The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-16
THE CLOSING RALLY
Pres. H. [. Smiths Magnifi.
cent Address.
Great Enthusiasm al The Las. Session OF Super.
inltndents' Conference Many Inspit-
ing Speeches.

Magnificent was the closing scene and
stirring truly were the last words of the
great State Conference of County Super
inteudents last night.
1t was grand educational rally in the
Hall of the House of Representatives.
A big crowd filled the hall and many
ladies were there to hear the well known
| speakers.
There was music, too, furnished by the
| boys band from the Institute for the
Blind
All the speakers who were on the pro-
gramme were present, except Dr. Charles
d. McIver, who was called home on the
afternoon train by serious illness.
The speeches all teemed with the spirit
of the hour with force and with earnest
ness. They were eloquent and thought
full and the audience was an unusually
appreciative one.
The address of President Harry L..
Smith, of Davidson -ollege, was particu-
larly strong and forceful, and pertinent
in rebuking the spirit of commercialism
| that threatens TO tear down the grand
ideals of manhood and womanhood of the
| Old South.
briefly, but in the five minutes he occu-
| pied he said whole lot. and he mean,
every word OF it, too, and his hearers did
not doubt it.
| The first speaker introduced by Super
intendent Joyner was the Hon. r. d.
| Douglas, of Greensboro.
After few very happy and graceful
! Introductory words, Mr.. Douglas stated
| q wnn11
| linian to another, continuing himself to
the practical part of the question
He dwelt very forcibly upon the ne
cessity Of preparing the public at large
to want this education, to strive for it
and to take it when it is offered TO them.
This, he said. is the work of those not
directly connected with educational work.
The indifference to education, ne said,
could be explained by the fact that the
people did not know, and could not be
expected to strive for that which they
did not know. Generations of ignorance
had taken away the feeling of the lack
Of culture.
The great thing that we have to do
he declared, lis to get the people, not
TO think rightly, but to think at all
Once get them to think, and they will
think rightly. This work must be done,
not by the teachers but by the thousands
as they rub shoulders every day"
He brought out the point that it was
not entirely philanthropc movement,
Lut one of self-interest as we'll, for when
you give a man the opportunity to be-
come prosperous, you add to the pros
perity of the community. Popular pros
perity has no such bar as popular igno-
rance.
Every man and every woman in North
Carolina should assist in this matter of
helping the public schools of the State
If this be done, before many years are
passed we can then see as a blessed
reality what we now look forward to
as a hope.
With 4 few words of recognition of the
potency of the press, Mr.. Josephus
Daniels, editor of the News and Obser-
ser, was announced mot introduced"
for all knew him, Superintendent Joyner
said
After congratulating the conference
Upon their selection of Raleigh as
meeting place, he said that ne hoped
that the coming Legislature would be
composed of as great minds as those that
now occupied the seats of the mighty"
for the Legislators were mighty when it
came % appropriations of money as DR..
Winston we'll knew Laughter)
Speaking of the editor as an educator,
he said that the editor worked, unlike
other educators, without hope of APP
plause or ~eward. He could not see the
results of his work. To him were de-
MED the bright looks in the faces of the
youth, and the applause of the orator
The editor VIM. w. Holden had tolG
him that the work he looked back upon
with the greatest pleasure was that
which he had done in the cause of edu-
cation. Then followed beautiful tribute
to the venerable DR.. Kingsbury.
''The day has come when the printed
page is more potent than the spoken
word" he declared
I'VE ask no further honor than to fol-
low where you may lead in this great
movement"
Mr. Daniels speech was full of the
spirit that would "pray with Stevenson
to be able to renounce and not be en-
Uttered" as he said.
DR.. Fl. L. Smith, president of David
son College, was next introduced in o
very happy manner.
Dr. Smith said he believed the South
orn States were passing through one OF
the crises of their history. The industrial
progress and the marvellous accumulation
If wealth in the South is being watched
with wonder. Prosperity is going to try
her manhood and womanhood even
! more than the devastation of war. II
may be that she was richer in defeat and
material ruin than she will be with
cotton mill on every hill 1t may be that
we are going to be tried by prosperity as
never by adversely.
II cold, hard, tireless commercialism is
TO take the place of the old ideals if We
are to capitulate to Mammon, then the
South was richer when she lay in the
ashes of devastation in So than when her