The news & observer., 1901-02-24
Mr. ]. ]. LILIES
WINS THE MEDAL
The Contest Was Spirited
and Close.
ALL WERE FINE SPEECHES
Mr.. G. II. Mcqueen, President of
Leazar Society Presided.
MUSIC FURNISHED BY THE A. & M. BAND
The Judges We're Judge H. G. Connor, Judge
J. {. Shepherd, and Capt. W. W.
Carroway. The Occasion One
of Interest.
Of Interest.

annual literary contest last night. The
occasion was one of more than ordinary
interest, and to the young men who
met in intellectual strife, and their
comrades, it marked an epoch.
The medal was won by Mr.. J. j. Lilies,
whose subject was ''The March of In
v;ention.
There is something about an occasion
on this Kind that is exceedingly pleas
ant. The wholesome and sincere en-
tnusiasm that the boys evince for their
IaVorite among the contestants, their
Willingness to to cheer at the slightest
pfetext, the whole-souled congratulation
SpoWered upon the successful man by
nss rivals and his half reluctance in ac-
cApting prize won over such good fell
lCsws-these and many other things rem
DER such occasions exceedingly whole
some, and well worth vheir while. And
then there were just lots of ladies there
the gay color of their dresses relieving
TIE monotony of the cadet gray and
CIVILIAN garb, an each one most
caarmingly championing one or another
oi' the young orators. and thinking he
o,lght to have the medal, because che
is just too nice for anything" And there
were flowers, which marshalls, decked
oat in gorgeous regalia, carried to the
contestants, who looked at the hand
writing on the little almost hidden
note, and-Wcer glad.
The contest last night was one which
would have done credit to any institu-
tipn, be it literary, technical or what
not in the State. One enthusiastic gen.
tlAnan said: 81 have recently Witness
ed a contest at Yale, and I declare to
you, the contest here tonight will COM
pare favorably with it,
In the speeches there was an exceed
ingly welcome absence of that spread
eagle style of oratory which so long
characterized school occasions. The
themes were all from subjects upon
which the world is today devoting its
most serious thought, and the treatment
OF the subjects We're as equally up to
date. The college is to be congratulate
ed upon the showing made.
The judges were: Judge II. G. Connor
OF. Wilson: Judge Jas. E. Shepherd, of
Raleigh, and Capt. w. w. Carraway,
OF Lenoir county. Mr.. c. II. Mcqueen
the president of the society, presided
over the contest.
Prof. r. N. Allen, of Ridgely Md, de-
1ivered the address by the representa-
ton of L. C. C. NJ. 4. Prof. Allen is
an honored alumnus CT the institution
and he brought message from the busy
world to the young men still within it's
walls. His speech was on high plane
was in fine taste and was timely.
Among other things he said:
1.-THE truest, highest beauty, the beau
,tiful and the good is the result of care
full training of the mind, soul, passions,
and emotions. If the fountain Of life
be pure and lovely at it's source, the
stream will be pure and beautiful. And
IL the boy, while he is mobile plastic
state, should have true and beautiful
principles thoroughly inculcated and
generous impulses fondly impressed
upon him by loving mothers kiss, or
a generous. fathers benediction, as he
grows into maturity, he Will shrink as
intuitively at the approach of false
hoor, or dishonesty as he would from a
hideouS serpent of a loathsome reptile.
Mr.. w. d. Faucet was the first OF the
contestants. His subject was THE New
Zealand Solution of the Strike. His
speech showed careful and accurate pre-
paration and was well delivered. Mr..
Fawcett told of the effort of Mr. Reeves
to settle the strike question, and of the
origin of the compulsory arbitration law
which the speaker declared to be the
solution of this vexed question. Speaking
OF the results of the law he said
I'm the five-year life of the law no strike
has occurred in the State. Every issue
raised has been patiently investigated,
fairly settled and the settlement en-
forced. Each year not only the laborers
but the employers seem better pleased
with the law and the country is en-
thusiastic, but not single factory has
been closed the country is prosperous;
labor and capital are both organized into
honorable, law-abiding law, respecting
associations instead of antagonistic mobs
on the one hand and grinding monopolists
1AOn the other; the concentration OF power
alnd wealth into few hands has been
checked; the distribution of wealth has
tbeen directed along the lines OF greatest
heed and not along the path OF greatest
kreed. This is q great record, ana be-
lieye that the system started In tnls
obscure colony, a colony however noted
for it's fearless Innovations, is destined to
become worldwide.
May some American reeves IlS up "
perfect for us some such system. ana
snare us the wild passions. the rancof,
the hate, the laWleSsneSS, the ploouShed
that came from strikes May that DAY
of Industrial peace be speeded when the
differences between those two great fac
tors of civiliation-labor and capital-will
be adjusted by the best brains OF our best
men. and not by the painful survival OF
the strongest"
Mr.. w. S. Sturgil was the next speaker.
His subject was Changes Wrought by
the Nineteenth Century.
Mr.. Sturgers speech showed careful re-
search and was delivered in very pleas
ing manner He summed UP his conclu-
Bions as follows:
In regard to the moral progress Oh me
EentuTy. some prominent autaoTitles are