The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-27


 purpose and high ideals. you may really begin to achieve the worthy aims of life. | These school days have not, been wisely spent unless you have formed habits of | labor and devotion to duty that will go with you through all the coming years | You have had great opportunities, now | show yourselves capable of meeting great | responsibilities.
 "You owe much to this great institu- tion It's laborious officers and their | friends, have hoped for great things from | those who go out from these walls. Do not disappoint them. Become yourselves | the argument for it's continued existence | and better equipment. Upon you. thus so highly favored, must devolve peculiar responsibilities. You are. in a large | measure charged with the future destiny of race. Upon you critical eyes will be fixed, and as you live and succeed, so all your people will be judged. Challenge | the confidence of the world by the char acters you maintain and the lives you | live.
 "Speakins here and elsewhere as the friend of the negro, l will not conceal from you the fact that in my judgment this is the most critical period in the
 history of your people. The older per sons of both races with their peculiar and pathetic attachments are fast pass ing away. Between the younger genera tions. there are no such ties of sympa- thy, but rather, fear, a growing es-
 arrangement
 And then there are others who have
 pronounced education a discredited ex-
 periment--a demonstrated failure in the
 elevation of the race. That instead of
 being a potential agent in the redemption
 of a people it has wrought them injury
 and threatens their ruin. A few have
 gone so far as to declare that education has increased immortality and crime. Now all this I have publicly and em- phatically challenged, and call upon YOU young people of this institution by the purity of your living and the fidelity of your service, to make good that chal- lenge. Demonstrate the fact that the agency which has been all-powerful in 1 tho history of every other people shall not meet it's first defeat at your hands. Answer those criticisms-manys of them perfectly honest and sincere-not by harsh and defiant speech, but by the overwhelming argument of u1assafiaole character and unquestioned integrity and unchallenged achievement.
 Let me counsel you to cultivate the spirit of patience and Christian cnarity- Be strong enough to abide the vindication
  years. and be Christian enough to meet complaint without malice or revenge. Above all things whatever the provoca- | ton. emulate the Man of Galiiee ana never harbor hate in your hearts. And remember that your characters are your own priceless possessions which can never be taken away" The man, the subject and the occasion were in perfect accord. and. in heartily grasping the hand of the Bishop ana | thanking him for his sermon, MT. Wash-
 ington assured him he had rendered | great service to the school and to the whole country.
 On Sunday evening at sunset the school band rendered the last of the series of sacred concerts for the year. | Along with the students were many | of their parents, also graduates oI years ago. Scattered over the lawns, in front of the library and Alabama Hall. were not less than 1000 much in- terested listeners to the excellent mu- | sic.
 On Monday evening Principal Wash inRton and his wife gave a reception
 and lunch to the senior class and their 1 friends The event occurred under the trees in front of the principals home and was a great occasion for the young people and their friends. Monday night the eleventh annual commencement exercises of the Phelps Hall Bible training school were held | in the chapel. This service is always an interesting and important one. No students are more thoroughly in earn est than those in the Bible department. All the pupils of the school, with their
 instructors, were seated upon the plat form, A part of the exercises each year consist of the recitation of pas sages of Scripture. in concert, and the singing, by all the students in the Bible school of their fayorlte hymns. This part of the exercise Is very in- teresting and is always exceedingly
 well done. Six young men graduated and gave brief addresses of spirit and
 real merit.
 John E. Benion of Northport, spoke on "The Importance of Bible study, 1 Joseph w. Cochran of Charleston, s. C., on The Minister, the Ethical Leader"
 Edward Cunning ham of Eufaula, Ala, on The Layman in the Community" Walter Lawton of Lambethville, Ark, on The Necessity of Moral Training
 for Children" Percy W. Taylor of Mo-
 bile. on The Truth" and Cameron c. | Alleyne of Barbados, British West ln-
 dies, on "Industrialism and the Negro
 Race"
 Bishop J. w. Alstock of the A. M E. Church closed the evening with an | excellent address to the young men.
 He spoke on the Importance of the Bible in a Ministers Life" He dwelt upon the different phases of mental and moral character, which they neededP to cultivate and urged them to earnest ness and helpfulness in everything | they did. "A sluggard," he said, has
 no place in your holy calling. Roll up your sleeves, cut wood. dig, do any service that your surroundings way
 require. that you may be help and not a burden"
 The Bible school has received fifty l seven during the year. one of them a
 woman. They are from twelve differ ent States, Indian Territory. the West youngest Is, average age "A; 52 are single. five married. Thirteen. of the namber were already licensed to preach when they entered. An excel lent high school was carried on dur ing the year. All of the number were preachers and many of them rode sev-
 eral miles, after working hard all day. All of the day students work one half of each day to pay their expenses. In
 this way they go out possessed with the spirit of work, both in and out of the pulpit. Including this years class, forty mine have graduated. The effect of the Bible training school upon the life of all the students Is most marked. The young men are among the most active workers, both in and out of the | school. All of the churches and Sunday