The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-05
Vice President Stevenson Made
Notable Speech.
EARNED HEARTY APPLAUSE
Address to Graduates at the
State University.
A BRILLIANT BALL LAST NIGHT
The Vlce-President Will be in Raleigh
To-Day and Hold a Reception
at Yarboro House at
1890 O'clock.


Chapel Hill, June 4.-(SepciaD-
Back >Qf the great Memorial Hall
there wereq all sorts of vehicles, includ-
ing the covered army-wagon type of
years ago. The horses were tied to the
tail-boards, UNI riconscious of their er-
rands.
IL all meant that the country people
had come frolH far and near to see
the Nice-President OF the United States
who had just taken his seat on the plat
form.
Mr.. Stevenson iand his party entered
at precisely 4:3Q, and the band broke
forth into music, which, however, was
almost subdued by the applause,
spontaneous and vociferous from the
thousand who-were gathered there.
The county people had not forgot
ten that Al E. Stevenson was a part of
their bone and gristle, ~one of them,
sprung from North Carolina and
North Carolinians.
They welcomed him, and So did all
the rest of the fashionable audience,
the roses quivering in the wide
brimmed hats of the young women as
their hands kept tune With their glad
greetings. q
Following Mr.. Stevenson up the CEN
ire aisle, he}being escorted by Presi
dent Geo. T. Winston, came General
w. r. Cox, Secretary of the United
States Senate, accompanied by his EX
cellency Governor Elias Carr, Mr.. F.
D. Winston and DIR. r. H. Lewis. These
were followed by the Trustees.
The platform quickly filed and the
hall was in few moments a compact
mass lightened by the color and faces
of women from all parts of the State.
Then, too, the windows were shot
with new light, and the sky was
dashed with gala blue seemingly in.
special compliment to the Vice-Presi-
dent For all day, the air had been
leaden and wretchedly laden with rain.
But the party arrived at the little sta
ton on time all the same.
They came in at 1880 on a private,
car from Washington. At Greensboro,
the gateway of the State, they had
been met by committee of distin-
guished North Carolinians.
The party, as it started from Wash
ington, consisted of the Vice-President,
accompanied by General W. K. Cox
The women of the party were the
daughter of the Vice-President, Miss
Letitia Stevenson, Misses Julia and
Jane Hardin, of Kentucky, and sisters
of young Mr.. Hardin to whom Miss
Julia Stevenson, another daughter, was
married in Washington Tuesday night,
and Miss Alexander
Mr.. Stevenson rested during the
morning hours, and came to the hall
in good form, walking up the aisle with
the same kindly expression that is
one of his marked characteristics.
The programme was begun without
DELAY. by the presentation of diplomas,
which was performed by President
Winston.
Then General w. r. Cox advancing
to the front of the stage was received
was generous applause. The General
never looked better, nor spoke with
more taste and grace. He referred
to the Nice-President as one of the
most distinguished Americans to which
there was hearty response, and took
occasion. with the Well-known
gallantry Of his nature, to close his re-
marks with an exquisite reference to
the charming yolng women who had
accompanied the Vice-President and
who were now sitting in front.
When Mr.. Stevenson arose, the app
plause was more than applause; there |
seemed to be more than approbatiOn |
in it; there was the thrill of welcome |
in it, and the Vice-President seemed |
to feel that thrill, and met the impulse |
at once in a way that put him instantly
in warm touch with the North Caro- |
linians who felt pride in him as be-
longing partly to them.
Mr.. Stevenson could not have hit |
upon a happier way of opening his |
remarks than by referring to his COM |
ing as somewhat of a return home. |
The people had been all the time feel
ing this, and now they were one with |
the speaker, whose every word hence
forth, was full of glow, of cheer, of |
strength and, best of all, of Tar Heel
ishness. North Carolina names and
North Carolina counties glittered |
the opening sentences. The
speaker was dressed in full black, with
coat of Prince Albert cut, standing
collar and plain black tie. He read
his remarks, using his eyeglasses con-
stantly
At the close Mr.. Stevenson left
his notes and addressed himself direct
ly and with feeling to the Senior class,
declaring with emphasis that no dis
honor would ever come to the State Of
North Carolina. Mr.. Stevenson sat
down amidst genuine enthusiasm. He
lad left the most delightful impression
and was soon to shake hands with the
people, according to the programme,
that had been mapped out in the morn
ng.
After some felicituous baseball hits
oy President Winston, that gentleman
,ook occasion to refer to the happiness