The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-26
DR.. McIver Tells of Work in North
Carolina Since the Last
Conference.
OFFICERS ELECTED FOR NEXT YEAR
Of These Robert c. Ogden is President, J. Y.
Joyner, Walter n. Page, E. c. Bran
son Vice Presidents, Rev. A.
B. Hunter Secty.
(By the Associated Press.)

Athens, Ca, April 24.-The eloquent
address of Governor c. B. Aycock, OF
North Carolina, was the feature of the
session Of the forenoon Southern Educa-
tional Conference. Governor Aycock' s
subject was Education and the Volun-
tary Tax He was repeatedly interrupted
by applause and when he ceased speaking
the entire audience rose to cheer him.
Governor Aycock said that the State of
North Carolina had determined that every
child OF the State, white and black,
should be educated. If there We're some
who did not think that the negroes ought
to be educated, he did not agree with
them. No uneducated force he said.
could do as-good work as one that had
been trained The speakers closing
words to the audience and to the North
ern visitors told how the North and the
South, once contending for union and
independence were now united in more
glorious Independence than had ever been
enjoyed.
Mr.. Ogden presided. DIR. Charles D.
McIver, president of the North Carolina
State Normal and Industrial College, at
Greensboro, told something of what had
been done in his State since the meet
ing of the conference last year. Over
thirty cities or towns have voted on the
question of increasing the school fund
by local taxation and only three. which
voted have not agreed to do this. Four
hundred Libraries have been established
in connection with the public schools.
DIR. II. p. Fris5CH. OF Hampton, and
DR.. Robert Frazer. of Richmond, repor-
ted on the work { ne in Virginia. Presi-
dent Edwin A. Alderman, of Tulane Uni
versity, New Orleans, reported for the
year in Louisiana, three parishes, 26
wards. nine towns and II school districts
have been ADDED to their school facilities
by special taxation.
The session was closed by a general
discussion led by DR.. John Massey, pres-
dent of the Alabama Female College. at
Tuskegee, Ala, ard Chancellor Robert b.
Fulton, CT the University of Mississippi.
At Il business meeting the following
officers OF the conference for the next
year were elected:
President, Robert c. Ogden; Vice-presi-
dents, J. Y. Joyner, Walter H. Page and
E. c. Branson.
Secretary, Rev. A. B.. Hunter, of Raj
eigh; Treasurer, George Foster Peabody
New York
Executive Committee, DR.. H. B. Fris-
sell. DR.. Sanford; ]. Y. Joyner, Hon.
Holxe Smith, w. A. Blair
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
The first address at the afternoon ses-
sion of the conference was delivered by
Hon. Hoke Smith, of Atlanta, his SUBJ
iect being popular education the pri-
mary policy of the South. The speaker
briefly reviewed the industrial condi-
tion of the South, compared with that
OF the State of Massachusetts.
"The South has great natural advan-
tages,' said Mr.. Smith, land yet we lag
behind. Why? Because while we de-
voted ourselves to raising slaves and one
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Massachusetts
trained the minds of her children. Our
work now is to give the children of the
South such training. White and black
shall have thorough education. The
great problem is the rural school; the
great difficulty is the sparseness of ru-
raj population in the South
Mr.. Smith referred to the address of
Governor Aycock and said he wished
that all politicians were as manly and
pure as the Governor of North Carolina.
The speaker declared every man, be-
fore he voted for candidate for public
office, should ascertain how that man
stood or the school question. He said
the South needed more and better
schools. He believed the teachers in the
country schols We're as efficient as they
Were paid to be. When teachers were
paid enough and assured a years work,
a sufficient number of well prepared
teachers would offer themselves.
Reviewing the great amount of money
which the South had contributed tc the
cause of negro education, Mr. Smith said
he spoke of this offering not as a sub
ject for which the people of the South
deserved praise, but as showing their
intelligence and justice. would we
be so foolish" he said, "as to leave half
our population groveling in ignorance?
Those black people did not come here
of their own accord. We brought them,