The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-22
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.
SOME OF THE MANY UNSoLVED QUES-
TIONS WHICH ACETATE THIS
COUNTRY.
Address Of w. &. McGowan. Esq. Be-
fore the Alumni Of the University
Of the South. Sewance. Tenn, De-
iyercd August 9Th, 1856.


Iivercd August 5th, ISS6.
lL, Chairman and Fclto'U Members ef the Ahtm
al dissertation, EntitCS aud Gcntlenlcn:
1t would be an alrctatinn i'll me not to ar
knowledge the pride feel at having bccl
asked TO address you upon this occasion, bt
while | do feel proud of the honor you nave
done me, and deem II Il privilege rs well as /;
pleasure, am ut the S;luiC time constrained
To ask your fOrbcarinCc. | have hau llttlc ol
no experience in the line OF spcccl-maklns
outside of my profession, and feeling me NAT
urll dindcncc and embarrassment that fol
lows ineNpCricncr, | can only brSpelk YOU
kind indulgence.
Il does, my friends, give me great pleasure
to- be here. | have To look back through tilC
vista of but eleven short years, and all theS(
scenCS rise fresh before inc, and
"rhr magnet of the snn touched By remembrance
Trembles to that pole"
But time and distance in this consideration
have little place. The memories OF schon
and college days arc as fresh ana green ana
delightful to the gray hairs of ripe Old age, Us
to the ardent and impulSlrc fire OF cnthuSias
tic youth Time cannot tarniSh nor distance
dim, but all, young and old, meet here upon
an equal plane, and hold 4 common heritage
of grateful memories III these Alumni re-
unions.
The sweetest word in human language Is
Home, and ali the highest and noblest I'M
pulses OF a generous heart cluster around tiill
blessed name. 4 perfect home. "whcrc the
in love" is not only the hope of nations, but
the very bedrock of civilization itself, and no
climate, no space, and no time can ciface OF
uproot the memories that home intiucnceand
mothers love have planted in the human
heart. Is there a scene upon earth so tender,
so gracious, SO happy, so joyous, so beautiful
rs Il family reunion? When the members OF
Il scattered house forget tor the time their
and near at the old patcrnal homestead. live
over again the days of youth and revisit the
hauntS of childhood perhaps the only break
fr"m OF h TnI and the Wear and
OF the daily battle for bread
"Niix subric'y with wine
And honest mirth. with thoughts divine"
If there he unalloycd happiness on this
earth, surely It's there and then. DID you
ever think how close akin TO these sentiments
are the feelings we have for our Anna -uutc'
and treSc AluD,ni reunions?
Our Mater first our alma Mater second
Home influence first and college influence q
closely following second, develops the mlnd
and mOuldS the character of plastic youth,
and as the twig is bent so grows the tree.
There IS to me u strong and striking parallel
between family and Alumni reunions. They
arc interviewer rs parts of sylnlnctric whole.
Our natural mother, the fountain source of all
that's good in man, begins the WORK which, II
properly followed up by college influences
and associations, will send forth to battle with
the world q member or society armed ana
and, us Lord Brou.ham says, lit Will he his
own fault if he looks back upon this place
with repentance or with shame; and be well
assured that whatever Time, aye every hour
he spends here In Improbable idlcnesS, Will
rise up sgainst him and be pai9 for by years
OF bitter bat unavailing regrets
l wish tonight, however, to speak to you
briefly. and in q plain practica! manner, Of
questions that confront us at present anu dc
inand solution IN the near future. But four
teen years Will elapsc and we cross the thrcSh
hold Of the
Twentieth Century.
Most Of you, tho Alumni of this institution
will lust then be in the prime and vigor o!
mature manhood, and upon you. the nation
strength, will fall the heat and burden OF the
day. II bchoovcs us all to give these burning
questions earn est thought, for tell you, the
century will not have dotled her Swaddling
clothes before the safety. the salvation of our
country, will demand a clear and uncQuivoctl
demonstration.
Labor and Capital.
Tho question of first importance to the
country at large to-day, is, In my Judgment
the present conflict between labor and capt.
tai The spirit of unrest which pcrvadcS our
whole country, the numerous strikes which
clog the wheels of industry and paralyze our
thrift. the labor unions which, day by day,
are gaining strength, all these point with sol,
cmn and prophetic finger to the necessity ior
Il speedy adjustment of this trouble. as to
the remedy / do not speculate, but do say
this. l believe most Of the trouble is attriCu'
table to two things:
1St. The taking into our midst the outcasts
and scum Of creation in our craze for inmi-
grafton.
2,,. The amassns Of enormous individual
fortunes by unfair means.
am not opposed To immigration. If of the
right kind it is what we need and what VIC
want but am opposed to this wholesale in-
vitation To the couvictS and OlitaSts of every
European nation; mCn VINO have no SSlnpa
thy with our government or ourselves, whc
do not even know our language, but who
come TO America 10 break down and not &c
build up. These are the men WHO have sowl
the seed that bring forth "StrikcS, ''rioiS
and "communisn." For example take thG
strikes and riots. According TO Il recent con
suS its uatlunalitics arc: German, z2G,009
American, ID G0Q; Scandinavian, 33n0n; Irish
l2ngOD; Slavonic, 53,WG: English, 2oW0; Lat
in. 1G 900; Negroes, S,GG0; Canadian, 1000, anu
6j0,I0. In other words, the Americans arc il
q minority of $1,000, or as the NeW Orleans
Times puts it. "Chicago Is more Irish than any
city IN Ireland save Hnh Hmnin anI beEst' an
logne" Chicago for all these diSeracciu
scenes takes the lead of any Northern ol
Western city, and believe it is mainly due tC
her foreign and diScordant population. -Four
flfths OF those arrested in the recent rio,s
could not speak our language and did NO
know our form OF government. Tell me thai
such men make good citizens, being natuial
iZcd as soon as they touch the soil and breathe
the air Of our generous Republic? / canno
believe II. am 81 free trader in all else save
human flesh, and do believe that while til,
population of our country would n0l increase
quite so fast, our country would be placed up.
on II more solid basis of prosperity If every
new conner were required To bring tcStimo
malls from his government, and had To pay al
impost duty, as it were, before he could land
Speculation.
think much of this unrest can be charged
too to the spectators in Wall street. and tho
fact that our government openly countr
nanccS their rObbcricS. DO not understand
me To- say That am in favor of limiting thu
right or privilege of acquiring property ; by
no means, that would be To strike Il blow n
one of the fundamental principles OF our gov
crnmcnt-lhc right Of private property.
1t is the right of any man 10 make us niucl
money as lie can. and To do with his owr
what hc will, but it must be made honestly
without cNtUrtion or bribery. He must no.
ride into wealth by crushing rcmorSclcSSlS
the weak who come within his clutches. TIL,
enormous fortunes acquired in this manner
have much to do with the spirit OF envy ant
and jealousy that is abroad throughout tht
North. c. q. 1t is Il known principle of politi
cal economy and Il universal maxim, that II
all ucparfmcntS OF trade and commerce sup
ply and demand regulate Prices. NOlwith
standing this principl", in bold defiance of al
precedent and principle. the Bulls and Bears
OF Wall street initiate or dcprCsS prices 10 sui
their own stupcndpuS SpccGlatiouS.
fl