The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-28

The county educational rally was
held yesterday and it's beneficial effect
will be felt for generations to come. 1t
was just another one of the parts that
VIII soon, if indications be correct, So
I:dify together and press the Old North
State into the very front rank of states
that possess marked educational sue
cess.
The rally was held in the morning at
the old Anderson place on Masonboro
Sound and a more appropriate pot for
the event could not have been selected.
Under the shade of majestic oaks,
spreading their moss covered branches
out in every direction, a large assem-
blage listened to the fervent speeches
oe the orators of the occasion, and later
on. in a deep and cool grove, which ma
tUre had endowed with beauties indies
cribabIe, the basket picnic took place..
It all formed a picturesque and inspir-
ing scene, truly in accord with the
object of the rally.
The exercises did not ommenc until
1I:30 o'clock, a half hour after the ap-
pointed time. The delay was made in
order to await the coming Of those be-
lated by the warm weather.
Professor Washington Catlett, county
superintendent of public instruction, in
troduced both speakers and accomplish
ed it in his usual happy style. Just
before introducing the first speaker,
A. III n O,-o-,;o- l.. 1o~o-1;-ooo+1 30
The people upon the large attendance
md then explained to them the great
advantage to be derived from the rail-
lies. which were provided by the South
arn Educational committee. His intro
<luction of Mr.. Cumming vas a strong
L1Ibute to the interest he CHR. Cum
rning) has taken and is still taxing in
education. He said that Mr.. Cum
ming was not a school teacher, but
simply interested himself in the ad-
NanCement of education because he low
I'd his fellow man and that during the
PAST three years Mr.. Cumming had
sreatly aided him in pressing his ed
RIr&tiOnal work not only by words of
encouragement but by putting his
ham in his pocket
MP. CUMMINGS SPEECH.
For thirty minutes Mr.. Cumming de-
Tered a chaSte and logical speech. His
,pening remarks were beautiful and as
follows:
Observation-Disclosures,
This gathering is part OF an epoch.
We are living in an epoch. No less
truly an epoch because it progresses
silently to its contamination. Someone
mas called attention to the fact that in
nature the destructive forces are noisy
while the construction forces are silent;
-anC is not this one of the natural laws
that perpetuateS itself in the Spiritual
world? a we compare the destruc-
tive and noisy power of the cyclone
that strikes down a hundred giants OF
the forest with the silent power that,
despite the law of graVitatiOn originally
lifted them and 1000 like them out of
the earth and day by day is still lifting?
No more then can We compare the
epoch of noisy war, crushing and de-
Stroying, with the silent uplifting pow
ar of such an epoch of peace, such as
this in which we live. This education
II movement in our state, led by the
peerless man whose name his brother
the orator of the day so nobly bears, is
something new-not that education is
new in North Carolina for back in 1888
our university was founded and long
before the Confederate war we had a
school system in North Carolina. And
yet all that is true n more,
the act remains that the mass of our
common people have never been edu-
Gated and the ~shibboleth of the Jewish
Pharisee, This people which knoweth
not the law is accurSe6' has too often
been repeated in the scorn of the edu-
Gated classes in North Carolina for the
ignorant masses"
Mr.. Cumming then showed what a
grand producer of intellectual and
brave men North Carolina had been
and held up to the boys the names and
deeds of those men as fitting enSam-
pies. He said a North Carolinian had
beer secretary of state when Japan's
doors were opened; it was a North Car
Gilman, Thos Godfrey. who wrote the
first dramatic work: it was a North
Carolina missionary who had gone to
Africa n inspired Kruger with edu-
cation and religion; ii was another
North Carolina missionary who had
gone to Siam and accomplished untold
good in the country; it was a North
CarOlinian. DR.. Gatlin. who had invent
ed one of the greatest guns of the day:
It was North Carolina that had pre-
scented to the presidential chair Polk.
jackson. Johnson inc probably Abra-
ham Lincoln, as it is thought that he
was born in the mountains OF this
- state; 1t was North Carolina that had
sent out to bless other states o. Can
non. Senator Hawley and the governor
OF Rhode Island; to the realms of ora-
tory North Carolina had presented
Iredell, Mangum, Badger and of later
days Vance, Aycock and DR.. Alderman.
the last being the foremost educator of
the south; it was a North Carolinian,
John A. Winslow, who was one of the
north's bravest admirals, and it was a