The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-27
MIR. GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY.


thousand dollars to the University of
Georgia. He was born in Georgia, is
lot an alumnus of the University,
made his fortune in New York and
owed nothing of his success to the in
stitution to which he is one of the
most constant benefactors. Desiring
to add a modern and thoroughly ef-
icient agricultural college to the use
fulness of the University, the trustees
undertook to raise the additional
500, 900 necessary for that sum. Mr..
Peabody will give $4,000. He has
not only given money, but has given
wise counsel and shown his deep in
terest in it by giving to the manage
ment the benefit of the views his ex-
perience and knowledge have caused
him to form. Money, coupled with
such assurances of deep interest, is a
blessing to any institution, and espe-
cially to any Southern institution all
Of which are doing noble work with
small resource.
North Carolina has cause to join the
Constitution in, it's warm commenda-
ton Of Mr. Peabody because he has
manifested lively interest in its edu-
cational progress. He gave a hand
some sum to the State Normal and
Industrial College at Greensboro which
has been expended to buy and beautify
Peabody Park, the recreation and
play ground for the more than five
hundred young women at that great
institution.
1t is pleasant to see that the en-
thusiasm felt by Mr.. Peabody for edu-
cational advancement in his native sec
ton is appreciated by and voiced by
the Souths greatest newspaper-the
Atlanta Constitution. Here is a man
who has given money and time and
counsel within the past four years to
educational institutions in Virginia and
North Carolina, South Carolina, Geor-
gia. Alabama and Tennessee, besides
his generous contributions through
the General Education Board and the
Southern Education Board to educa-
tional institutions and educational
campaigns in nearly every Southern
State Mr.. Peabody is treasurer of
both the above named boards, and is
largely responsible for the existence of
both. 1t was chiefly through the in
fiuence of the late Hon. j. L. NJ. Curry
THAT Mr.. Peabody and Mr.. Ogden en-
tered into cooperation with the teach
! ing profession in the South to strength
en- where possible. it's admirable and
courageous struggle i'm behalf of uni
versal education.
Their action has been so rarely gen.
erous that it has been incomprehensi-
BILE to some good people in the South.
though the overwhelming majority of
those who understand the conditions
appreciate thoroughly the fraternai
spirit in which these and other broad
| minded men have decided not to con-
| fine their philanthropic investments
any more than they confine their bust
ness investments exclusively to their
own sections. Mr.. Ogden. for instance,
through North Carolina corporations
IN which he is a stockholder. has been
for a long time taxpayer in this
State. If he desires to contribute to a
campaign fund to enable the teachers
to persuade the people to vote addi-
tional taxes on their property and his
property to increase educational IA
cilities for the children of the State,
ought any one to hinder him or i'm
pugn his motive?
Admit that these men have given
largely to institutions like Hampton
and. Tuskeegee for negroes and In
dams, would anybody in North Caro-
lima think less of the gifts Of Reynolds,
Sprunt and Duke because they had
established negro hospitals in Winston,
Wilmington and Durham? The fact
that the County superintendent of
North Carolina and the State Superin-
tendents of the South passed formal
resolutions of appreciation of the
value of it's work of the Southern Edu-
cation Board ought to prevent the real
friends of education from trying to re-
tard progress by raising outside issues
that have no bearing upon the real
merits of the work, and especially
censurable are distortion or misrepre-
sentation of facts.
Mr.. Peabody is the sort of success
full financier who best illustrates the
Southern spirit Born in Georgia. as
young man he moved to New York
where he has made fortune-not a
mammoth fortune like the big rich.
but his success has been sufficient to
give him an ample fortune. He is q
broad-guaged man who has not out
grown his love for the section that
gave him birth. He has preserved
his religion and his politics and they
are potent influences in shaping his
life. He still belongs to the class of
men who, to quote DR.. Alderman.
love God, read Walter Scott and vote
the Democratic ticket u trinity of
virtues that will save a man in this
world and, in the world to come. Some
Southern men who go North feel that
to succeed they must turn their back
upon their political or religious train