The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-02
sprkie Mae Miller. velma Jones.

The essays read by the students were 0arefully prepared and were well de- hvered. Especially thoughtful was the paper on Lessons from History" by Anna 0nantt. the only real black young | woman in the class The Dignity of Labor" by William Madison expressed a clear appreciation of the purpose of the school and the valedictory of Rob ert Dandridge was in good taste and was rendered with fine expression and sympathetic understanding of the oc- | casion.
 Napier Alexander. son of Nathan H. AL exander. had won the prize of the So- lourners' Truth Club for the best es- say there was enthusiastic applause. Ine young man came forward and read ah excellent paper on Toussaint Lou Verture, the San Dominican martyr and patriot.
 Diplomas were delivered to the mem- pers or the class by President Paterson arter he had made an earnest address to the students teeming with sound ad- vice and uplifting sentiments. He call ca attention to the fact that one mem per or the class was the offspring of two graduates of the institution. He said the President and the faculty had Kept record of all of the 300 students who had graduated from the school, ana that not one of them had Fever been candidate for the penitentiary.
 certificates for proficiency in sewing were awarded to George Coleman. An nie Nesbitt Brown and Irene Webb There are 3S5 young women in the sewing department of the school and their exhibition was a revelation to many persons who viewed their work.
 prize was awarded to Lula Airing ton for the best garden work in the Department of Agriculture. and the Hxr this young woman received the prize last year was applauded.
 After delivering the diplomas and certificates to the students, President Paterson introduced Capt. J. M, Falk- ner member of the Board of Trus- tees.
 Captain Falkner made a stirring ad- dress to the negroes He declared that this was the most superior school of It's kind in the world. He said that he astonished member of the Robert c. ogden party when he told him that this school accommodated nearly as many pupils as that of Booker Wash ington at Tuskegee at a cost of about sl5,OO0 a year when Washington's school expended yearly nearly $200, 900. The applause that greeted this state ment showed that Montgomery negroes are loyal to their home institution.
 Continuing, Captain Falkner said he
 
 school and he was proud of the class Of 1904. He admonished the class to go out Into the world and reflect credit or the school, There was missionary work for educated negroes on the plan tations of Alabama and this was one object of the school The black race. he said. were good people and he would testify to 1t anywhere in the world, Bad negroes were sometimes lynched he said. but they were not the negroes who came within the influence of this school, and they were not the negroes who were jealous in the welfare of their churches.
 The man who would not lift down and pull up his brother, whether he was black, yellow, red or brown Cap- tain Falkner declared, had lived his life in vain. He deplored the hyste- ria of certain element of people who slandered the whites and the blacks. There was a good feeling among the races, he said, and 1t was best demon- strated by the scene before him.
 In conclusion Captain Falkner urged the negroes to respect their women and to teach their women to demand re- spect from their men. Education of the right sort, he told the negroes. was the solution of whatever troubles they miRht feel
 Father Dorsey, a negro priest, fol- lowed Captain Falkner. He spoke el- oquently Of the uplifting influence of education. Social equality was not de- sired, he declared. He had travelled all over the country. he said, and he had been accorded respect and shown much cordiality.
 Rev. Frank Seay was then introduced by President Paterson as a son of the late Governor Seay who had been one of the first and staunchest friends of the institution among the public men of Alabama.
 MT. Seay addressed the audience briefly but pointedly. He congratulat- ed the class and the school and said that President Paterson was doing a work in Alabama which he declared similar to the work being done among the lowly class of New York by Jacob Riis.
 Nathan Alexander and Judge c. W. Buckley also addressed the class and the school.
 The large audience was dismissed with benediction by Bishop J. w. Alstork.
 Visitors thronged the various depart ments of the school throughout the day and viewed the practical work of the students The farm. the carpenter shop, the blacksmith department, the sewing rooms, the modelling rooms and the class rooms were admired for their neatness and the specimens of work on exhibit.