The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-03-17

CnTlSLldn SCNOldF Hdu Iue opportunity VI
! bringing about the Kingdom Of God more
gloriously than he has today"
At the close of the speech the applause
| lasted several minutes.
GOVERNOR AYCOCK INTRODUCED.
DR.. C. F. Meserve then introduced Gov
ernor Aycock in the following words:
81 have been told that this is the first
time a commencement occasion at Shaw
University has been honored by the
presence Of the Governor of the Com
monwealth / am glad to state that our
able and distinguished Chief Executive is
here. He is distinguished for his advo-
3acy of every tling for lie 'ood of hrs
people and stands for the education of
every boy in the State regardless of race =
Governor Aycock approached the front
of the platform amid cheers. Il have
come" said he, for a double purpose.
want it understood that of all men we
have entered upon period of transition
We have gone out of politics into educa-
tion That is the transitional period that
concerns us now. And l am here in
recognition of that fact.
Another reason for my being here is
/ have come to take possession of Shaw
University. Our Northern friends have
established the institution here. There
shall be no educational institution in the
State that l shall not lay hands upon and
take for the State. Because the outcome
of it's work belongs to the State. The
educational worker has a great work in
this State, and the opportunities given
him constitute a trust.
Turning to the students he said: AL
though there are a large number Of stu
dents here, they are as few compared
with the many who cannot come 1t shall
be your duty to diffuse light and unless
you do diffuse it, the money spent for
this institution is worse than wasted. II
the sun were blotted from the sky and
then the Good God should give you light,
and you lock it up in dark room, it
would be worse than if you had no light,
for you would be SHINING against light
and knowledge"
At the close of his speech. Governor
Aycock delivered diplomas to the gradu-
ating class.
DIR. MESERvE'S ADDRESS.
DR.. Meserve's address to the graduates
and the presentations of prizes followed.
The list of prize winners is given below.
DR.. Meserve said
are to be leaders-and you will all be
such in your respective localities-should
start out in life with proper understand
ing, first, of the relations in which they
will find themselves; and, secondly, of the
wisest line of conduct in view of thaSe
relations.
Il make this introduction to brief sur
vey of the field because there never has
been p time since the dawn of freedom
when the race in this and other States
was so depressed and disheartened as at
the present time, and so much in need of
announcement and wise direction.
THE QUESTION SAFE WITH AYCOCK.
"a glance backwards and putting your
selves sometimes in the place Of the white
people is necessary to an understanding
of the present relations. A prolonged and
bitter civil strife, carried on at tremen-
dous sacrifice of men and treasure, re-
suited in the passing into freedom of
four millions of slaves who prently stood
before the law on an equality with their
former masters. They who had been re-
garded as property and who were to the
planter as so much available cash and as
indispensable to him in getting his liveli-
hood as was the cash in bank of a manu-
facturer necessary to the carrying on his
business, are now vested with the power
of the ballot. They ceased to be capital
and for the time being left their former
owners in very much the condition the
manufacturer would be in had his bank
failed and all his ready cash disappeared.
That this condition could continue with
out friction, or that it could continue long
at all would be to expect too much Of
human nature; that it could continue Ions
with any race without some standard of
acquired intelligence would be to ignore
the demands of human reason and the
safeguarding of Intelligent citizenship.
The passing, and the passing so sudden
ly. from the personal relations that eX-
listed between master and lave, was bound
to bring friction, and the wonder is not
that there is so much, but that there is
not more.
SOUTH HAS EDUCATED THE NEGRO.
cit has been said that the kind of edu-
cation given the race has led it to aspire
to political and other honors, for which
a race so recently from bondage is not
fitted. and that Yankee school ma ans
and New England ideas are responsible
for the present condition The fact is
that a large per cent of the colored peo-
pie who can read and write got what
education they possess in the public
schools in the South. 1t is only a small
fraction of the race that has ever at
tended even for so short period as six
months, Shaw and similar institutions
founded by Norther philanthropy. 1t is
true these institutions have sent out
many who have become public school
teachers, but they have been taught not
always successfully l admit, to keep out
of politics. DR.. Curry, year or more
ago. in public address. said that since
the close Of the war between the States
there had been spent upon the education
of the colored race one hundred millions
of dollars, and that eighty-five millions
of this sum had been raised by taxation
and spent upon the colored public schools,
leaving fifteen millions contributed by
the North. Yankee school ma ans and
New England ideas have been struggling
to help the South in solving one of the
greatest problems that confronts the ma
tion. They would make the gap between
the races narrower instead of wider and
1vOuId cauea IN diGannpar pntirpIy If