The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-23
GOV, AYCOCK SPEAKS
Short But Eloquent Address
on Education.
President Henry Louis Smiths Superb Speech
to The Graduates. Essays by the
Class of 1901.

Especial to News and Observer)
Greensboro, N. c.. May 22-At the
State Normal and Industrial College
last night the essays were read by the
following representatives of the grad
uating class:
1T is Daybreak Everywhere" by
Miss Bertha Sugg, of Greene county.
Some North Carolina Folklore"
Miss Eunice Kirkpatrick, Mecklenburg
county
"Duty's Loyal Son." Miss Laura San
ford 'Davie county.
The Education of the Deaf and
Dumb in North Carolina Miss Mabel
Haynes, Wake county.
THE Scotch Irish in North Carolina"
Miss Birdie Mckinney Rockingham
county,
The Country Doctor" Miss Ida
Wharton. Forsyth county.
On account of the lateness of the
hour, Governor Aycock, who presented
copies of the State and Federal con
stitutions to each of the fifteen grad
yates made a very short speech. He
spoke of his visit to New York and his
reception by the North Carolina So
ciety there, saying the $50 men to whom
he spoke were all yearning to return
to the Old North State. The Governor
spoke with confidence and hope of tho
educational outlook in this State, say
ing: I'VE have entered upon a new
day in North Carolina; we have passed
from the darkness of night to the light
of day, and it is 'daybreak everywhere
He spoke of the pledge of the party in
power to give all the people education,
and said this pledge must be fulfilled
The speech, though very short, was
admirable. Governor Aycock was re-
.ceived by round after round of APP
plause.
The graduating exercises took place
this morning at 1920 o'clock and were
attended by a large crowd. Among the
visitors present were: President Ven
able and Prof. j. A. Holmes, of the
University of North Carolina; Bishop
Horner of Oxford Gen. 4. f. Toon,
State superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton and several directors of the Nor.
NAL.
The event of. interest was the address
to the graduates by President Henry
Louis Smith, of Davidson College
In announcing his subject, 1.-THE Life
and Death of World" DR. Smith said
the purpose of his address was to lift
the minds of his hearers from the
commonplace and petty incidents of
everyday life to the realization of ma
ture, her grandeur and power. ''The
subject" said the speaker. brings US
face to face with two infnities-a worll
in the process of formation and a
world as a vast sepulchre, given over
to the silence of death and frozen il.
the arctic grip of eternal winter
The speaker considered three pre-
liminary facts in the discussion of his
subject: l. That constant change is
the universal law of life. 2. That near
ly all the changes of nature recur IN
regular cycles. g. That the higher and
grander forms of spiritual and mate
rial existence follow no cyclic law, their
life being steady and inevitable move
ment in one direction. To the latter
class belongs the life of world.
In concluding his eloquent address,
the speaker said:
I'm vain does earthly science sweep
the depths of space searching for one
exempt from the common fate. Death
resigns triumphant, but faith opens to
our vision a new heaven and a nav
edElh. we see the Conqueref or Death
issuing from the Judeau tomb, and re-
cogniZe in this tenement of clay a spark
of divine fire. And we know that if this
house of our earthly tabernacle be dis
solved, we have a house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens"
Bible was presented to each of the
graduates, the presentation speech be-
ing made by Rev. S. b. Turrentine of
West Market Street Methodist Church.
The diplomas were then presented by
President McIver, and the commence
ment of 1901 was at an end
The annual meeting of the directors
| of the Normal has been postponed un-
til June 9Th, owing to the failure of
several members of the board to be
present yesterday.