Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-12
SECOND EDITION. THAT ALUMNI ADDRESS Delivered at Howard College by
 Rev. L. D. Dawson.
 IT WAS A VERY ABLE EFFORT The Prize Drill Yesterday Aftefnoon-1rustees Elect Faculty-Baccaaureate Address
 Last Night by Rev. B. H. Crumptor.
1T WAS A VERY ABLE EFFORT

Yesterday morning at Howard college a large number of people assembled in the college chapel to listen to the Rev. l.. 0. Dawson of Tuskaloosa deliver the alumni address. Rev. w. A. Hobson pre- sided and introduced the speaker, who spoke in substance as follows;
 It is my deliberate opinion that of all possible vacations politics offers the least promising for the good of the young man who follows it and for the welfare of the country he serves. 1 say this not be- cause a law unwritten in constitution or statute, but deeply grown in the preju- dices of a nation, forbids southerner youth to aspire to the highest office in the gift of the people, for that law will vanish with the vanishing hearts upon which it is written. Nor have l any per sonal prejudice against politics. l have nothing in any way to do with it, but nat urally l love, and as every American ought to do, 1 will always love it's fascinating life. In fact all southerners are born politicians, and this republic is largely the result of southern brain and sacrifice. But in this very instinct lies our danger When men get so wrought up that they desert business for the hustings, destroy their schools and di- vide their churches by political excite ment it is time for some cool voice to call a halt.
 The speaker then went on to say that an early entrance into politics at a time when a young man ought to be learning business and accommodating money, in a vast majority of cases would relegate man to mediocrity and ultimately place him on tine list of broken-down pon- ticians, the most helpless and hopeless set under Gods pitying sky.
 Whatever you may think of Mir. CleVe- 1and-and l greatly admire him, though a. .,Tx. Iii Ia, ss, one of the most historic figures of mod ern days. It was around the convictions and courage of Andrew Jackson That great party was organized, and by strange circumstances, upon the conVic- tions and courage of Cleveland, a man of like character that party is well nigh broken. Platforms mean anything or nothing, according to the will of the in. terpreter and our great dailies are busy reading each other out of the party be- cause they hold different views on the tariff and silver. In short, our life has grown so complex that our old bear ings are swept away, and deep thought is needed to show the young man his way Take time to think. More brains are needed in your great foundrles than in the governors office at Montgomery.
 But what does political career for her sons promise to the country? The country has but two questions to meet, viz: The relations between capital and labor, and the negro problem. 1 can only discuss the latter. It affects the moral, social and political life of every citizen of this country. Those who deny the existence of such a problem are blind. and those who acknowledge it's presence and advise us to let it alone give impossible advice. Here is an alien race, clothed with highest powers of cit izenship, too ignorant to reason, and too prejudiced to be controlled by other means than such as the demagogue can use, holding the decision of mighty ques- tionS in their hands. The white men of the country are divided and politics has come to be a conscienceless struggle of contending factions for the vote of this helpless people. Good men have grown suspicious of each other and untold bit terness fills the land.
 You will agree with me that task like this would tax the resources of wealthy and populous nation who had the sympathy and help of all the world. What, then, has it been to that people who, out of the desolation of war and the poverty of defeat with the hate of those who ought to have helped, with the suspicious of those who ought to have trusted, with her homes in ashes and her sons in death, who out of these condi- tions have risen to meet the issue--ren- der back an answer to the world?
 Now what hope have we that polit- ical career will be the best life you can choose to help your country? We judge the future by the past. and it is my de- liberate judgment that legislation has done nothing except, perhaps in nega- tive way to solve this problem.
 If we follow the course of northern politicians and statesmen we will almost have to make an exception to my gen eral statement that political policies and Legislative enactment proposed or accom- pliShed have done nothing to solve ihs problem. I am willing to admit tket vanttN ion -tkara fhax direction. But it must be remembered that 1t was not purely political action. ,but was mainly the work of religious en- thusiasts cranks and fanatics as they were called, and as all reformers must be called until success comes to relieve