The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-05-23
1 GREAT SPEECH.
GOVERNOR TI-LMAN'S ADDRESS AT
ROCK HILL, S. C,

On the Ocessioa CT tbs LsyIpg of tht
Corner Stone OF the Wioshrop Indus
trial College for Women at that Town.
The following is the address of Gov.
Tillman OF. the occasion of the laying
OF the corner stone of the winthrop
Industrial College for women at Rock
Hill on the 18th instant:
| GOVERNOR TILLMAN's ADDRESS
Ladies and Gentleman: This is q
great and glourious day Tor South Caro-
lima. It is day Of promise and bright
hope for York county, but the men auc
women whose breasts should swell anc
! throb with deepest emotions OF gratuia-
ton and pride are the men and women
of Rock Hill-those whose pluck, self.
reliance and for sighted business
instincts and parotism made them
enter the race for the prize
and come cut winners. If as always
clearly apparent, the prize is greater,
more valuable one than they themselves
ever dreamed, then l know every one o.
you who comes to celebrate the pGb.lc
installation of this grand institution will
ioin me in congratulations to the people
of this ambitious, progressive little city
and your hearty sympathy is shown by
this outpouring Of people to witness her
triumph.
We have met to celebrate with fitting
ceremonies the laying of the corner
stone of this grand State institution OF
learning. It is, as It were, the public
and official birth OF the Woman's Col
Iege. Egcuarnau Or NE rrS 7o:s 5s=5I = 9t US
tees the task has fallen to me-an&
perform 1t willlngly-to make q few ma
troductory remarks. And first let me
say that, in casting about in my mind
Tor something fitting the occasion, l
thought it would interest you to know
bomething about the ceremony itself,
ND went to work to look up the sub
:ct. I soon found that I had gotten
Ito very deep water-3o deep III fact
tat have never touched bottom-for
aihough have ranched encyclopedias
a1 Masonic dictionaries, [ can find
nobiDg very clear ca the subject, a1d
abSlutely nothing as to its origin. We
rea every day Of the laying OF the cor
ner'tDne of this monument Or that edi.
flee church, and it Is always done bF
| the Zee Masons, but the Masous the o.
aelve, while they employ most impos,
ing riaal and use symbols that are very
impressive, ere equally IN the dark With
ourseIes as to when, where, or by
whom he ceremony was Instituted. In
tracing the matter up l got as far back
as the 3ook Of J0b-one Of the oldest
books 1.-THE world. He lived more than
| fifteen kndled years before Christ, ac-
:ording the accepted chronology and
in that lmarkable poem occurs this
a~e-lnspLng query. propou1ded oY
| God hinsef to the Man OF Ma1y Sor.
rows: "Vere vast thou "bau laid
be foundaoDs Of the earh; declare If
thou hast Ulcers ta0dipe? Who has laid
The measure thereof, f thou knoSes'?
cr who hatlsretcted the line upon i?
Whsreup0n &c the tcuodetinns thereon
fastened? or ,ho laid The cornerstone
thereof, when ,e mornmg stara saug-ta-
get er ana all2e sons cf God slou.ed
for j y"
4 re me fD mention made of ths
c, er.stone Cfhe earth, as though i
we're Gil edic(; built 'hy God himself;
also of the Ii I" which Masons Use
tor their meaaring. OF course the
| Book OF Job wa written by man and
| ecessarily his smiles had reference TO
% pre-. existing onditiOns and customs,
| and the beautiful ceremonial, which you
will shCrly witnss Will excite in your
hearts and mids sensations aDd
thoughts CT the mst solemn and ins2ir-
iug nature. TIE hind will dwell upon
the idea Of a greatfret cause, sure
foundation and rise adaptation Of
means to ends, whll the heart will oe
Lifted in gratitude 70 tho blessings We
enjoyed in this worldand the hope of
higher life IN the mex; and, then, The
imagination will pictue brightest dreams
and anticipations for tie future Of the in.
stitutjon which We pr ps5 to erec: here
and the boundless bsefts that are TO
accrue therefrom to or State and peo-
pie.
Victor Hugo, il speaking of the pyr-
amids, describes themas $50 old that
they have forgotten the names Of their
| founders" and while, We have seen,
there is nothing IS histor' touching the
origin of the ceremony Of laying the
corner stone, the first beginnings of Ma
sonry, the origin of the orhr, are eeallg
q mystery. 1t is claimed b some that
the Masonic fraternity frs became en-
| orgaized or corporate bcdyst the build |
ing of Solomon's Temple, Mlch was de. |
dicated nearly $500 yearssgo. Whe-
ther this be true or false, tlare is abso |
lutte proof that the Masons ae the most
ancient guild or order iD the rorid; and,
while Hugo's apothegu is APPLICABLE to
the fraternity, il is certain tht cere-
mong, similar possibly to the 0e which
you will witness today, was Informed
at the beginning Of the erectlooot that |
magnificent edlGce, which DAVIS son
erected 10 the Most High.
Ia the days of old, it is true tat the |
Mason was the man who heVed the
stone, fitted it to its place, triedit with
his level, measured it with bis suare,
fixed lis perpendicular by his plunmet, |
and placed it III position as bass and
starting point Of the edifCe. But ynile
the stoue-cutter Of TO-DAY may be aFree
Mason, the Free Mason is no lonSe ne
ceesarily worker with the hammergnd
the chisel. The history Of .he trausiton
from the active, practical workman to
the speculative, mysterious phllanthrp-
| It's and door Of charitable works mlAt
interest you, but l must hasten On, aid
YOU will doubtless be more than wiling
to have your minds brought back from lbs
excursion into the Glm past, With its ur
movable mysteries and It's inspirations
to the present with lis duties and high
purpose
The history OF higher education N
South Carolina for men is che Of which
our people may well he proud. The
South Carolina College, al Columbia,
| was founded in 1901, nnety-three years