The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-10
To the Graduating Class OF the
A. and M. College.
COMMENCEMENT TO-DAY
Senior Orations Delivered, Dl-
nlomas and Prizes Presented.
To Be Held in the Academy of MUSIC
The Dress Parade and Sham sat
tie--Aiumni Day--Reception 10
the Students by the
EacIIIfu
Faculty.

the State NOTllldl anu IiiN A'''
school. delivered the annual address
TO the graduating class of the Agrlcul-
tural and Mechanical College at the
Academy of Music last night. All his
utterances are surcharged with force
and there is purpose in his thought
freiohted words.
His life-work, the education of Wo-
man. and his life-purpose, to bring
that education within the means OF the
poorest girl in all the State, have taken
such complete possession OF him ohat
in with his plea for higher and ioftler
citizenship he weaves plea Tor the
broadening of the education OF woman.
President Holiday, of the a. and NJ
College. introduced the speaker.
DIR. McIver said:
..Younp gentlemen: ] come to bring
to YOU and to the college you repre-
sent the greetings and congratulations
of one of your sister lnsututlohs-ah
institution so similar TO yours IN pur
nose and aim that there cannot Dut
exist between them feeling OF KIN
ship and friendship. So eXaeung nave
been the duties of my own work uhat IL
has left me little leisure to acqualnt
myself with the work of others, put L
know. in a general way, the great work
already accomplished by the North
Carolina College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts. and it has touched my
pride and gladdened my heart to see
its merit recognized abroad as well as
at home. When such journals as the
Forum and Harper's recognize our
, North Carolina institution as among
the very best schools of its KIND IN
America, as they have recently done,
it means more than many prooaDiy
realize. Apart from the pleasure and
qualification of receiving the compti-
ment from very competent critics, IT
will do good by calling attention to
new industrial era here in North Caro-
lima. and will attract brains and capl-
tai and energy TO the State as Few
other single causes will do. This. how
ever, is only an incidental advantage
and is insignificant as compared With
what this institution is destined TO
accomplish for our beloved State. All
education given in the State will be-
come more practical because of its
example.
The surest way to propagate error
doses. sugar-coated with catchy
phrases. 1t would be difficult to cal
culate the baIeful effects upon real
education that have resulted from the
general acceptance of the adage,
knowledge is power" Fully compre-
hended, it may be true. but, only par
TALLY understood, it has elevated know
ing above doing, thinking above ac-
ton, learning above skill, and has
given practical men of the world, who
ought to be the bulwarks of our edu-
cational system, a contempt for a
trained inefficiency which they have
seen parading in the beautiful garb of
dignified erudition and calling itself
education.
/ do not wish to be understood as
undertaking the Importance of pure
scholarship. The world is greatly in
debted to the students of books.
Neither could ] be persuaded to say
one word in disparagement of the
value of that high culture and gentle
dignity and that graciousness of man
ner which, when, possessed by brave,
useful, generous man, present to us
the true, ideal gentleman.
But knowledge alone is not power,
and a man without power is not a
man, except in name. knowledge is
not power any more than a sledge-
hammer is power and the possessor OF
knowledge has no more power than
the owner of a sledge-hamme unless
he use it. Applied knowledge is power,
and it is because this institution has
been established to teach people to do
something as well as to know some
thing that it promises so much to the
State.
Far be it from me to teach that the
main object of education is to enable
one to make living. 1t is rather to
teach us how to live, which includes
the ability to make living, but a great
deal besides.
All genuine education ought to en-
able man to know something, to do
something and to be some body.
If you were to ask me to name the
best educated statesman who has fig
ured in our public life, | should, with
out hesitation, name Thomas Jetfer-
son, the father of the University of
Virginia, and the great advance agent
of public education for all who have
a voice in the management of the gov
ment. | say he was the best educated
because he was the most completely
educated.
He was a lawyer and codified the
laws Oh MS ODdte. lie WAS IL IdFf1tF ana
invented pillow and introduced rice
culture into South Carolina; he was
student, spending a great portion
of his time in his Office, and invented
the revolving chair seen now in all
offices; ne was a legislator and his
manual on parliamentary law stands
to-day; he was a statesman and a
politician and invented our decimal
system of counting money; he was a
free educated American citizen, and
Ills first fight as legislator was for
the abolition of slavery in Virginia,
though a large slave owner himself,
and his second fight begun as a beard
less youth and continued to his death,
was for liberal system of public edu-
cation Wherever he touched life he
blessed it. But | have not mentioned
those achievements which he himself
considered his greatest and for which
the world has honored him and has
made his name one ito conjure with"
/ quote from the opening of Senator
Vests great euIogy, delivered recently