The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-28
A RESPONSIVE FIRE.
The Governors Prophetic Address,
''The Democracy of Education"
Thrills His Hearers.

Louisburg, N. c., Nov. 27.-(Special.) J.
The Sea Gift Literary Society, named in
honor of Edwin Fuller's charming novel,
is one of the societies in Louisburg Fee
male College. On Wednesday evening it
celebrated its fourteenth anniversary,
when In response to its invitation, Cover
nor Charles B. Aycock delivered an elo-
Quent and mastery address on THE De-
mocracy of Education
The officers of the society are: Miss
Sallie spruill Baker, president; Miss Mat
tie Young, vice-president; Miss Gladys
Beckwith secretary; Miss Gayle Make
peace, treasurer; Miss Eva Harris, mar
shall; Miss Lucy Berry, censor.
The exercises We're intensely interesting
from the beginning of the first number
on the program to the closing of the last
They began by the entrance into the
chapel in a body of the entire membership
Of the society in military formation, to
the music of The Grand March, rendered
in superb style by Miss Salne Williams,
the accomplished teacher of music In
the college. Following the members OF
the society, came Misses Ella Harris ana
Bette Lou Hester, the assistant mar
shals, escorting the officers of the society
and chief marshal Miss Elizabeth Eyer
ton, escorting His Excelency Governo,
Aycock. The appearance of the officers
Of the society, attending the Governor,
was the signal for a storm of applause.
Order having been restored and the
numbers of pretty young women, who
constitute the membership and officers
of the society, having been assigned the
seats which had been reserved for them,
the exercises proper began.
First, and out of the usual order of
anniversary exercises, came the presen-
tation to the society by Mrs. S. T. Beck
with of marble gavel-cube and gavel.
The cube was of highly polished marble,
engraved with the letters IS. G.. l.. S.
and the gavel was especially valuable on
account of its being made from wood
taken from the fence around the burial
ground at the historic old Green Hill
Place. The presentation was made by
Miss Gladys Beckwith, and a better in
sight into the significance Of the gift
cannot be obtained otherwise than by
incorporating into this report the little
gem of a speech which Miss Beckwith
made. She said:
This gavel-emblem of authority
is made from wood taken from the fence
around the plot in which lie the remains
of Edwin w. Fuller, poet and novelist,
in whose honor this society is named.
This block hewn from the solid marble,
pure in its virgin whiteness, perfect in
it's proportions, beautiful in it's outlines,
is emblematic of that beauty which
should characterize every woman.
GAS proxy for one to whom every en-
terprise for the spiritual and intellectual
development of young women is inexpress
IDLY dear, 1 present to you, Miss Baker,
as president of the Sea Gift Literary So
ciety, these emblems. May they, though
trivial in themselves, add force to those
influences brought to bear upon char
acter building in this organization so
that when in the Beyond the Great Master
Workman shall apply the square of His
justice, the plummet of His truth, and
the compass of His love to the finished
structures, He may find each "a corner
stone polished after the similitude of a
palace'-perfect in every part"
The president of the society in a few
chosen and impressive words, accepted
the gift in behalf of the society after
which Miss Ella Harris, In most artistic
way and with voice of unusual power
and sweetness, sang Bartlett's tender
love song, Good Keep You, Dearest"
Miss Margaret Saunders, of the Collegian
editorial staff made announcement OF the
Sea Gift Soclety's victory in the society
contest for subscriptions to the College
Magazine, and presented to Miss Mary
Halfway, for securing the largest num-
Der of individual subscriptions, a beau
tlful gold pin inscribed "Collegian, 1903. -
Miss Gladys Beckwith, who under Miss
Williams sklllful teaching, has become
an expert performer, rendered Schyral-
skis majestic instrumental solo, ''Vladi-
mir, and as the last notes of this grcat
creation died away, Miss Sallie Spruill
Baker, president of the Sea Gift Society,
stepped forward and began to speak IN
introduction of Governor Aycock. 1t is
to be regretted that space cannot be
given to reproduce her excellent address.
| 1t was lofty IN thought, chaste IN diction
and poetic in sentiment, fit prelude to
| the great grafton that was to follow it.
| Higher praise cannot be given to Gov
ernor Aycock's speech than to say that
| it was as good as he ever delivered. 1t
was an hour long and there was not a
| dull syllable in it. 1t was a splendid
plea for universal education, and at times
| it seemed as if the speaker had torn
away the veil that hides the future and
was looking with eyes that were not
holden at the magnificent destiny that
awaits the Old North State. Occasion
ally he rose to heights of rapturous elo-
quence-the kind that makes your throat
go dry and ache, and your eyes burn
with unshed tears, and nervous chills
run up your spine. Governor Aycock is
man with an ideal. He has loved and
wooed and won one great truth-taken IT
into his life, and when he stands up to
speak upon this truth, it is the voice oil
the prophet proclaiming his religion-o1
the evangelist declaring his gospel, His
| inaugural address dealt only with this
one much loved theme-the education Of
all the people, and whenever he has spo-
ken since then, it has been to try &c
bring all humanity to the worship with
him Of his high ideal. He is a man who
is in deadly earnest and he loves the
State of which he is Governor and the
people who made him their Chief Magis
trate, with strength that will end only
with life.
| At the conclusion of his address, Gov
ernor Aycock presented to Miss Ava B
Aycock a gold medal awarded to her by
1 L n I1NT1 ~