The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-01

The Orations Were All of a Very High
Order of Excellence.
AUSPICES OF LEAZAR LITERARY SOCIETY
The Judges Were Comm, of Agriculture S. L.
Patter son, Mr.. Marshall De Lancey Hay.
wood and District Attorney
Harry Skinner.

olivia Raney Library Hall was literally
packed last night with the friends of the
A. and NJ. College to hear the oratorical
contest of the Leazar Literary Society of
the college. The contest was for a medal
offered by the Leazar Charter Glass Me
mortal Association.
The speakers were w. B. Reinhardt, of
Lincolnton, on Southern Traditions,
j. H. Shuford of Mecklenburg, on "Edu-
cation as a Wealth Producer; j. p Tur-
ner of Norwood, on IAN Industrial Fore
cast for North Carolina and j. l.. Par
ker, of Sampson, on Labor Re- adjust
ments.
The judges, Messrs. Marshall de Lancey
Haywood, Harry Skinner and S. L. Pat
terson, awarded the medal to j. L. Par
ker, of Sampson. Mr.. Patterson, in an
apt, brief speech presented the medal.
The marshals for the evening were:
Chief, l.. Moseley, of Kinston; G. W.
Rogers, of Raleigh W. f. Kirkpatrick,
of Charlotte; d. r. Foster. of Whining
ton; S. S. Lockhart, of Wadesboro; S. H.
Clarke, of Statesville, and C. B. Higgins,
of Goldsboro
Music was furnished by the A. and M.
band.
In the absence of Mr.. E. M. Gibbon.
of Charlotte, who had expected to be
present as the representative of the
LeaZar Charter Glass Memorial Associa-
ton, Mr.. r, b. Cochran, President of the
Leazar Society, in a brief Introductory
speech, gave the medal into the hands of
the judges. He stated that this was the
ninth contest of this kind held under the
auspices of the Society
He then introduced Mr.. w. B. Rein
hardt, the first speaker of the evening.
MIR REINHARDTS SPEECH.
Mr.. Reinhardts subject was South
ern Traditions He commenced by say
ing that the living were governed by the
dead, and went on in very beautiful
language to show how we were all more
or less governed by our forefathers.
''The people of the South, he said
have had lordly heritage. BY the in
cident of owning slaves they have been
= blessed by the noblest tradition.
'.One of the traditions most deeply
lodged in the minds of the young men
was that power, political power, was
the noblest goal to be attained, and this
power was to be used for the good of
the people. While the youth of some
parts of the country were striving after
wealth, the young men of the South
were striving for political prominence.
This was recognized in the North
Closely allied with this tradition was
another that no man in political position
should give any office to any relative.
Nathaniel Macon once wrote excor-
iatjng letter to a young man who had
asked him to use his influence in getting
him position
How different said the speaker, sis
all that today
The country life of the old South was
spoken of as tending toward the best
development of manhood.
Three things come into reach of this
life and make other aims necessary The
first was of course the emancipation of
slavery; the second was the necessity Of
making living, and the third was the
manufacturing impetus.
But has this growing spirit of com
merclallsm not caused us to lose some
of the virtues of the previous noble
living?
Inc war has crushed out some of the
old principles, and now we see some of
our Southern legislators advocating ship
subsidies, the Panama Canal, and even
protective tariff.
Now 1T behooves us. who have diff
ferent ideals and different methods, to
beware lest We lose some of that purity
and sincerity of our fathers.
The speaker concluded with the beau
tiful thought that our best aim should
be to combine the commercial instincts
OF the present day with our old traditions
and so get the best out of life.
MR.. SHUFORD'S GRAFTON.
Mr.. j. H. Shuford, of Meckenburg, was
then introduced. He spoke on "Educat ton
as a Wealth Producer" somewhat as fol-
lows:
ITO the three sources of wealth usually
given; Labor. capital, and land, must be
added fourth education; for surely the
knowledge of how to use the materials
at hand is a source of wealth"
The productivity of any country may be
measured by its school facilities. A COM
parison was drawn between the school
period in Massachusetts and that il
North Carolina, and then between the re-
spective wealth of the two States, and
the ratio of production of wealth in these
States.
The speaker showed the growth in
Wisconsin from production of $4,000 900
iii dairying to $32 900 in that indus
try and all this as result of the estab-
lishment of the dairy school of the agri-
cultural college of that State.
few years ago Norway, Denmark. and
Sweden determined to Danish illitefacy,
and by establishing a school system. Den-
mark is today the second country in the
world in per capita wealth, and stands
first in even distribution of wealth
North Carolina has done much for pub
lie education, but a great deal still re-
mains to be done. Statistics were given
showing the vast difference in this re-
spect between Massachusetts, the lead
ing State in educational matters, and