The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
EDUCATIONAL MEETING.
A Ringing Appeal for Christian Ed
ucation bv Rev. John G. Kilgo
Financial agent of WOffOrd Col.
1ege.-.A handsome Contribution.

Financial agent of WOford Col.
leGe..-A handsome Contribution.
Last Sunday beng a fifth Sundy,
wss given over to the cause of Chris
tian Education, and the Methodist
church was crowded to hear an ad-
dress by Rev. John G.. Kilgo, who was
appointed ut the last session of the
South Carolina Conference rs financial
agent to raise an additional endow-
ment fund of $50, 900 for Wofford Col
lege.
After devotional exercises and the
reading Of the 10th Psalm, the1 elo-
quent speaker addressed an attentive
audience for nearly an hour.
He promised his remarks by saying
that education was a christian and not
q secular subject, hence he had no
hesitancy in devoting the Sabbath to
that work.
He announced as his subject "Chris-
tian Education Generally, and Wof-
ford College Particularly"
He said:
The question of profit underlies all
undertakings. "A man can be per
suaded to make an investment only as
the dividend is made evident. The
question of benefit underlies the ques-
ton of education.
He then said that the first benefit OF
education is, that it is the safeguard of
liberty. The love Of freedom is us deep
as our nature, and God has fortified it
against the encroachments of even
the Godhead. In this alone is the dig
nifty of man, and for its preservation
men have made fearful sacrifices. An
ambition to be free is universal. Free
dom is the gift Of intelligence. Tgnor-
ance alone will go under the lash, and
bear the burdens of life. You cannot
make Il pack-horse Of intelligence.
God has never permitted slavery be-
yond an intelligence worthy Of liber-
ty.
But this is the lowest form of sla-
very. Freedom Of thought is as grand
possibility as freedom of muscle. We
love to boast Of free thought, the gift
our government, but free thought is
not the gift of government, it is the
gift of intelligence. The right to
think is questioned the power to
think. No man has right to think
for himself until he has the power to
think. 1t is pitiable to see a man a
slave to others thoughts and plans in
the management of his own affairs, be-
cause of his ignorance.
Ignorance enslaves q man morally
as we'll as intellectually. He is crea-
ture of prejudice and is governed by
personal considerations in all his plans.
He can never rise above the dictates of
passion and prejudice. Every parent
who neglects the education of his sons
and daughters sells them into slavery.
You may save your dollars, but you
curse your children.
Mr.. KilgO said that education is the
safeguard Of personal respect.
He said that man would respect
himself and the rights of his fellow
creatures as he rose to an appreciation
of his possibilities. He showed that
the aesthetic characteristic OF the age
is the product of education. 1t lifts a
man out Of the realms of mere necessi-
ty into the realms of beauty and COM
forts,
He then called attention to the de-
mands of the day, and assured the
young of his congregation that the
world to-day would confer no favors
upon ignorance, and eXhorted them to
lit themselves for life before they came
into it to battle for self.
The speaker then briefly reviewed
the history Of Woford College and
spoke in the highest terms of the work
it had done in the past and showed by
com parison that it was equal to any
college in the land and superior to
many with much greater pretensions.
1t is the property Of the Methodist
church and as such should be support
ed by them, and endowed sufficiently
toput the faculty above embarrassment
He paid glowing tribute to the fac.
ulty who have stood by the college
when iattering offers have been made
them to go elsewhere. He said the
morals of the college weiv as good as
that Of any institution, male or female
in the land,
After the address the inevitable
Methodist collection was taken up
which, with the supplemental collec
tions taken privately, amounted tt
&5Gl 20, In cash and notes.
Mr.. kilgo preached al Tranquil il
the afternoon and at the Methods
church here at night. He spent Mon
day in looking after the interest, of the
college.
The authorities "bulded wiser than
they know" when Mr.. Kilgo was ap
pointed to his present responsible po
sition. He is the right man in the
right place and with his intelligen,
and persistent work Wotford will be
IcndoWed.