Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1903-04-29
SOUTHERN EDUCATIONAL
CONFER ENCE


o2nd instant. in the Academy OF
Music. All day long the delegates
and visitors had been pouring In
and the big auditorium was crowd
ed 70 the doors. Every Southern
State appeared to be represented
and the delegations included many
DISTINGUISHED ner. The North
was represented by l20 persons,
among them noted philanthroplsts'
editors. millionaires and educators.
Gov. A. j. Montague of Virginia,
made the address of welcome, when
voiced the hearty hospitality OF
Richmond, where men of each
section were gathered for conference
regarding the best methods OF
helping the South bear her educa-
tional burden.
Mr.. Robert &. Ogden, the New
York millionaire who is president
of the conference, responded to the
Governors speech. Then Mr..
Ogden delivered his annual adj
dress. which covered the work OF
the Southern Education Board, Il
review of educational progress and
a suggestion of work to be done in
the future.
The audience of 1000 was thor
oughiy representative and I'M
usually enthusiastic.
After the opening session a
reception vas given the delegates
by the faculty ape sf"dents OF
Richmond College. This Was II
brilliant affair and it was midnlgh;
when it ended.
The conference was in conven-
eion until Saturday when a session
was held at the University of Vir-
gisia, Charlottesville. The meet
ings in Richmond were character
lied by patriotic and libefaI senti-
ments. Among the array OF strong
addresses three attracted especial
attention, those by DR.. Lyman
Abbott, editor of the Outlook;
Mr.. St. Claii McKelway, editor Of
sile Brooklyn IN. " Eagle; and
Mr.. Joseph@s Daniels, editor OF
the Raleigh n. O. News and
Observer.
DR.. Abbott, amoLg other things,
said;
~ think, in the main, that the
selatio.s between the bla ks and
whites in the South are much bet
ter than they are in the North;
that the DORIS to industrial rela-
,tions are more Opei. to the pegr1
in the South than in the North !;
that If he is Industrious, honest
and reasonably intelligent, he has,
on the whole, IA better chance In
the South than in the North, and,
TO put the whole thing in Il few
sentences. if | were Il negro, L
would rather live i'm q Southern
than in IA Northern State"
Mr.. McKelway made al address
on "North and South" in which
he said:
"The sons will preserve and
lnagnify the fame of their fathers
iut tbcy will not foster or fight
over again their feuds, since tn
sather5 themselves, an illustrious
sead patheticail, thinning band,
hong ago renowned rancoy AMI dis
solved differences. Let WHIST peOpl ,
that may elect to do otherwise, the
Electives, both OF the North and
of the South, today believe in
factories quite as much as in Pan
theCns, in energy more than in in
quests. and i'm school houses mere
than in graves. A spent quarrel,
no. of our mpking nd nor of yours.
shall not be revived or re-worked
to DO tie unmaking Of either OF
us. We will honor, as children
their parents, the survivors of the
struggle between the Ststes."
Mr.. Daniels began his address
by saying that there have been
four obstacles to educational pro-
gress in the South;
"1.-The negro, enflanchised
against the protest Of the people,
who were fofced1against their will
to pay taxes to educate him.
"2.-Poyerty, grinding poverty,
foil owing war and reconstruction,
such as this generation knows not
Of.
"3.-The lack of qualified teach
ers and the lack Of inducement 10
capable men and women to become
teachers.
photographed difficulties.
"The greatest of these obstacles
has been and is now and must be.
at least in this generation, the
negro. He has been the lion in the
path, the ever~present and otter
insurmOuntable obstacle to public
education"
Mr.. Robert G. Ogden WAS re-
elected president of the Southern
Education Board for another year,