The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-13


terial in the faculty, but that the
rule had now been broken. Prof.
Johnson, before beginning mis- o'ation.
said that he felt sorry that the rule
had been broken. He then began his
address, really excellerr one, f ~ of
s"'Illd advice Il. his race ..nd il -.
among other things he said:
The Literary Address.
In discussing the race question there
are certain finalities that must be con-
sidered. That we must educate is a
hnality; that we must be industrious
is finality. The educated, indus
trious useful people multiplying their
chances in life a thousand times over
those who are otherwise The kind
of education one should have is mat.
ter of individual taste and preference.
No steretyper scheme could be mapped
out. A medium line should be struck
wherein the average man or woman
would be cared for-the smart ones
would take care of themselves. There
is wisdom in knowing and recognizing
our mites and bounds-if the pounds
of our habitation" are fixed we must
know the lines thereof and govern
ourselves accordingly. If the coiored
boy cannot rise, through the same
channel as the white, a change of
course should be adopted rather than
whining and butting his head against
finalities with consequent loss of
time and opportunity. A little farm
a little business. a little forethought, a
little planning, a little struggle will
win a competency. There are white
friends in the South who are willing
to help the struggling negro. If the
individual cannot plan and dig and
work; if the race cannot do so, it is
doomed. 1t is not enough to work
without thought Carlyle says: HE
who works without thought will ever
be the shame of him who thinks" Life
represents struggle from the cradle
to the grave. The birds of the air. the
fishes of the sea must all struggle for
existence. The great South American
condor is said to fly 400 miles TO get
his breakfast, sweeping down from his
Andean heights to the sea. Gibbons
wrote over his rise and fall of the Ro-
man Empire twenty-five times. The
great individual, the great race never
stops at difficulties, but is rather
trained and disciplined by them.
The negro has done we'll in this
country. He will, at the present rate
of increase, represent over 2l,OO0,OOO
in this country in another hundred
years. He now has over $S90,000,OOO
his illiteracy from SO per cent at the
close of the war to SIS per cent at
present. 1t won't be long before he
will make it zero.
The South has increased her popula-
ton over SO per cent since 1880 and
increased her wealth from $424,0O0,-
600 to 81, 5000, 900. This has been
done by the help of the black man,
who is a recognized factor in her
Phoenix-like growth. The negro has
not been simply a locker on in Ven
ice, and therefore has a right to
share in this great prosperity. He is
getting it in better schools and teach
ing force, better homes and better
wages. The opportunities for the
young people of the race in the South
are abundant. We have been enamel
pated from. slavery. The new enamel
patton is to emancipate from ignor-
ance and crime. There are $4,000 log
cabins in the southland in which there
are barefoot boys and girls, waiting
for the touch of the school master.
Not only bare of feet, but bare of
Undertaking. There is the field of
usefulness unparalleled in history. He
who would save his life must lose it
said the Nazarene. Lose it in helping
to transform these soul temples and
polish them with the dust of civiliza-
ton The girl with the united shoes
the disheveled hair, the torn garments
the shutting gate, the drawing whine
in the home of unswept floor, un-
washed windows and untidy kitchen
must be transformed. The boys who
loaf on the street corners must be cor
rallied and placed in manual training
schools. 1t is better to provide these
schools to promote bad characters be-
ing formed than to establish chain
gangs after they have already been de-
veloped If some of the young people
are incorrigible, heroic remedies are
Necessary. The worse the disease the
more thorough the treatment.
A consecrated life of seriousness is
the demand of the hour like radium
which gives out its own light and one
drachem of which, it is said, is suffi-
cient to lift the whole British Navy-to
the top of Ben Nevis. William Pc -
said: 81 expect to pass through til
life but once; if there is any kindness
or any good thing | can do to my fell
low beings, let me do it now; 1 shall
pass this way but once" Put in life
our best, good. honest faithful work
however humble it may be, and we
shall receive our just reward; other
wise we shall find when too late that
we have squeezed the orange dry and
nOtnlng Dut the flnu Is lell.
Following this there was chorus
that was enioved and then came the
presentation of diplomas, the re.na ks
in dong 1his being made by Rev. A.
w. PeglIes who was very witty i'm do
ing so. He also spoke in serious vein
ara his remarks were select as to en-
courage the graduates to so out into
life and do things, not to sit idly
by and depend on others.
Then diplomas, with the degree OF
A. 3. were presented 10 Charles ~.
Smythwick, and Normal to Mary Z.
Terrell. Rosabelle f. Manley aud
Minnie l. Richardson. After this GER
tificates were presented by Dr.. Me-
serve to Annie +. Bower, Ella b. + =
mar and Emma NJ Simmons in the
Missionary Training school, and il:
the Sewing department to Judith FL.
Eaton, Hattie F. Fields Veora Hack
ney, Cora E. Highsmith, Alberta
Hollres, Celeste r. Keene, Callie L.
Kirkland, A. Laura Lyon, Caroline
Mcmillan. Martha Mercer, Elizabeth
B. Polk, Katharine j. Pronty, Mamie
Sam son, Nancy A. Wright.
1t was next announced that in the
Sewing Department the prize for thu
first years work Welt 90 Mary Snow
den, with honorable mention to Willie