New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-26
TEACH SOUTHERN WHITES
SPEAKERS AT EDUCATIONAL CONFER
ENCE SAY THIS WILL SOLVE
ALL PROBLEMS.

Athens Ga April 25-The second day of the
fifth annual conference for education In the
South furnished incontrovertible evidence that
the South Is awake to the problem that con-
fronts her. and to the solution OF which she
must look for her material salvation. Public
men, teachers, editors, business men from all
parts of the South as we'll as from the North
have focked to Athens to listen TO the discus
sion of ways and means and to participate IN
II They are unanimous in declaring that the
DEVELOPMENTS of to-day in their manifestation
of the widespread interest that is felt In educa-
tional work, and the eagerness that is SHOWN
to meet the emergency, mean more TOT the ne"
South than anything that has occurred since
the Civil War. While the needs OF the negro
are not neglected overlooked. there IS no mis-
taking the conviction of Southerners OF innu-
ence and position that the masses OF "hite
iterates most deserve help and will best re-
pay in citizenship and industrial value the anu
they are determined to give to them.
Hoka Smith of Georgia and Governor Ay-
cock of North Carolina the principal
speak ers of the day. and these two men. than
whom there none more popular nor more re-
spected in the South. in speeches that eiectrheo
their audiences, put themselves on record once
more as standing for the proposition that the
South must educate It's illiterate masses In very
self defence If from no higher motive Govern
AyCOCk, whose cOuntenaECe anu dSe-
ment have already been of much service to those
who are working In the cause OF Southern edu-
cation. declared that the masses of the tg-
norant must be educated, in time their ig
norance will overflow the South.
Hoke Smith, whose address the feature
of the afternoon, took equally strong ground
He pointed to the immense natural resources of
the South, which yet are undeveloped. and
said that for the impoverished Southland there
waited untold riches that were dependent only
upon the equipment OF all it's people with eiu
cation The end In sight. he said. The in
dustral development had begun Only last year
more money invested in the mills or the
South than in the years that had gone BEFORE.
The difficulties in the way were those or
sparse reputation and bad roads. Every prob
lon could be solved and the people could solve
them by asking every candidate for office now
politicians would walk in the right way If the
people pointed II out Every child should get
eight months good schooling each year; "hlte
and black alike. Mr. Smith said that ne was
not ready to condemn the institution OF slavery,
except to it's results to Shareholders them
selves But slavery was dead. and on the whole
he was glad of It. 1t remained. therefore, for
the South to educate the negro; not to do so
would be fatuously blind. But especially did
he call upon the Southern people to go to the
help of the ignorant whites, bone of their bone.
and flesh of their flesh. In them. he said, were
to be found high principle. honor and courage
In their highest development-the most mag
nificent of foundati lions upon which TO rear a
lofty structure of CltlZenSnlp- IT was the
South's work, and though the South did not
disdain help by Gods help the South would
do it.
Other proceedings of the days session were
reports of the last years work of the board
in Virginia by DR. H 3. Frissell; in North
Carolina by Or. Charles d. Mclver. and IN
Mississippi and Louisiana. by DIR. r. A Alder
man; addresses by DR.. John Massey, of IusKe.
gee: Robert r. Fulton, of the University or
mississippi II. St c. Tucker. of Virginia; VIII
lam H Baldwin, jr., of New-York, and HuSh
Hanna, of Indiana. .
Chancellor Hill announced In the evening that
an anonymous friend had promised to buiid
for the University of Georgia a library at a
cost not to exceed $4,000. providing the leg1s-
lature at its forthcoming session appropriated
SoOOOO for the maintenance OF the institution
The addresses of the evening were by DR., F. a.
Alderman. president of Tulane University. of
New-Orleans and by DIR. Hamilton W. Mabie.
Of New-York who said that the educational
movement in the South was the beginning of
new renaissance.
The conference received In the morning an
invitation from Governor MCSweeney, of South
Carolina to hold It's next session at spartan
burs In the afternoon came an equally hearty
Invitation from Governor Montague. of Nir-
g;nia and the various colleges and leading edu-
cational institutions of that State, to meet next
year at Richmond. The question will be de-
cided by the executive board of the conference.
hut nroha bly not until next fall.