The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-22
YOUNG ORATORS
Celebrate the Anniversary of
the ciceronian Society.
THE ROANOKE TIMES BUREAU,
HOTEL LUCERNE, SALEM, VA

oOlrsb iLOCfsitNf, oAlsfM, ' y.
The young orators of tho Ciceronian
Literary Society of Roanoke College
held forth in tho soclcty's thrty-iifth
anniversary ceremonies in the town
hall Friday night.
A crowded house greeted tho young
disciples of Cicero, and the representa-
tive citizens and tho ladies wore out in
full force
The ushers were J. F. Crigler, c. n.
Hoover, j. w. Leieg and j. l.. Rendle-
man, and the marshals were j. f.
Graves, chief; Luther Hogshead, III. 0.
Funk, ~. Il. Greiner and J. &. Shirley.
The orators, with DIR. w. Il. Yonce,
marched in upon the arms of the mar
Shals to the music rendered by Narillas
Italian Band.
DR.. Yoncc opened the exercises by
prayer, and tho president Of the society,
p. b. Stiollley, of Virginia, made the
opening speech upon the subject mon
Nobis, Scd Patrie.'
After the presidents Grafton came
that of the first orator, w. NJ. Burwell,
of Virginia, whose patriotic theme was
America, the Ideal Government"
Next followed the debate, in which,
as was natural the chief interest of the
audience was manifcstly conferred. Tho
subject was one of interest to Virginia
audience, especially when so discussed.
D. IL. F'rantz, Salemite, had the
affirmative side of the subject and also,
it may be said, the advantage of the
sympathy of his audience
What constitutes tho glory of the
world, he asked? In Rome, the gods of
war were worshippcd. But can brutal
war make nation great? In the
golden days of Greece. literature be-
came the ideal of mon, and great men
of letters ilourished. But nations
greatness is not concentrated in her
great men, the orator maintained. Now
wealth must be the basis of Nirgina's
future greatness. Wealth builds rail
roads, unearths the coal and iron, fos-
tors art, crects cducatio institutions,
and sends the gospel to heather natious
In Salem, the Queen City of the
Southwest, can now be heard the hum
OF machinery from the rising of the sun
to its setting in the west. Salon arose
from her lethargy, brushed the cobwebs
from her eyes, shook the moss from her
back, and took leading place in the
industrial awakening of Virginia. ZAP
plause.)
In ten years Virginia has strodo to
the sixth from the sixteenth State in
the production of iron. She is the
gateway between those two great sec
tlons-the North and the Southland the
d2y was coming when tho development
OF her boundlcss and varied products
would make her the most wealthy and
glorious of all States,
j. p. Woods, of Virginia, was to up
hold the negative. The question was
not, he said, whether Virginia was to
be greater in tho future than in the
past, but whether she would be more
glorious.
Virginia, in spite of the industrial
future before her, must look to her past
for her glory. AS tho country grew
other States have sprung upand become
greater than Virginia. The whelps of
the old lioness have become greater
than their dam. Virginia, that was the
brightest star in the galaxy Of States
is now only a star among stars
One dark feature of Virginias future
was tho negro problem. She had that
to settle, and the settlement of this
problem might prove the redemption of
Africa, or the ruin of Virginia.
The speaker paid glowing tributes to
Robert f.. Leo, which were applaudcd to
the echo.
The final orator was r. NJ. Kelly, of
TcXas, whose subject was The lnnu-
cnce OF Hidden Lives" 1t was an ex-
qnisite tribute to those quiet, unobtru-
sive beings who die and are buried in
unknown graves, but whose gentle in
hucnces arc reflected in the lives of
great men who have thus been made
great