The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-27
Fine Address by Governor
 Cunningham.
Great Throng Filled the Theatre to Witness Final Act in Closing of the Girls High
 School.

 night when Dr. B. J. Baldwin. Presi- dent of the Board of Education or Montgomery, presented score or sheep skin scripts to a score or Giri graduates of the Girls High school.
 Yesterday when these twenty girls went for the last time to the Girls High School building on High ana Lawrence Streets. they were sirIs. Io- day when they walk out on the streets of Montgomery they will be young wo- men.
 Surrounded by roses, carnations. dig. nitv. smiles and much white ribbon and lace. they were last night given diplo- mas for satisfactorily completing four years of hard work in the Girls High School.
 Tn the words of Governor Russell M. Cunningham, who delivered the ad- dress of the evening at the graduating exercises, there was never finer looking class of graduates to pass out of the portals of any institution Tne graduating class of '04 was popular, too, for the largest audience that ever attended similar exercises in Montgom- cry, crowded the Montgomery theatre to its capacity.
 Seated in semi-circle on the stage were the score of young women, who have now completed their preparations for the battles of life and who will to- day begin to battle. At the front of the stage were placed the gifts for the graduates. The entire width of the stage was covered In several rows with roses, carnations. sweet peas. daisies and every flower of the season. while bonbons, jewelry. books and every in- aginable gift testified to the popularity of the graduating class.
 The exercises began at S:1h o'clock with an overture by the orchestra
 With due solemnity the class recited the Lords Prayer in modulated voices. The spirit of the prayer pervaded ene immense audience assembled in the theatre for gala occasion and aoso- lute quiet reigned until the final Amen"
 "A Play of Fancy" was then exe- cuted by the class.
 To slow music the class advanced to the front of the stage and with pecu- liar grace and pretty pose went through various evolutions with large green fans.
 Miss Grace Poundstone sang in clear sweet soprano the Slave Song. After prolonged applause she respond ed to an, encore and, delighted her au- dience by rendering The Vow"
 pr. B. J. Baldwin. President oS the Board of Education of Montgomery, in- troduced Governor Cunningham, the speaker of the evening, as not. only most distinguished member of a pro- fession he loved, and profound states man. but also as a devoted worker in the cause of education.
 The Governor Speaks.
 Governor Cunningham was warmly received by the audience.
 Introducing his remarks, Governor Cunningham said that he had been ad- vised when talking to a woman to xta Q was greeted with prolonged laughter. He said that he had chosen as his sub feet The Effect of the General Prep aration of Education in the Life's Work"
 What mind is in substance, we know not, the speaker declared. Man Is born Ignorant and without mind. Philoso- phy teaches that every man has brain and the influences that are brought to hear on the brain make the mind. The two most potential influences are in- heritance and environment. The one, the person has nothing to do with. The father and mother cannot be chos- en, but the other, the individual has much to do with. Nature does more for some nationalities, some races, and some individuals than others and in- heritance cannot be chosen.
 "The question then is," said the act ing chief executive, what Is the Hfe'S work of the individual?'
 The work, he said, must be one of either altruism or egoism but the two go hand in hand.
 The man who teaches from an altru- istic point of view" he said, must have something with which to teach. That's egoism. It is founded on the same basic principle as that man who would save another from drowning must first know how to swim. That's altruism and egoism."
 The foundation of life is laid in the first two decades. he said, and it there fore behooves the authorities, church and state. to bring proper environ ment around the mindless child during that period. The principles Of morality should be the first to be in stilled in the mind. The existence or Creator should be taught. not necessari- lv through a book filled with theological dogma but through the great book or Nature A common school education should be brought in the reach of every child. The question. then. is Should the State, the cystalized covenant of the people, educate these children?'
 The proposition is that 1000 individuals of a high moral character and intelli- gence make a better civilization than 500 individuals of high moral character and intelligence and 200 individuals of a low moral character and little intelIl- Rence. Hence education by taxation.
 The Divine right of kings was dissi- pated by education and woman was emancipatcd from being lower order of being than man by education.
 Duties of Men and Women.
 Every one should speak read, and write correctly, know mathematics, geography, and. if possible Latin and Greek and one ar two of the foreign languages. But there is a dividing line in education be- tween woman and man. The qualiflca- lions for woman to perform the duties oy life are different from the qualifica- lions required of a man. Man took as his example a lion and educated himself to fight. Woman took as her example inc spider and educated herself to work.
 A woman's duties have always been in the home but an additional duty con- Srorts many young women of the 10th tCantyrv Many young women of the 9otb Century have to be bread winners
 He told of how he had been to Monte va1lo and saw young women receive d. thomas for stenography, telegraphy' cook ing and dress-naking and those young wornen he saw are going out into the world not only prepared to receive the roses and daisies but also prepared to take up their armament and prepare TOT battle.
 Alabama is great in natural resources hut its nractical development depends on inc mower of it's young men and women to develop these resources. He closed