The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-14


When Walter Page came down here
some time ago and talked before the
Greensboro Normal College for more
common school facilities for the poor
children. he struck brave note aud
one that should have had music in it
for many Il hearth-stOne. Walter Page
loves his people, and he does not finch,
| believe, in telling them disagreed bic
truths. if only thereby he think he
may finally bring good to them. But
there was diversion, probably more
than diversion. in his address. which,
as far as | have seen. has been left un-
noticed by the State press. He Topped
off the negatives in the outset hy telling
the people why they had not had great
er facilities for education of the poor
white children. l believe one OF these
causes was the lawyer aristocracy. hut
of that, no matter, t is about the other
cause mentioned that | would speak n
word. That other cause was what he
called "ecclesiasticism." Well, ecclesi-
astic:sm! North Carolina knows moth
ing of the bane Of ecclesiaStic:sm in the
scientific or literary use of that word.
What Walter Page really meant was
rs &c - ---h:;c1s &c pulpit as c"t
as related to the people. l hope / in
terpret him rightly, for / love and be-
lieve in the man. wish if he ever makes
another address of similar character
hereabouts, he would escape this unten-
able position. He was cute enough,
from the report Of his address, to make
due allowance for the power among the
people of the Methodist preacher repre-
scented on the front bench before him by
that man of heroic common sense, Rev.
Jesse Fl. Page, but / venture to say.
and I believe "Uncle Jesse" will back
me, that there was during the early
days of North Carolina no influence so
educating as that of the pioneer preach
er 70 whichever denomination he might
have belonged. I have done in my time
enough circuit-riding behind my dear
old daddy to make me bow-legged, but
/ came out OF it all, | am sorry to say,
with my religious performances not as
straight as my legs. Yet l brought out
of an experience of some years a ten
der. almost fearful, love for the heroism
and educating influence of the pioneer
preacher. The first definite idea | ever
! got of PRAYER was when my old dad
(peace to his sleepy in the middle Of Il
/ forty-mile horseback ride, stopped un-
NACNs
for the lunch which he took out Of his
saddle bags. and for the life and health
of us two. 1t is true that the cake was
smashed into the chicken and butter,
but he thanked the Lord all the same,
while / wished that the cake had not
been smashed into the chicken and but
| ter. Some old sister put up that bread
| and cake and chicken with loving
| hands-anu hope / see it all at last
| as he would have liked for me to have
seen it then! | take him as n type of the
! greatest man yet vouchsafed, in my
opinion, the pioneer preacher, to whom
a log hut was as welcome as q rich
mans house. so there WAS the right
| heart there. / don't believe any preach
er OF this type ever went away from
any house among the mountain recesseS
or along the plain without leaving both
a stimulus toward knowledge as well as
toward spiritual things. What then ?
1ney were, in that day, practically the
only men of education who went into
! the outskirts among the poor. If Christ
could leave his twelve apostles, who
were originally unlettered men, wise,
there is no reason to doubt the efficacy
of the work among the poor of his sin.
cere imitators. Had it not been for these
men, Walter Pages picture would have
had darker background than that he
gave trust the personal reference will
not be deemed out of taste. for this is
only n Sunday morning chat. and what
was said was meant for no other reason
than that | thought it was pertinent.
than that I thought It was pertinent
Talk about an old-fashioned shouting
camp-meeting out in the woods! 1t was
a liberal education. | know ii.