Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-11
A GLORIOUS SUCCESS
 :; Was the First Alabama Chautau- qua Assembly.
 E-
 
 E.-A. NOW A g ING OF THE PAST A BrilF s'l Programme, Which Prf Z Fitting Finale Z o the Session.
oW A ING OF THE PAST


 respondence. 1.-The last morning of the Alabama Chautauqua assembly dawned bright and beautiful as poets dream. The day's rich feast was begun with an able and exhaustive lecture by Dr. Searcy upon "The Abnormal Man." Brain prac- tice leads to increased brain strength, and, conversely, brain ideness causes brain weakness and brain diseases. All around degeneracy is produced by all around idle ness. Sole muscle and no brain work in a generation or two produces narrow mind edness and selfishness. The aggregate follow the same lines as govern the iDdi- vidual, only much more slowly. Times that try mems souls also improve mems abilities.
 Why is insanity increasing at such an alarming rate? The chief causes are to be found in the crowded and unsanitary con- ditions so prevalent in the cities, in the widespread use of alcohol and nicotine. There is a general notion that insanity and nerve troubles arise from overwork; it would be infinitely more accurate to say that they arise from individual and ances- tral over rest.
 At Il o'clock the excursion trains from Anniston and Demopolis having arrived, and the crowd being far beyond the capacity of the assembly hall, the exercises were held in the grove.
 After attending to some very important financial business of the Chautauqua Hon. Solomon Palmer introduced the brilliant orator and thoughtful patriot, John Tenn pie Graves, who resides in Georgia, but whom the whole American people proudly claim as their own. His great lecture upon ''The Reign of the Demagogus' was in- tetrnpted by frequent bursts of spontane- grand, magnificent, sublime, is the theme of the hour among those who sat under the spell of it's elo- quence; After some words in lighter vein he left "the primrose path of dalliance' to point 10 the barnacle of politics, the dema- gogue, that man who, under the pirate flag ot selfishness, rallies around him the worst and lowest of the race. The dema- gogue is evaslve and ubiquitous; he has 1000 lives. The germ of this creature is the ward politician, who tolls not, neither does he think, and yet say unto you that Tar quin, in all his pride, was not arrayed in insolence like one of these. So great Is the familiarity of this mayor maker and War wick among aldermen that he would call the desert of Sahara Sally before he had been h her presence an hour. With the right eye of bis ambition fixed upon the ballot box and the left eye of his chicanery painful figure stands with his patriotism Shrunken to a pimple and his dastardy swollen to tumor. The only thing in the world that will fill the yawning desire of a demagogue is an office. The demagogue, planted in our politics as deep as original sin, is driving statesmen from the political arena. God give us menl time like this demands men tried and true.
 Among the lessons you teach young Ala bamians, teach them he difference between statesman and a demagogue; that there is a better thing than office holding; that the office does not dignity the man, but the man may dignify or degrade the office, that amid the changes of a mutable world the one thing which remains forever un- changed is truth. Point them to such illus trious states as Gladstone, John Bright, Washington, Henry Clay, our own great Cleveland, whose actions have proved that he would rather be right than president; Alexander Stephens, Abraham Lincoln, Grant and great Robert Lee, who lived like benediction and died like sunset. synopsis of the words of true orator like John Temple Graves is but mockery, for no one can do him justice.
 Following the o'clock concert by the orchestra came, like sweet omen, the last meeting of the c. L. s. c. round table. Mr. Witherby, who made some appropriate remarks introductory to Miss Love's inter esting paper upon the southern poet, John Randolph Thompson. Miss Brown read his .obsequies of Stuar..," Miss Frazer his stirring ''Lee to the Rear'' and Miss Brown his 'tMusic in Camp" and also poem based upon that, "Music on the Rappahannock.
 The benedction followed in beautiful impromptu speech by Mir. Graves, who had been requested by the ladies of the round table 10 present to Mir. West in their behalf, and as Q token of their appreciation of his'work, lovely tray of flowers and grapes. It was an inspiring and joyous sight when the vast audience rose and gave the ChautaCqua salute to our manager, MT. West, wno has been so unwearying in his devotion to every interest of the Chau- tauqua. Its phenomenal success is mon- ument to zeal and industry.
 At o'clock Hon. Leslie E. Brooks of Mobile delivered an excellent and timely ad- dress upon "Legislative Scope aud Duty" His paper was full of thought and patriotic suggestion, and it is to be hoped the next general assem- bly, will see fit to accomplish some of the wise legislation he proposed.
 The evening concert consisted of music by the orchestra and the Misses Meyer, recitations by Misses Brown and Frazer, who acquitted themselves superbly; the presentation by MT. West to MT. Graves of a large box of exquisite flowers exquisitely arranged, a gem from MT. Graves in reply, and a lecture by Professor Lane. His "Analysis of Laughter'' de6es analysiss ; but provokes mirth in the superlative de- gree.
 And thus closed the last golden day of the first golden Alabama Chautauqua as- semoly.
 Attention was called today to a serious error in the report published in Tuesday's oE-HERALD of Dr. Sanders lecture Sat- urday. Where s'mattero was inadver- tantly used in the sentence, "When mind absorbs matter there is growth; when mind organizes this matter into faculties there is development,'' the word which should have been written was "knowiedge."