Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-12

WIN applause Bul SnOWereQ with dow
ers aDd floral tributes, some of the DO
quets being very large and Of rare beau
! ty. Miss SchwaTZAnberg replied as fol
lows in acknowledgement OF the flow
! ers:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-Accep
nay thanks for your beautiful flowers
God grant that you may defend and up
hold in the future the public schools o
! Memphis as well as you have done il
the past. Cheers and another shoWe
! Of flowers
Miss Carrie DuBcan's essay, "Sermonl
! in Stones" was an excellent compost
ton, being pervaded by a rich
vein OF sentiment and terse argu.
! ment. The essay was attentiyely
/ listened to and we'll received By
the audience who applauded Miss Dun,
! can no little and shOWeTed several bOu.
! quets upon the stage. The "LOtOs Eat
ers" was The subject OF Miss Lily Alex.
ander's essay. This production was
| characterized by poetic grace anc ele,
waited sentiment that charmed all who
heard its reading, which was distinct
aud clear. This young lady VOL de-
served praise and received meriteG bOu.
quets. Master George De LOach Ian
VI "a "a - NfaoHJf Ak'CAs sAAG SuDICCL vi lie
Centennial" was = remarkable pre- due
ton. lis spirit was in fun Keep
ing with the subject, which be
tceated in mastery and ma
tiOnaI manner, offering suggestions
that the oldest could approve if rot pur-
sue. Miss Matte Whites essay on
" Conn., ensatiOn" was q very sensible
production, one, In fact, which few
young ladies Of her age could present so
intelligently and systematically. She,
too, was presented with a number of
bouquets.
SPEECH OF CAPTAIN w. G. FOLKEs.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-O On behalf
OF the board Of education of the Mem
phis city schools, l am requested to eX.
press to you their grateful appreciation
OF your presence here tonight, SoIRrge
and Intelligent an audience as / see be-
fore me is indeed source of congralu-
latlob, not only to the school board, but
TO all interested in the cause of eGuca-
ton, embracing, IS is believed, large
proportion of our peOple-certaiuIy its
virtue and patriotism. While this is true
to their shame be it said, there are not
few IN this community to whom such
8 scene as is witnessed here tonight
VI 4lO h4CHSulCs AnGIS 10 III
the beaming faces Of these sparkling
girls, nor in the self-coDscious eyes Of
these manly youths, illumined, as they
are, alike with the fire of intelligence
and the consciousness of duty
well performed-there is nothing,
/ say, in all this that can
awaken in the truly selfish breast
one ennObiing sentiment either of graft
hRnfInTN n INinnEyIra I trY1c
none such here tonight, for how deep
must be the agony they would expert
ence in the reflection that they-the
taxpayers flor there are no other tax
payers than themselves)-ar to be
charged with the rent of this hall for
three long hours; and how profound
would be their grief at witnessing the
profuse prodigslity illustrated by award
ing to these graduates a piece Of parch-
ment costing, at the very lowest calcu-
latioD, the astonishing sum of seventy
five cents each. Can you not hear them
exclaim, as they have so often with
righteous indignation exclaimed: "How
can doWntrOdden and tax-ridden peo-
pie longer bear up under such reckless
extrSvagance?" What il, in receiv-
ing from the hand of our wor-
thy president this public ac-
acknowledgement of their scholarly
attachments, these pupils find the re-
ward OF weeks and months of hard
study and application. What, if each
of these young people have experienced
e sense Of pride at their course in the
past, and been nerVed for renewed effort
for the futurel Does not the fact still
stare you in the face that 'ssix bitsD
ahead have been unnecessarily sJuan-
dered by this "selfperpstusting school
board ringW ! put these things to you
in vein OF burlesque, not because their
gravity merits no more serious portray
al, but for the reason that such iittleness
OF soul, such hypercriticsl penuriousness
IN mStters pertaining to the cause of ed
ucatiOn, excite such lOathing and disgust
in the bosom OF all true men and women,
that its recital in characteristic Ian
guag9 would be out of place on
such an occasion as the present. Indeed,
it may be even asked why refer at all
to such matters at this time and in this
place; and perhaps with prOpriety. 70
this | answer that | had purbosed to Oc-
clpy the few moments allowed to me in
the exercises of this evening in address,
ing to these young ladies and gentlemen
of the graduating class something of
for their department. and
in the fiOWer-streWn
paths Of pleasure found only in the hap
ply hours of childhood and early youth;
and then to point the eye of faith and
fix the aspiring mind upon the more SOL
emn duties of life, which will devOlve
upon them in the thorn begirt walks OF
maturer years, at whose portals, with
trembling hands, they will knock with
tO-mCrTOw's sun. 1t would be more
gratifying to them, more entertain
ing to you, and certainly more
pleasing to me to follow the
fancy Of the moment, and with light
and tripping tongue carry them through
the pleasant retrospect; then, with
more serious strain, lead their bounding
on to revel in those bright
fields which that ardent enthusiasm born
Of youth has pictured for the future.
But to one who truly feels an abiding in
terest in the continued existence and
success of cur schools, and who has been
made acquainted with the dangers hat
6eset the cause of public education, from
within and from without, this oppOrtu-
nifty to say even one word in its behalf
cannot be permitted to pass unimproved.
know that these graduates, with that
love for the cause Of
learning, instilled into them by
the preoept and example of their
excellent teachers, will cheerfully
tOTegO an address to themselves
for a few words in behalf of these
who are to come after them. For with
the few composing this class substan-
tally, we are done, when these lights
go out. But for the countless little ones
who are to come after them, many OF
whom are already looking forward to
the time when they, too, may participate
in the hOnOrs Of the graduating class,
much remains to be done before it ceases
to be questionable whether they shall
be allowed the same privileges their
predecessors have so lately enjoyed
Bear, then, with me, for moment, while
offer one word in an humble but ear
nest way on behalf of the public schools.
The system under which they have
been operating for the past six years Or
iginated in an act of the legislature of
January q, 1869, under which
its progress, and development has
been unceasing though not without diff
fculty. Each year added its experience
and tested the efficacy Of its workings,
and from which each successive board
sought to gather lessons of wisdom,
which come only with observation, Until
at the close of our last session, Just one
year ago, we witnessed the commence
ment exercises OF our high school, indi-
cative of an excellence and efficacy in
coupled with that esprit de
corps found only il the atmosphere Of a /
free and liberal public education, That
display then afforded by the high school,