The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-07
SECRETARY SMITH SPEAKS.
He Delivers the Grafton at the Com
mGnCemelt at Chapel Hill.

ment the Ninty-ninth Of the Uni
versity of North Carolina-The De-
gree of LII. D. Conferred on the
Secretary.
Chapel Hill, June 6.-The ninety-ninth
commencement exercises of the Univer-
sity of North Carolina were held to-day.
Secretary of the Interior Hoke Smith was
the principal guest and the orator of the
day. Secretary Smith was given an ova,
ton when ne arose to address the throng
of $500 people that packed Memorial
hall to its utmost capacity He
spoke for an hour, and his
speech was warmly received and heart
lily applauded. His allusion to the
fact that slavery and reconstruction had
been the twin evils that had retarded the
material prosperity of North Carolina
and the south was received with many
manifestations of approval When he
said that the south loved the ne
gro and there was no room here
for Coxeyism the audience broke
forth in great applause In the
course of the speech he incidentally
intimated that the new tariff bill would
become a law by July l, and the irwin
chile democracy present received this
news with great JOY. The speech made
profound impression, and old-timers de-
clare that it is the greatest Grafton de-
liyered here in quarter of a century.
AsYNoPsIs OF THE SPEECH.
The following is a synopsis of the
speech:
he opened his speech with reference to
the years of his childhood spent at Chapel
Hill while his father was a member of the
faculty. He then stated that he came with
no speech of prepared sentences, but with
heart full Of hope and longing for the ma
terlal development of the south, and deeply
interested in the future welfare of North
Carolina. He called attention to the advice
given by Horace Greeley years ago, for young
men to go west No one had doubted that
the advice was wise, but inquiry should
be made to determine why it was
wise lie said. AS loyal son Of this
union. desiring the prosperity of its
every state, county and home. l may
still say that in the south at this very time
could be found lands as fertile, mines as rich
a climate Gar more gentle, and section upon
which refreshing showers fail in every
homeseekers to go west rather than south :"
He called attention to the fact that the south
was settled at about the same time as
the east. As an Illustration, he made a come
parison between North Carolina and Massa-
chusetts showing the superiority of natural
resources of North Carolina and the fact
that in 1890 North Carolina had 800 900
inhabitants, while Massachusetts had but
$4,000. With every natural advantage in
favor Of North Carolina, in 1870 Massa-
chusetts, with One-seventh Of the area, pos
sessed six times the wealth. He then asked:
w by has the tide OF population poured into
the west: Why has Massachusetts outgrown
North Carolina: l ask these questions not for
the purpose Of creating jealousy on the part
oil North CarOlintanS Tor any section, but be-
cause l desire to impress truth from which
future action can follow" He attributed the
advantages of the est, and the superior
growth Of the east over the south, to two
causes: First, to the institution of slavery;
second to the legislation incident to recon
structiOn. He claimed that the institution OF
slavery divided the people OF the
south into three classes First, the
rich slave owners who had no inducement
To exert themselves for material gam; second
the poor whites, who brought into competi-
tlOn with slave labor, had no opportunity to
accomplish results Third, the slaves them
selves. who labored without aspiration,
doing only that which was forced upon them.
1t created an agricultural system which was
calculated to gradually exhaust the soil,
while 1t was productive OF waste and had no
tendency to develop resources other than
those OF an agricultural nature. lie urged
that the foundation of material growth must
II rest upon the intellectual vigor and creative
faculty Of the common people, OF the great
n labOring masses of the people, and that the
Institution Of slavery took from the south the
possibility OF growth based upon such
a force He characterized the plan
criminaiiy SOH0' stupid stupid 1t not ts'S'a only
freed large portion of the population who
had been slaves but ii gave to them the
right Of suffrage without first requiring prep
aration for suffrage AS a natural result they
fell under the control of whites who came
into the south with nothing but their carpet
bags. with no interest in the section except
what they could prepare TO take out OF it,
III While there were some few men who came
INTO the south in this way who subsequently
III proved themselves to he excellent citizens. a
great majority of the white politicians who
invaded the south between 80 and 20 came
mi, h,F n I,e.9,
II to use the ignorant blacks for selfish ends
J. or the first ten years after the war, all over
the south the energies of the best people were
devoted TO the preservation OF what
iltle they had from legislative thevery
and at the same time to the creation OF de-
cent local government. BY 1880 change had
come. The blacks had improved mentally
and portion OF them had Degun to acquire
property. They threw off the control Of the cal
ret-bagger and realized that Their white
helghbOrS were to be their best friends. The
percentage of the whites was largely mcreas-
ing over the blacks. and the dread of race
struggle had ceased. The number Of school
houses were being largely increased and their
.enencial effect was reaching the masses of
the people.
The speaker then called their attention
from a criticism of The past to a considera
non OF the bright prospects for the future.
he showed that with every man free, with the
evils of reconstruction largely over
come, with school houses literally
scattered throughout the state North Caro-
ma from 1850 to 1890 had surpassed Massa-
'-''-OtS III UCT percentage OF increased
wealth. Massachusetts percentage Of in
cre&Se of total wealth was $50; North Caro-
ma 267l Massachusetts percentage Of in
\ crease OF manufactured product was 30 y;
North Carolinais 100.92. Massachusetts farm
dudS decreased in value 1876. North caro-
IA increased in value 1898. lie said:
ne lesson to he learned to be followed in
A' future, was one which would lead to the
telopment of the individual strength, the
luNlduai thought OF every citizen of the
dle especially Of the laboring masses of
ne state, the freedom of all the people, the
alton Of all the people"
speaking Of the future growth of the sec
on ne said that much was to Re expected
ON the immigration OF homeseekers, much
as 10 be expected from the investment Of
pre- "A capital in southern manufacturing in
IslIles that the people of the south would
Il .one both and treat both with perfect
.Ihess. That while the south would always
we're ana honor its dead heroes and states
eu IL was loyal TO the union as any portion
.le union, and he rejolced 10 know that
oul one end of the south TO the other con
Hnaton had come for the foolish speech
4 req one week ago At Richmond, He said:
II tl people of the south should be sectional
n .EoqJ anlmostty, but sectional IN a deter
nallon by individual effort and enthusiasm
n Il make great section. He urged the
Iohallsm Of the broadcast patriotism, the
i9hdllsm Of the deepest love.
II DleIrlng to the local agencies which would
Top the section, he sai0 that the immedl-