The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-06-09
Support Allegheny Institute.

10 THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES: In
tne estimation of the writer nothing
has taken place in our community for a
| good while upon which both parties.
the entertainers and the entertained.
nave mad better cause for self conQrs,u.
latlon than the exercises incident so
tne closing OF the session at the Allie
enany institute, which were witnessed
py 80 large and sppreciatiye an audi.
ence as tina. which filled the Academy
OF music Friday evening, for, as was
stated by ono Of those who took part
In the exercises, while he had on many
previous occasions be en- present at the
ACADEMY, never before had he seen
such an assembly there, and what so
large number OF people turn out to
see they must feel an interest In, so
thet she management may rest assured
tnat In so far as this Is an evidence of
1t they have the sympathy Of the friends
OF education here, and IL the quiet and
earnest attention given by an audience
20 every part OF the performance Is any
indication of interest in what takes
place, then certainly those there assem-
bied felt fully repaid for any trouble
tne VISIT had been to them, for the at.
tentlon was earnest throughout; and
while the hour OF closing was much
later than at which many OF us (who
are not 80 accustomed TO theatre going
as the speaker referred to) are in the
habit OF being asleep, still many would
nave been willing to remain longer
with the assurance that the charac ter OF
the entertainments would be sustained.
But there are other things which a
school must do besides giving COM
mencemens exercises to be of benefit
to community, and for community 10
90 In order to be Of benefit to a school
besides furnishing large audiences to
witness these exercises. As to whether
the present management OF ALLEGHENY
institute has done its full duty to this
community in doing all that could be
reasonably expected from each and
every pupil with which 1t has been In.
trusted, think that every patron of
the the school will be glad to firm, and
the.counter questionicomes asto whether
Roanoke and the surrounding country
has done and will continue &c do all
that so we'll managed and deserving an
Institution la entitled to? We will
not discuss what has been done, as our
concern is only about the future, and
we would emphasize what was we'll
said on this occasion by Prof. G. L.
Cocke, OF Hollins, as to the imperative
necessity, not to say duty, Of ali those
OF our citizens who have children to
educate of maintaining in our midst by
liberal patronage of q school of the
character Of Allegheny.
VI course we have nothing to say here
as to the public schools. They OCCUPY
place of their own and do work in
which the whole community is inter
ested' but there is always, in every
community, a considerable number of
people who do not patronize the public
schools, and when considering the mats
ter of their boys education the question
Is, as to whether they shall send them
TO such school, as 1t Is desired that
Allegheny Institute shall be, and as
the present management seems go capa.
BILE and determined to make it, or
whether they shall patronize smaller
private schools
Our government Is one of the people,
maintained entirely by concert of action
among the people, in upbuilding and
upholding that which is best, and what
we believe in most is that the whole
community shall act together, first in
selecting what is best and then in ex.
erting itself in maintaining 1t.
The writer has no interest whatever
In Allegheny Institute land barely an
acquaintance with Its managers) be.
yond the fact that his boys have, for the
past year, attended Its sessions, and II
the hard times continue to prevail he
fears that even this connection NAV
hereafter be denied him, but that his
most earnest desires as to what school
should do for those boys have been
amply fulfilled 1t is his pleasure, and he
feels 1t to be his duty, to testify, and it
now remains to be seen whether our
citizens will afford this institution tho
support for another session which the
size and character Of the audience OF
Friday evening would lead the manage.
ment to feel justified in expecting, with
the assurance, on the part of the manr
agement that the service rendered in
return for such support will be, in every
respect. as fully up to the standard OF
proficiency as the entertainment then
given. In other words, instead Of seek
Ing anywhere else for q school for our
boys, OF the age at which Allegheny
institute is prepared to receive them,
let those OF US who have BOYS to educate
make now an earnest effort to maintain
in our midst one good school OF high
character, and the wisdom of this course
will soon be msnifest. ALIQUIS.