The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-06-11
ANNUAL ADDRESS.

ADDRESS.
The DEM0CEAT made no mistake
in its diagnosis OF the mental caliber
of Prof. White when it promised our
people a treat at the Normal.
The threatening thunder clouds
kept many at home. but the chapel
was fairly well filled. The exercises
were opened by Rev. Arthur, of the
Episcopal Church, who offered up a
brief, appropriate scholastic prayer.
A song by the choir and President
Norton introduced the speaker. We
will not attempt to describe the maj
further than he is plain, full of physi-
cal and mental energy, and deeply
imbucd with the responsibility of his
chosen profession, that of teacher.
SUBJECT, UNIVERSAL EDrCATIoN."
Eloqucncc. What is it? Let Us
consult Webster. The power of G.
pressing strong emotions with flucncy
and force That fails to describe
the effect produced OIL the listner by
the speaker. Let us look further.
Impressive. All. that fits better. For
he impressed his diamond thoughts
deep Oh the minds of his attentive
audience.
To support his structure, the
speaker laid q compact, solid
foundation. Materials. Faith in the
purity and goodness of the spiritual
gem within us missnamed the human
heart. On this he built story after
story, consisting of physical, mental.
moral and spiritual qualities, cement
ing them together by the council or
education acquired at home, suppl
mented by the training instilled at
our schools. by selected materials
drawn from this rich storehouse, the
structure rose in symmetry and gran
durc. and was capped off by n tower
wherein the iron tongues of metal
monsters spoke in tones that vibrated
in the ears of all present, ringing out
the old and ringing in the new, bu-
noblcr dispcnsalion, the future destiny
ofhuman race: and from the summit of
all blazed in splendid luster the bright.
glittcring emblem of our Faith and
Hope" What a sublime structure he
built: our command of language is
inadiguate to convey a tracing of its
soliiity and harmony.
Eloquent! Yes, it was more. Every
well rounded seutance-built up with
simple, pure, but forciable Anglo
Saxon words, each one fitted to its
place with appropriate exactness-
stood alone on a firm foundation and
conveyed q gem of thought worthy
of being treasured in the memory.
The speakers hopes of progress in
the human racc are not chimerical or
overdrawn.
When we look back at the moral,
mental condition of the leave
jewellers and the .Ancient Britton"
worshiping in his Drudish Temple
and compare their standard with that
of the present day, does it not furnish
facts sufficient 10 believe that their
progress upward from this time
forward will be far greater than it
has been in the past? Three hundred
wears hence what will be the condi-
ton of the Auglo-Americans! Who
is bold enough TO predict? No man,
for the almost perfect man portrayed
In last evenings discourse falls far
short of reality, yet it was cncourag-
ing.
He made a strong point when he
drew the parallel between the two
ways in which the public funds are
now spent. One half in the erection
and endowment of colleges and
schools and payment of teachers
wherein, and by whom one-half o
the ace are being educated, elevated
and refined; and the other half spent
in the establishment OF crimina