Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-04
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION or
THE HOLLYWOOD ASSOCIATION.
DR.. HODGESS EXCELLENT ADDRESS
Commcnds the Work Of This Noble
Organization, Declares Against I'm.
periaIism, md Pays High Tr..
butte to the Southern People.


ginia Glee Club Of Hard Times Come
Again No More"
After this Judge Christian read the an
nual report OF the association, which
stated that this was its thirty-third-birth
day. yet what new way could be foun,
TO tell of the events OF the past year.
The object Of the association is to pre-
serve the memory OF Confederate heroes
During the past year four regular meet
ings were held and four called meetings
with fair attendance. The necessity Of
funds for keeping the good work alive
was mentioned. The treasury is not over
full, and the question arises: "Whenc,
are our supplies for the future 20 b,
drawn"
The Junior Association looks after thu
graves in the officers section and the
making of all arrangements for mass
meetings. one member of this branch
has been elected a vice-president of this
association.
THE ASSOCIATIONS PRESIDENT.
At the beginning OF the year ill-health
compelled the efficient president of the
Hollywood Memorial Association to re-
cuperation she again took up her office.
The report dwelt with tenderness upon
the death of Rev. DR.. Moses ID. Hoge
an earnest member and co-worker.
The conclusion Of the interesting report
was: do we need more to stir US on TO
fresh endeavOr than the belief i'm our need
to cherish in every way the memory OF
those long-buried heroes. for each one
Of whom We may appropriate the words
from the old Jewish chronicle. so aptiy
applied i'm the beautiful memorial placed
here i'm st. Paul's church by reverently
loving hearts TO the greatest general of
our southern hosts: And this man died.
leaving his death for an example Of a
noble courage and a memorial OF virtue.
not only to young men, but unto all this
nation"
DIR. HODGES'S ADDRESS
Owing to the unavoidable absence of
Governor Tyler, Judge Christian intro
duced the orator OF the evening. DR. J.
Allison Hodges. He mentioned incident
ally i'm his introduction that no better
soldiers ever marched than those who
came from North Carolina the State
which gave the greatest number Of sol
diers 10 the civil war, the first hero of
the Spanish-American war. and also was
the birthplace Of Or. Hodges.
DR.. Hodgess address was forcible. up
lifting. and eloquent. He did not attempt
to deliver a memorial address, but simply
To- outline some Of the factors controlling
the present form Of civilization and the
necessity for educated and earnest cit
zenship.
This anniversary assemblage tonight
marks an epoch in the history OF our city
and state; IL is a reminder of the past
and a guarantee for the future. 1t re-
calls TO US q vision OF other days and Of
a time when dependency and despair
had seized upon every heart" He then
spoke Of the noble band Of women who
i'm that dark time organized the Holly
wood Memorial Association. Further, DR..
Hodges went on: THE intellectual free
dom OF this age, which begets the spirit
of criticism, submits everything TO its ul-
innate analysis and judges everything by
utilitarianism."
Speaking Of imperial expansion, the
Speaker said: /, for one, do not believe
that an intelligent citizenship will allow
this country to cut the thread Of its best
traditions and plunge blind-folded into
such a vortex of complications, for | be-
lieve a sober, second thought OF the
American citizen will force our leaders
back to anchorage in history and in rea-
son. | believe that the exigences OF
these times demand more than at any pc
riod I'm our past. The services of men
and women, educated according TO the
highest conceptions of true and noble
standard, for the influences that menace
our welfare are as silent in their work.
ings as they are vivid in character be-
lieve, further. that no country In the
world offers such opportunities for sue
cessful endeavor as does our own coun-
try, and especially the South. "Isms"
have no abiding place in our minds or
hearts, and speculative infdelity with us
is practically without a following. With
our people there is no tendency to com
munon or nhilism. and the so-called
dangerous classes are in a hopeless
minority.
THE SOUTH'S OPPORTUNITIES.
| repeat, that opportunity in the South
never offered greater rewards for well
doing than at the present time. For my
part | am sick of croakers and prophets
of evil. To solve the problems Of our
future we need young men and women
of brains, of character, and of action.
and 1 would as soon expect star in
yonder heavens TO stagger and fall as
for the children Of such fathers TO be re-
creant to their trust
This is a practical generation, admit
and this tendency TO view all things in
the full glare and light Of practicality IS
not a wholly unmixed evil, any more than
utilitarlanism is a synonym for total de-
prayity, but yet / insist that this modern
trend of thought must be stemmed. or
sentiment and ideality. the corner-stones
OF public virtue and patriotism, will perish
from the face of the earth, and our
glorious institutions, founded, as they
are, upon these immutable principles, will
fade from the armament OF nations.
As a direct consequence OF this tendency
of the times, other problems have arisen
that especially characterize this day and
generation, and give evidence that this
nation is slowly drifting from its time
honored moorings.
From this cursory glance at some of
the characteristics OF our age, IL Is evil
dent" DR.. Hodges continued. that life
in our era Is becoming increasingly more
complex. and al every step presents some
far-reaching question, which the citizen
himself must settle, and not leave its
solution\ to political philosophers, as in
former days"
DR.. Hodges then depicted some Of the
faults of the southern people that needed
remedying, such as want of energy. in
adequate public school system, &c. and
predicted that the Ark of the Covenant
might yet be lodged in the old-fashioned
beliefs OF the South.
In conclusion he said: 1.-THE character
istics of the people of the South are such
that her institutions are conspicuously
free from many Of those evils that con-
front other sections of our country. BY
location and by birthright, by reason Of
our conservatism, because of our in
herited principles OF honor and virtue.
ours is a favored people and blessed of
God"