The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-02
Editorial Correspondence.

last word of the one hundred and
tenth annual commencement of the
University of North Carolina was spo-
ken today by Hon. Francis d. Win
ston, acting as Governor in presenting
the diplomas to the class of sixty
graduates. Mr.. Winston and his
brother were the first students to reach
Chapel Hill upon the re-opening. in
1875 and there has not been a year
since when a member of that talented
family was not represented in the fac
ulty, the student body, or the board
of trustees of the University, and it
was good to see Frank" Winston,
as his host of friends call him, upon
the thirtieth anniversary of his ma
circulation here, as the acting Cover
nor of the Commonwealth, giving 30
the graduates the Bibles and diplomas.
The enforced absence of Governor
Glenn was greatly regretted. but Gov
ernor Winston did the honors with
grace and dignity.
One hundred and ten years is a long
time in the life of any American in
stitution This University was born
played a large part in the history of
a large section of the country. 1t was
the first university organized in the
South-thrown open and attracting
students while the University of Vir
ginia had no existence save in the
brains of Thomas Jefferson. 1t drew
students from every Southern State
and before the war no institution in
the country had so large an attend
ance from so many States. With the
establishment of colleges of high grade
and universities in all the Southern
States, naturally it lost the large pat
ronage from those States and became
dependent chiefly upon North Carolina
from which to draw upon for nine
tenths of it's matriculates. The
closing session has seen an en-
rollment of two hundred more stu
dents than the high-water mark of
called, 1.-The golden age of the Univer-
sity." The attendance was large then
and the University was q city set upon
a hill, but it never touched the life
it found it's chief mission in training
leaders in church and State, the bulk
of Its patronage coming from the large
planters of the Southern States, many
of whose sons regarded college edu-
cation more as an accomplishment
than to fit them to return to their
homes and carry the light to the hum
blest and the poorest. They did not
then as now realize that service was
the end and aim of education, and we
have not yet realized it fully.
The Legislature of 1905 was the
first legislative bodygin the history of
the, State to appropriate out of the
money raised by taxation a sum to
erect building on the campus here,
having appropriated fifty thousand
dollars to erect a Chemical Building.
No institution in America is stronger
in it's Chemical Department than this
and the need for a suitable building
with modern, scientific equipment was
sorely felt. The legislators saw the
need. They gave every dollar asked
for without a dissenting vote. Why?
Because the people of North Carolina
have come to see and to feel in every
to
fulness of this University. Many of
them in other days regarded it as a
college to train preachers and lawyers,
but did not see that it touched the
State in helping the pubic school in
the poorest neighborhood. And-for
the truth must be told-not few
regarded it as a place rather for the
of those who had wealth or
some other influence that gave power.
AS long as these two impressions pre-
vailed it was like drawing eye-teeth
to get appropriations for the Univer-
sity. Once the late Judge George Y.
by a speech of such elOquence
as one hears but once in q life time,
time the. earnest efforts of Col Paul
B. Means were of great value. Presi-
dent Battle and others labored with
zeal and patriotism to obtain an APP
with which the institution
might continue. But now that the
usefulness is seen and felt
everywhere in the State there is no
opposition to liberal appropriations.
1t is rare that a commencement
orator completely wins the hearts and
of all as did Congressman
Boutell. He came among US a
stranger; he leaves behind him many
new-made friends who will hope to
welcome him to North Carolina again.
/ doubt if fifty people in North Caro-
lima had ever so much as heard
of him when he delivered his notable
address at the Union League Club last
year, in which he adopted substan
TALLY the view of Henry Grady and
advised the North to "let the South
alone" and trust It to solve it's hard