The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1899-04-16
ment than stands to the credit of
any Mississippian Of her day. "
Col. T. J. O'Neill was called to
the chair and in part said:

NJ T. AlE NAAA1 N@AAAAA N@AAAA1@
the auspices of the Peyton Lite
rary Society, as citizens of Mis-
sissippi, to inaugurate the work
Of establishing in this great insti-
tuition of learning a memorial
that shall fittingly speak to the
present, and generations to come,
of the life work and character of
a Mississippi woman as estimated
by her contemporaries.
It is not so much our purpose
to seek by OUR efforts to perpetu-
ate the memory of Mrs. Peyton.
We recognize tonight with pride,
standing upon the scene of her
triumphs, that her place in his
tory, her name and fame, have
been, by her own efforts, written
in living, imperishable letters up
on the roll of earth's great and
successful lives, and that for ages
to come her memory will be bright
and fresh, a perennial inspiration
to the women of our state, a pillar
of cloud by day and fire by night
to the ambitious, hopeful, earnest
girls of our beloved Mississippi.
1t is our purpose to record by
proper memorial our high esd-
mate of her worth, and to propose
a loving tribute to her excellent
character and her marvellously
successful life, that we are here,
a life that generated an influence
for good that shall radiate from
this center for ages to come.
Mrs. Peyton elevated and bless
ed the women of our state-yea,
and of our common country-by
her devoted labor in their behalf.
No girl or woman can ever read
the story of her transformations
yet earnest and strenuous life
without feeling a thrill of pride
and a strengthening, elevating
confidence in herself.
Her life is a cheering and in
spring study. She took up a
worthy cause at an opportune
time. She appealed to the people
of her state temperateiy and
wisely, but firmly and persistent
ly, for simple justice to the girls
of Mississippi. Her entrance up
on the arena of state issues was
unheralded, but her presence, her
earnestness, her dignified ap-
peals, and the justice of her
cause could not be ignored or
frowned down. The charm of
her unselfsh and just insistence
brought to her aid the best men
and women Of the state, and her
plaintive, piercing query, "Why
such elaborate and unstinted
preparation for the higher educa-
ton of our boys, and such neg
lect and discrimination against
our girls?" we did not attempt to
answer; we simply righted the
wrong, and here upon these
beautiful grounds, in this magnif-
icent building and in the splendid
work here done from year to year
in the training of our girls, you
have the response of the people
of grand old Mississippi to the
earnest advocacy of Mrs. Annie
c.. Peyton.
Her life work done nobly and
well, her destiny accomplished, in
the full fruition of her hopes for
justice to the girls of her beloved
state, she has been called to
the spirit land. Her work, her
helpful influence, her beautiful
example, will live on, and with
generations yet to be her mem
DRY and her achievements here
will be linked inseperably with
the cause of the higher and tech
nical training OF girls and their
sacred right before the law to
equal opportunities and priv
.leges with their brothers.
Rev. W. r. Dye, rector of the
Episcopal Church, was next in