The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-07-10
DUE WEST.

miles between Old colony House STA
tion and Pemberton.
DUE WEST.
Col. Jas. T. Bacon's Address at the
Alumni Dinner.
associate Reformed Presbyterian.
GENTLEMEN OF THE ALUMNI: When
we first knew Due West it was called
Due West Corner. Why Corner" we
remember not. For fifty years it has
been no longer a corner, but centre
-aradiant, glittering, glorious centre
Of learning, Of art, Of science, Of god.
liness, of Christian refinement, and Of
all thought and fair deeds. And why
is Due West this glittering glorious
sun Why? Because she has always
been righteous. Why are the sons Of
Japhet blessed to-day, while the sons
of Shem rank low in the scale Of civil
ization, and the sons of Ham are the
servants of the other two sons of Noah !?
Because God exalts the righteous and
destroys the wicked.
For fifty odd years commenccments
and alumni meetings have been going
on periodically in Erskine College.
Year after year the roll of Alumni is
lengthening. Year after year the roll
of those who attended the first alumni
meeting is shortening. Only few of
the real old guard can be left now to
tell of the joys and sorrows and glories
Of former days. Are there any of the
old guard present? We know not. If
there are any present, we should deem
| it an honor to shake their hands in the
course of the evening. But as we look
upon this goodly assembly of South
Carolina and Southern men, we could
almost wish-we do wish-that old
Erskine were our Alma Mater instead
of a Northern college. Perhaps never
have there been as many alumni present
as on this occasion. Perhaps nearly
every class is represented in person or
by letter. But if the roll should be
called, beginning with the first man
who ever graduated from Erskine, the
answer would come in response to many
of the names: "Dead on the field Of
honor" for well do we know and well
does South Carolina know, that many
brave Erskine men gave their lives to
the cause which is not lost, for no true
eorvice ;nsnired bv patriotism and
honest impulses, is ever lost.
This is only the third time we have
ever been to Due West to a COM
mencement. The first time was when
we were very young man, when
Associate Reformed Presbyterians
were called "Seceders,' and when the
elder Pressly, the elder Grier, the
elder Bonner and Miss McQuerns
swayed the earth-and oh so wisely,
so faithfully, SO nobly so much of
godliness and wisdom. We remember
we'll seeing Miss McQuerns marshall
in the young ladies on the stage. We
knew her we'll afterwards. She was
a queen of woman, queen OF a
teacher, queen of christian. And
in the first years Of our newspaper life
we learned to know the elder Bonner
| well-and to love him we'll. The ell
der Pressly, the elder Grier, the elder
Bonnor, Miss McQuerns ! Where are
they now T? Numbered among the
saints in glory everlasting.
And still it is only within the last
fifteen years that we have really known
the "Seceder" we'll. And what have
we learned about him. We have
learned to believe this, and before
| God we say it with perfect and absolute
honesty, that there never was Seceder
who was a rascal, and never rascal
who was a Seceder.
Wherever you meet him, he is an
honest, straightforward, unaffected and
useful man, not only true to his fel-
lows but to his God. Two or three
weeks ago we happened to be in the
town of Lancaster, S. c., and walking
about the streets we found a beautiful
new church hard by an imposing man
sion. We said to an aged negro man {:
"What church is this s?'' The answer
was: "Dis is Mr.. Jones church. !"
"NIr. Jones church ? Who is Mr..
Jones ?" "NIr. Ira B. Jones, he is
de Seceder, and he built dis church
here on his own land" And SO it
was. The Hon. Ira B. Jones, whose
unbounded hospitality we afterwards
enjoyed, "the Seceder," had really
built the handsome church upon his
own land
But our ten minutes is about gone.
Gentlemen of the alumni of grand
old Erskine, and young men of 1898,
if there be any such present either as
alumni or guests, this is a time for
the renewal of not only friendships
but of covenants, and to-day is the time
for you to renew the covenant to live
and die for Christ. Young men, as ye
enter untried fields, whom will ye
serve-God or mammon Mammon
appeals powerfully to young men. The
| first five years of your life from to-day
will determine the complexion Of your
whole future career. God forbid that
single one of you should centre his
life in self. Ambition should not be
repressed or crushed, but directed to
the attainment of the best that is in
life. Remuneration of self is the first
step to be taken by one who deserves
to be really great. Better for you that
you should be ignorant, and thus have
less power to work disaster. Be CO.
workers with God. '"The way Of the
transgressor is hard, but wisdom ways
are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace.
Accustom YOUR horses to a low