Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-11-20

Written for the Enterprise by W. q. Bran
denburs.l
Whatever tends toward the intellectual
and moral enrichment Of q community Is
power for good. Give this power per-
mansnt form by organization. and tho re-
suit 10 an institution. With the high needs
Of the great majority OF tho people in
mind. with an unvarying purpose To reach
the minds. hearts. and. above all. the con-
sciences Of mon and women. and TO turn
than toward the contemplation Of right
things. particularly with view toward
needing and living such right things.
force Is established tho value Of which Is
insstimabls.
Among the permanent institutions for
the advancement Of humanity tho Lycoun
Platform holds = high place. II stands
side by side with tho church and Christian
associations Of the time as q magnet 70
draw the people from the low levels OF
the common place 10 tho heights whore
pure thoughts. sweet emotions and spirit
uai convictions dwell and where human
possibilities for the BEST In life arc At once
evident and helpful.
Ths Lecture Platform from Its infancy
has been one Of the worlds svangels. I,
has had is teachers, heroes. apostles and
prophsts-as much 20 a. the church.
The words Of Garrison. Phillips. Greeley
and Bssehsr were ~ potent In tho hbcr-
alton Of the black man ~ any other
power that can b named. and their words
were spoken In the leeters courses Of the
land. John 3. Cough and Francis E. VIII
lard. whose sublime gifts were a. divine
revelations. each eonssefated their lives
70 the redemption Of humanity from the
bondage Of intsmpsranes. and the lecture
platform was the medium through which
they labossd. All great questions Of So
eiai ~ well ~ political and moral reform
have found opportunity for ustsranea
through the lecture course as an instiiu-
ton. and BY msansof L mankind has been
drawn nearer 70 tue conception OF HES
duties and responsibilities
Today tho lyesum platform Is doing
marvellous work throughou, osir country
in moulding the minds and hearts Of tho
people and pointing them toward tho
heights where all ih.: Is pess and bright
sst Of moral human beauty shine. as
shines the sun. Many towns and cities
Of New England have maintained lecture
courses for nearly . century and tho
manner In which tho hner convictions Of
tho citizenship Of that locality has so
trained and shaped hssli is thorough
proof Of It's beneficial effects and worth 10
community.
The writer was for two years tho south
sfn representative Of pfominen, lecture
bureau and In this capacity placed and
came in contact with the leading platform
talent Of the day. Il may not be gener-
ally known. but Il IL, nevertheless. srue
that In no part Of our country has tho
lecture course movement met with a
warmer reception and had larger growth
than In the Southland. A recent CORE
spondent for Talent" observes that In rs
towns and cities In tho South Atlantic
states where splendid lecture courses
have been maintained for many years
there has no, been lynehinr in the pas,
ton years. and in only seven Of these inu-
inequalities arc saloons still existing. and
the moral and intellectual tone Of the
people is equal to tho best. There may
be nothing significant, in the constant ap-
pearanee Of these ripast saGes in mind
and heart Of our land as provided in these
lecture courses to sober the judgmen, and
fro tho moral courage Of these eommun-
tiles. but in the writer's opinion Il has had
not a little TO do in bringing abou, this
transformation.
The writer wildly recalls an instance
in small city Of Alabama. The place
was known as show town" and the
people were flooded with an avalanche Of
coarse, Improbable and even immoral
entertainments. Hard-working men and
women spen. their money for that which
gave them and their children degraded
tastes. II was with great difficulty tha.
we were enabled TO place our course Of
town. and the writer was a liberal con-
,ributor TO the deficit fund" for the first
season. II struggled for life and il KEEP,