The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-11
GIFT To GOVERNOR.
Teachers of State Pre-
sent Silver Service
to Aycock.


present at one of the most pleasant
and appreciative of the incidents that
marked the retirement from office Of
| the chief executive, the presentation
| to him of a SilVr service of q value
exceeding five hundred dollars which
had been bought with the contributions
| of teachers of schools all over the
State. of every grade from the profess
| sors in the University and the denomi-
national colleges to the back-woods
| Dedagogue in the rural district. The
| gift was a token of esteem that the
teaching profession feels warmly for
the man who has done so much for
| the cause of education and the revival
of interest in school progress and de-
Velopment.
The presentation was made by Prof.
j. |. Foust, President of the Teach
| erS' Assembly, who gracefully said:
| Governor Aycock: Before retiring
from the high office YOU have flllcd
| SO faithfully and with 50 much credit
| to yourself and to your State the
teachers of North Carolina have a few
words to say to you. AS President CT
the North Carolina Teachers Assem-
IDLY, the Executive Committee has
chosen me to perform for them one
of the most pleasant duties of my
! life. We are not willing for YOU to re-
| tire from office without knowing how
| thoroughly we appreciate the lasting
service you have rendered to the cause
| of education. nor can we permit You
to go until we have presented to you
some token showing the esteem in
| which you are held among us.
For some years before YOU became
governor every true teacher was StriV-
| ing with whatever power he possessed
| to teach our people the necessity of
training every child in the State. At
| hIlf -lp
| down upon us most heavily. You can
| never fully appreciate how much II
| was lightened when Won. with the in
| fluence and power of your office, came
| to our aid. We had faith enough to
believe that the brighter day for
! North Carolina and her peonle would
| finally come, but your work has great
i ly fastened its coming and has en-
abled us to go about our daily tasks
Wieth much more cheerfulnesS. Not
only is this true, but you, by your
/ logic and eloquence, have taught the
people something of the Importance
and magnitude of our work, and
hence they are more willing TO follow
| our leadership in matters pertaining
! to education.
| 1t gives us pleasure to bear testi-
| mony to the fact that you have more
| than redeemed the pledge YOU made
to the people when nominated for the
D.
| wealth
When the officers of the North Car
DINA Teachers Assembly and other
educators took up the question of Sc
curing contributions with which to
present YOU this testimonial, the re-
spouse from the profession was spon-
taneous and unanimous. Not only so.
| but some with whom we did not COM
municate directly. hearing OF what Wls
! being uRdertaen wrote begging the
privilege of contributing From the
representatives of every grade of edu-
| cational work within our state came
/ expressions Of esteem ana apprecia-
! ton of you for your service, that
i would gladden. the heart of any man
/ who values the good opinion of his
| fellow citizens.
| You have availed yourself of every
i opportunity for giving dignity ana
| poWer to our profession and for pro-
/ noting the ideas for which we stand.
| When it became YOUR duty 10 select 4
State Superintendent to fill out an UNI
expired term. you chose one actively
| engaged in teaching-d man VINO rep~
resents all of our highest ideals. The
wisdom of your choice is commented
by the results.
The personal ties between YOU and
a great many of us are very strong.
/ We. however, have come here as citi-
Zens and teachers to honor you, not
| merely because of personal attach
ment. We honor YOU because YOU
| have rendered a great service to the
! people of North Carolina by buildinE
up the educational waste places You
are the most conspicuous representa-
tive of class of statesmen, who, OF
| ten at some sacrifice, have stood Tor
universal education. We shall teach
the children of the State to keep in
remembrance your name and the
names of these others We cannot
hold before them true ideals of states
manship without doing this.
| I cannot tell YOU the JOY it affords
US to present to you this silver ser
vice. 1t very feebly expresses our
high esteem for you personally and
our appreciation of the great service
| you have rendered to our profession
and to the State of North Carolina.
The Governor, in reply speaking
4 slowly, extemporaneously and with evil
dent deep feeling said:
MIR. Chairman and Gentlemen:--l
wish that | had the words adequately
| to express my gratitude for this gift.
/ wished that ] deserved more fully
the kind words that have been spoken.
| The people of North Carolina have all
| been SO generous to me that / am
under bonds to serve them in the fu-
! ture better than | have been able to
! do in tn past. This tribute from the
I
! touches me deeply. You were kline
enough Mr.. Chairman, to speak Of
| my courage in standing for universal
| education. | wish to say that it dtd
not take any courage because | knew
| this people, knew the sacitices that
| they were prepared to make in or
| der to carry out what they have
| planned. Even two years ago, when
! the criticism of our educational pol
! icy was at it's height. while many
! things were said that hurt me, never
| lost faith for d moment. L knew that
| the time would surely come when
| those principles would be indicated.
! When | remembered what this people
! of North Carolina had done and had
suffered in the great war, how more
men had gone to the front as sol
dicrs than there were voters, and how
| the women had sacrificed themselves
in the hardships which they endured
| dying at home as fast as the men
died from the shot and shell, ] felt
that this people would achieve any
thing to which they had set their
hearts. 1t didn't take courage to be-
lieVe that, it ust took faith in the