The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-13
Rev. Jesse II. Page Voted No-And He TX
planned HIS Vote. Too

\ Maxton special TO The Charlotte
4 Observer Of July sth, says:
The monutony of the district confer
ence proceedings was broken by a live
ly incident which occurred in the CLOS
| ing hours OF the conference recently
held here by the ministers and lay dele
/ ate of the Rockingham district.
/ DR.. Kilgo. Of Trinity college. deliver
ed his Well known address on Chris
tan Education" in eloquent language
and with his usual fiery spirit. He
/ drew sharp contrasts etween STATE in
situations and UNCONVENTIONAL schools.
representing the latter as conforming
D. the teachings and dominated by the
spirit OF Jesus Christ, while the form zr
acknowledged no king but Caesar.
A resolution was offered highly eu-
, logizing n heartily endorsing the
speech, aid rendering the thanks OF the
conference to the eloquent orator for
his masterful address. A motion u
adopt the resolution was decided by a
rising vote. One minister, Rev. Jesse
H. Page. of Aberdeen, boldly stOod
alone until he was counted in the
negative. Subsequently. in giving his
reasons for his vote. he defined his po-
sition 50 clearly and ~emphatically as
to leave no room for misunderstanding
il. Without attempting a full report,
/ will give a few things which he said:
II have several times listened with
pleasure to DR.. kilgo On his favorite
theme-Christian education-and, while
/ admire his brilliant talents and ei0-
quent speech, and personally hold him
in high esteem as a brother, / wish -
say plainly that every one of his
| speeches which / have heard has been
| marred TO the nauseating degree by his
perpetual, ill-timed and ill-tempered
filings at our state institutions. i, for
one, am ashamed and sick of it, and
intend here and now to wash my hands
of this whole matter. Let it be known
in all our borders, from the mountains
to the sea, that there is one Methodist
preacher in the conference who, as a
citizen of North Carolina is proud of
the noble record made by our state
university, and the grand work she
has done in the cause of education dur-
ing the 100 years Of her existence
sending out from her halls a long line
of illuStrious men, who V fille4 with
credit ana honor the highest positions
of responsibility in this great country
of ours. President Alderman and those
who have charge of u other state
schools are neither infidels, atheists
nor unenlightened heather, but are
heightened, cultured Christian gentle
men, who deserve all honor for the
great work they are doing for our be
loved state and country. To be eX-
plicit. let me say that if I had a son
to educate, / would just as soon trust
his moral and religious training in the
hands of f. A. Alderman as j. c. Kill
go. If this be treason, make the most
of it,
II haven't stopped to count the loss
I am to suffer for taking this position
and giving utterance to these Senti-
ments. You had before this morn
ing the question of setting off a mission
in a lonely. desolate section Of our dis
trict. It may be that this field of b
is being prepared especially for me-
be it so, / will stand boldly for my hon
est convictions. whatever it may cost.
we cannO build up our schools by
trying to tear Down others, and the in
stitutiOn whose managers are guilty of
this ungOdly practice, however much
money may back it, is doomed to GER
tain failure. 'Ephraim should not envy
Judah. and Judah should not veX
EDhraim.'"