows and arrows, and who, later still, began the study of military tactics by moving toy soldiers about on the fioors of their houses, have given points in the art 20 "^he Oration of war to the drilled armies of Western Europe. Undertaking boldly what no other nation would have dared to undertake, they have humbled Kussia to the dust, and have shown that the world need no longer tremble at the name of the "Colossus of the North." Nor do they seem less great in the arts of peace. In trade, in manufactures, in orderly government, in statesmanship, in political and social economics, in short, in all that goes to make up what w^e call civilization, this new-born nation is the marvel of the world. She has appropriated in fifty years what the rest of the world has wrought out in fifty painful centuries. This, in part and in briefest outline, is the panorama that has been unrolled to the view of the Tau Chapter of A K E. Tau throughout its half centurj^ of life has touched the world at the most interesting period of human progress. It is a great privilege to have lived since 1856, and opportunity always implies obligation. I am not going to preach to you ; but it is well enough at times to refresh our memories and compare notes. The world moves: do we move with it? Nay more: do we lead the movement ? Let us speak first of Hamilton College. For more than twenty years after my graduation I seldom visited my Alma Mater. Circumstances finally brought me back. I found that changes had occurred. Some of these filled by soul with sadness. My fellow students had gone out into life, and some had not returned ; and dear faces were missing from the Faculty. Dr. Oren Root— for whose eulogy volumes would not suffice — was gone. He was one of the strongest and wisest, one of the noblest and one of the most lovable men I have ever met. I can never adequately express my appreciation of his kindness and helpfulness to me throughout my college course, and to the end of his life, and I shall never cease to love him and revere his memor}^ Dr. North, at the time of which I am now speaking, was still with us, and his sweet and beautiful life, with its gracious influence and its inspiration to all high endeavor, was prolonged for many years. His memoirs have been written with filial piety, and with rare ability, judgment, and sense of proportion, b^^ his dis- tinguished son ; but no written words can ever express the love of Hamilton men for "Old Greek." Dr. Upson, whose gentle spirit still sheds its influence upon us, Vhe Oration 21 now that he has gone to his reward, who in his department, as Dr. Peters in his, had made the name of Hamilton College known throughout the land and throughout the world — Dr. Upson had been called to other fields of labor, and his loss was keenly felt. With all honor to his successors, let me sa^^ that the best any of them could hope to do would be to continue his system of instruction unimpaired ; and my earnest hope and prayer is that, for the good of Hamilton College and the success of the work which Hamilton men have to do in the world, the Upsonian tradition may never pass away, nor lose one iota of its force. At the time I was in college our instructors were of the best : they had our love and respect ; and we profited, or tried to profit, or failed to profit, depending upon the individual, by their instruction. But when I came back from my long absence conditions had changed: the world had moved forward. Com- petitions were keener, thought had quickened, issues had become more practical, and the demands upon educated men had become louder and more insistent. To meet these increasing demands Hamilton was setting its house in order. It would be carrying coals to New^castle to tell you what Hamilton has done in the last decade and more. We are none of us hungering to hear more about "the small college": the term has come to have a rather familiar sound. What is the proper function of the college, and what the proper function of the university, has ceased to be a question. The college aims to make men: the university takes men, or should, and equips them for usefulness, in whatever sphere, by specialized instruction, by practical training. The college lays the foundation: the uni- versity builds the superstructure. The old Norman cathedral builders piled great masses of masonry upon the ground, or at best upon insufBcient foundations, with the result that there is scarcely a Eomanesque church in Europe whose towers or heavier portions have not at some time collapsed. Similar results might be expected if masses of university specialization should be piled up without the sure foundation of a college training. The Germans have the correct word— gymnasium. The college trains and streng-thens the mental muscles; it enables the mind to lift weights, so to speak— to throw the hammer ; to swing the dumbbells ; it clarifies the mental 22 ^he Oration vision; it strengthens the reasoning faculties; it increases the powers of observation and concentration — contemplation and reflection are both improved. Or, to sum it all up in a word, the effect of the college course is, or should be, to enable a man to think. If he can do this he is prepared to grasp the equipment which university or other post-graduate work provides ; and if he is honest, and is not lazy, his success in life is sure : he can make opportunities : he can overcome difficulties : he can "grind up cir- cumstances in his mill " : he can turn obstacles into stepping stones. Still steering clear of a dissertation on "the small college", I must say this : that you in Hamilton have an advantage greater than words can express over the students of the university or the large college, in being in direct personal contact with, and under the constant influence of, such men as compose your faculty. Some of them are remarkable men. If Thomas Arnold could "change the face of education in England", what shall be said of your President? When Dr. Stryker's work comes to be known, and his greatness appreciated, he will be counted among the marked men of his time. Do not overlook this fact. Do not miss your opportunity. You are passing through a stately corridor whose walls are hung with beauty and whose every cabinet is filled with treasures, new and old. You have a guide who will point out to you the things that will make for your good. If you follow him, if you hear and heed him, you will be able to say when you emerge and look out upon the broad horizon: "Dr. Stryker and his splendid faculty have taught me many things ; and this they have taught me— to think for myself. I can think for myself, and therefore 1 can act for myself. I will act. Yonder is the prize. I will make an honest effort to win it." I visited the college in 1896, when Dr. Stryker was in the early years of his presidency, and I was forcibly struck by the earnestness which seemed to pervade the whole body of students. I saw no unhappy faces, but every face was earnest and revealed a purpose. This earnestness has not diminished with the years, and it is one of the most hopeful signs to those who love the college and look for its usefulness in the world. It is promoted by the esprit de corps which exists in the fraternities. Esprit de corps, by the way, is a term seldom or never heard in France, but it seems to me to be very expressive. T/je Oration 23 Esprit de corps is a local patriotism — a love for one's own. It is shown in Fourth of July enthusiasms, and in the loyalty that leads men to die for their country. Similarly it appears in the desire which we of Tau feel for the success of the Chapter and of the men who compose it. Like love of one's home ; like love of one's country, is this love of fraternity men for their fraternity and for each other. It arouses enthusiasm, stimulates effort and facilitates achievement. Henry Ward Beecher, in his novel '^Norwood", said: "When enough men hold a truth in common to give to that truth a social influence, its range and power become greatly increased ; but no one knows the very royalty of a truth until the whole community are aroused, made sensitive and sympathetic, and give to truth the force of glowing enthusiasm. Not only is the power of a truth thus disclosed, but a community is knit together and enriched by being made subject to some one worthy impulse all together, by consciously holding some great truth with a common enthusiasm. ' ' Mr. Beecher was speaking of religious revivals, but his language applies almost exactly to what I am talking about— the powder and effect of esprit de corps in the College fraternities. The members of Tau are working with a common purpose to a common end : they hold great truths in common ; and the daily contact kindles a lofty enthusiasm. The touch of mind upon mind, of soul upon soul, is like the stroke of flint upon steel. The intellectual and spiritual natures of a body of men busied with the same themes come to be like a prism collecting the sun's rays and concentrating them upon a point, until a spark appears w^hich may grow to a flame, and finally to an all consuming conflagration. Great and burning enthusiasms are never kindled in the solitary breast : it is only when masses of men are swayed by a common emotion that the shout goes up, and the roof rings with applause. And this sudden and transient enthusiasm is, by esprit de corps, that is, by the fraternit,y spirit, made continuous and permanent. Emotions become common emotions. The purpose of the individual becomes the purpose of all. Souls are knit together : immortal friendships spring up; and cumulative powder, which works, not in arithmetical but in geometrical ratio to the power of the individual, is brought to bear upon the problems of life. But I think no one can appreciate fully the real significance of 24 Vhe Oration esprit de corps as a creative and moving force until he has made some study of that supreme form of it, Bushido, and has attained some comprehension of the influence of Bushido upon the Japanese character. Bushido, as translated by Prof. Nitobe, of the Imperial University of Kyoto, who has written a book upon the subject, means ''The Precepts of Knighthood". It is "a system of moral principles which the Knights were required or instructed to observe." It embraces justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, veracity and sincerity, honor, loyalty, self-control, the martial spirit, exaltation of womanhood, and much else: it includes chivalry, but something more, and is, I think, the sublimest system of morals known to man. It had a various origin which we shall not now attempt to trace. It was a growth, not a creation. It was a product of many minds, and partakes of Buddhism, Shintoism, and the teachings of Confucius and many more. The old Samurai class — the warrior class— had been imbued with it centuries ago, but it has spread to a greater or less extent to the whole Japanese people. Nothing, perhaps, more strongly impresses the observer of the Japanese struggle with Russia than the loyalty and absolute obedience to orders— the oneness of feeling— which pervaded the Japanese army, from the Emperor down to the common soldier. This was the manifestation of Bushido. Loyalty to the Emperor was in it : loyalty to flag and country : loyalty to all the precepts of this unique system of morals which made it the unquestioned and unquestionable rule in the Japanese army to fight to the death, with no thought of retreat, and no feeling of fear. Japan's military achievements have puzzled the soldiers, and her political advance has puzzled the statesmen, of the whole world. A mystery has seemed to brood over those islands in the far Pacific. The nations have stood in awe, as in the presence of something superhuman. But the key to the mystery is Bushido. The phenomenal success of the Japanese arms lay not so much in manual dexterity, or tactical skill, or even the genius of general- ship, though all these were present, as in the Japanese character, which, under the profound and subtle influence of Bushido, has become unique in the world. Vhe Oration 25 It is impossible to appreciate fully the vital force of Bushido without long and profound study— indeed, I think it would be impossible without a residence in Japan, or at least mingling fpeely with the Japanese people. But this much we have seen — that esprit de corps is a tremendous force when it is broadened out to include a whole nation, and deepened down to the very foundations of character. Bushido, mind you, is not a religion — it is not even a pagan religion; it is but a loosely-connected system of morals; and although the loftiest in the world, yet lacking in that which we regard as supreme ; for whatever may be our differences of faith, all Western religions are agreed that love is finally to rule. But being held in common by all classes, Bushido inspires that lofty enthusiasm which comes from the concentration of many minds upon common themes. Moreover, in the course of centuries it has become embedded in the Japanese character, and is never questioned ; and when the spark is kindled, a zeal which, but for the calm reason behind it, might be mistaken for fanaticism, flashes like an electric current throughout the nation, and the nation stands solid for justice, honor, loyalty, chivalry and all the other principles which go to make up the system of morals laid down in Bushido for the guidance of human conduct. It gave Japan the victory over Kussia, and has pushed Nippon to the front rank of nations. And so, while having no religion, in our sense of the term, all action becomes to the Japanese religious. They can fight with the courage of the Moslem : they can pursue science with the patience of the German : they can do business with the practical good sense of the Englishman or the American ; and all with an earnestness of purpose that does not permit defeat. This is esprit de corps, and in the supreme degree. It lacks, how^ever, one element of our fraternity spirit, and that is the element of personal friendship and love, which with us is a tremendous source of powder. Our esprit de corps — our fraternity spirit — appears in this gathering tonight. It has brought together the beginning, the continuation and the end of our half century of fraternity life. The high noon of the Nineteenth Century is here, and the dawn and early morning of the Twentieth Century — the founders who first flung our banner of Tau to the breeze, and those who are now bearing it at the head of the column. There 26 '^he Oration are gaps in the ranks : there are many stars in our catalogue. Prof. Kelsey, the genial, the gracious, the courteous, the chivalrous Christian scholar— the friend of every A K E and of all mankind — is no more seen among us, but his memory lives in our hearts, and tonight we lay our reverent tribute upon his grave. ^' Green be the turf above thee, Friend of our better days : None knew thee but to love thee, Nor named thee but to praise." Prof. John James Lewis, than whom in all our brotherhood we have seen no ^'gentler, stronger, manlier man " — he, too, has beheld the glory beyond the gates of pearl. Of the men of my own time, Knapp is gone, and Wells, and Laird, and Foote, and Finn ; and all along the line we look in vain for familiar faces that we shall not see again until the dawn of the unending day. But our hearts are gladdened by those whom our eyes do behold, and who have been drawn by the fraternity spirit to this place and time of rejoicing. See that youthful nestor. Dr. Brock- way. College friendships have cheered the whole course of his busy and blameless life. His service to AKE, to Hamilton College and to humanity will ever be held in grateful memory. See that skittish young greybeard, John Dryden Henderson. I have known him since the time when he would have given much to possess any beard at all. Now the beard is luxuriant, but alas! where is his top-hair? You may search me: I have not taken it. Despite his somewhat splendid appearance tonight, Henderson was never a dude ; he has never imitated the fashions of Beau Brummel and the other dandies of the Georgian Era, or of our own era, but he will wear a white robe, one day, and there will be no whiter in all that great throng which no man can number. But let that day be long in coming. Here is Prof. Beecher- a name at which in my time we doffed our hats. We doff them now. Prof. Beecher, for all that you have been and are to this Fraternity and to this College — for all that you have been and are in the work of building character and promoting the cause of righteousness in the world, I respectfully and affectionately salute you. We of the Alumni come back from our fields of labor and 'Vhe Oration 27 conflict, and our ranks are thinned. We went out into life when the day was young: we come back to find that the afternoon shadows are lengthening, and the level rays of the sinking sun are glancing through the trees. We grasp each other's hands: w^e look upon each other's faces: we renew the old associations. Tomorrow we shall be scattered, and this gathering will be broken up forever. Our time is growing short: the twilight deepens : what work remains for us to do must be done quickly. But, the present active members of Tau, and those who are to come after them, stand upon the heights of opportunity, in a new world of changed conditions. The work of the world must be done by the educated men ; and an immeasurable responsibility rests upon Hamilton, and upon the Tau Chapter of A K E as a constituent part of the college. Tau has seen the movement of the world for fifty years. The movement has been general all along the line, but the pro- gress of Japan has opened the eyes of the world to the possibility of new adjustments, new relations and new problems. Henceforth whoever w^ould study the philosophy of history must read the story of Japan. But now China shows signs of life; and when that vast Empire wakes from her dream of centuries and moves out into the current of modern history, w^e shall witness a loosen- ing and shifting of political and economic forces on a scale unparalleled in the annals of mankind. The yellow peoples will henceforth be a factor for good or evil in the destinies of the human race. Whether for good or evil will depend, in part, upon this chapter of our Fraternity. China and Japan come to our colleges : they seek in the West the knowledge which they subse- quently melt and make up into the wisdom of the East. The men of Tau, whether as instructors, law-givers, or molders of opinion and character in whatever sphere, must each bear the responsi- bility of his influence upon the Asiatic mind. So Tau and Hamilton College stand today in the environ- ment of history, and have their part of the world's work to do, for the East and for the West. They cannot shirk it. And, thank Heaven, they have no desire to shirk it : they are fired with an earnest purpose : their eyes are filled with the morning light, and all the sky above them is radiant with promise. The future holds infinite possibilities, and the educated man of action, consecrated and purposeful, is the hope of the world. The Voem The Poem THE FOUNDERS By Willis Judson Beecher, Class of 1858 1906 RE AT times no doubt are these In which we live, Rich in all blessings wealth and art can give. The crowding millions of our countrymen Are counted up at fourscore more than ten. And year by year a boasting press declares Our swelling list of multimillionaires. Each town distributes books to young and old 'Neath roofs erected by Carnegie's gold ; And through the land unnumbered students toil In famous schools endowed by Standard Oil. On every street the trolley bears its load, The automobile puffs on every road, The modern doctor hears his patient groan A thousand miles away, by telephone. Our armored vessels on all waters cruise. And from mid-ocean wireless send their news. No longer to one continent confined, Columbia's flag floats in the orient wind. The many nations of the earth have felt The power of Hay and Root and Roosevelt. The times are flush, and not unconscious we Of all the glories of the century. But while among these scenes w^e come and go, Yet hark we back to Fifty Years Ago. 31 32 ^Ae Poem 1856 DEARER to nature lived our countrymen ; They had not crowded into cities then. Steamships and mines and railways then were few. The photograph and telegraph were new. No lines of wire across the ocean went, No iron belt across the continent. William B. Astor, lonely millionaire, Was being joined by others here and there ; But luxury was scarce throughout the land, While frugal comfort spread on every hand. Yet in those years not less than in our own Perchance high thought and purposes were known. Nay, not "perchance " ; the record we shall see Of those strong men who founded A K E. National Questions in 1856 ^