The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1903-10-28

anu S1lOulu De Tile sentiment ol
every citizen in giving his sup
port to a candidate.
The Sontag Band was to have
played during the meeting, but
owing to the unavoidable absence
of four members they could not
do so. DR.. G. A. Martin in his
usual happy manner explained
the situation to the audience.
The Industrial Institute Glee
Club sang d fine selection which
brought a storm Of applause.
Judge Mouton then arose to in
troduce Prof. AsWell AS Prof
Aswell came forward he was
greeted in the most enthusiastic
manner. 1t was some little time
before Judge Mouton could make
his short Introductory speech.
Prof. Aswell began by relating
an anecdote which paid a neat
compliment to Lafayette parish
and evoked appreciativeapplause
He then spoke of Lafayette
parish, its great reputation be-
cause of its wide awakeness edu-
cationally, and paid tribute to
the good men and women of the
town and parish who have been
and are laboring so well and
faithfully in the great cause, the
supreme need of the South, of
the nation. He bade the people
not rest, but keep up the good
work, for there are many things
needed yet, and first is a $50, 900
school building in the center of
Lafayette. When he mentioned
a $4,000 school building, the
applause was deafening, every
single, solitary person in the
room seemed intent on emphasiz-
ing his or her absolute and un-
qualified appreciation. He paid a
high compliment to the Indus
trial School and prophesied a
glorious future for it, and that
it would stand monument to
the people that built it, shedding
blessings upon generations un-
born.
Coming to the question of his
candidacy Prof. Aswell said,
The. man who asks for your
suffrage should answer three
questions: who is he? what
does he know? what can he do?"
and then answered them in his
case in a frank and manly way.
[ am a farmers boy from North
Louisiana and worked on a farm
till | was fifteen, when | resolved
to adopt teaching as a profession
that I might do my humble part
in lifting the mists of ignorance
that are biting our fair State.
He then told Of his efforts to
prepare himself and modestly
spoke Of the success which has
come to him, which answers the
second question. AS to the third.
he could only answer in part by
pledging his heart, his life, his
energy to the children of the
State. He stated that he was no
politician, that he did not dis
cuss politics, but he would state
that the life and death of the
State depends on education".
Turning to the ladies, he said
he was glad to see SO many pre-
sent, that they understood chill
dren, their intimate knowledge of
them fitted them to appreciate
the need and kind of education
which was best for the child,
and that if women could vote,
there would be a school house
and a beautiful one on every hill
He then paid a compliment to
the old timers who believe that
education like they received is
good enough for the children of
the present. "Oh, yes; they be-
lieve there has been progress in
science and art, but none would
prefer the mule wagon to the
locomotive, nor the mail rider to
the telegraph. No, progress is
all right except in schools. But
fortunately such people are in
the vast minority, and the wave
of educational awakening is NOV
ing with giant strides across our
beautiful Louisiana"
He spoke of the vast resources
and incalcuable advantages OF
the State: but ''they are dead