The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-06-21

doaVorcd as far as | could to got away
from IN address Of this kind for tho
reason that tho word literary carries
with it Il meaning which involves Il
kind of speech or address that my
training has not fitted mo for. My
drill rs a speaker has been in debate
on tho hustings whoro thoro were
appeals to passion, to patriotism, tc
feeling, rs much rs to reason. To
como boforo an audience like this
involves something OF an obligation
to indulge in limo Of thought that
is moro olovatlng, moro roiincd, more
polished, moro intellectual, possibly.
And whilo L do not pretond to say
or to acknowledge tho accusation
which has boon mado against mo to
be truo, that | am lacking in that
knowledge of literature and Of histo-
ry which would onablc mo to pro.
pare II reasonably decent address; it
would involve OH my part tho writ =
ing out Of such Il speech, and tho
ondoavor to commit i! to memory,
something | can not do. TO undor-
tako to get up before an audience of
young men and young women, for
this audience is mostly composed of
young mon and young women, and
road Il speech, however polished or
eloquent or philosophical, would
mean that you would fool bored and
tired before L got half through and
you would be sorry that over bo-
gan it. Therefore, in accepting this
invitation-nnd by tho way, this
kind Of invitations camo so thick and
fast that l bccamo exceedingly
alarmed. Nowborry's camo in first
and | accepted it first. Then Clom-
son and Ersliino, and several others,
and there seemed to be q conspiracy
along tho route Of tho Columbia and
Grccnvillo railroad to SEQ whether |
did have any culture or not, and al
ready J. am booked for another
speech Friday Mt Clemson. But
haVo had to 10 with education somc.
what in South Carolina. have al
ways boon deeply concerned about
tho educational interests of tho
State, and havo always dono all I
could to help tho cause Of education.
But confess that | have boen soro-
ly perploNcd in my own mind as to
how was going to make two speech
es without any serious preparation
on two similar occasions and not ro-
peat, in part Mt least. had enough
ammunition and have enough ammini-
ton now in the way of powder and
ball to load double barrolled gun,
but | declare to you l have not been
nblo to formulate them into two car
tridges. Therefore, | am hero at
your mercy, Or rathor you arc at my
mercy, thank God, and I will have
to ask you to boar with me while
givo you few Ideas that have como
to mo as matters Of experience and
observation in regard to education,
life i'll general, and all that kind of
thing.
The arena in which | have boon
working for tho last six years, tho
United States Senate, is ono whore
thcro is 80 much talk, such perpet
ual flow of talk, that tho voriost
glutton on speech making who over
lived or died would become satol
with such things. used to lovo TO
make speeches and whom tho condi-
tions arc of tho kind with which
am familiar, when | can got out in
the open and fight, so to speak,
enjoy making speech occasionally
now, but | doclaro do not like the
idoa Of preaching sermon. | have
no subject tonight. Thoroforo, l
lcave each ono Of you to interpret
and try to think out for himself whom
he gets home, what topic | tried to
discuss. I am just going to slosh
around, SO to speak.
The literary societics arc to bo con
graduated, and tho students Of Now
berry College arc to be congratulated,
upon the tlourishing condition in
which that institution appears to bo.
Your graduating class this yoar is
larger than any you have ovor sont
forth. Those young mon arc going
out into tho world to begin life for
themselves, aftcr careful preparation
at tho hands Of this faculty. No
doubt these young men and ladies',
for | bollevo you have ladies in the
class, feel when they got their diplo-
mas in tho morning that they will
have precious certificate or evidence
of certain curriculum through which
thoy have passed, of Il certain amount
Of preparation for tho battle Of life,
through which they have gone. OF
what value s. that diploma to them
How far hfs it succeeded, or how far
has your preparation succeeded in
preparing them to become useful
mon and women? That depends on,
tircly on them. Their teachers have
done their best, and tho fact tha,
they have had the tonac,ty of pur.
poso to hold out to tho end and to &C
through the mental strain necessary
4