The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-30
THE SPIRIT OF
THE OGDEN PARTY
Significance Of Southern
Educational Conference.
NORTH is LEARNING
Distinguished Visitors Come in Bret
erIy Spirit With Minds Set On
Understanding of Column
bia Meeting and Famous
Participants.
(By ROBERT L. GRAY.)

Columbia, S. c., April %
Why one should desire to wranglc
over the Southern Educational Con-
ference or rail at the very pleasant
Northern visitors who annually come
to the Southern States to attend its
meetings, is to one on the spot who
has met a number of the leaders in
the movement, has listened to their
addresses, pitched every one on the
high plane of mutual aid and section
al understanding, is mystery that
irritates with the sense OF It's Jolly
and it's lack of taste.
That there has been such criticism
even in some instances vituperation,
of these gentlemen betrays the quail
ty of an unthnking and mischievous
suspicion. Certainly there is nothing
either in the acts or deliberations OF
the conference itself or in the per-
sonnet of it's membership on which
logical objection could be based. from
the strongest of Southern points or
view.
In the turmoil of the fears" which
are professed, in the detection of vi
cious and harmful tendencies" which
the conference is said to foster, it is
generally overlooked that the confer
ence itself is a Southern institution
The great majority of the members
come from the South, the speakers
at the meetings are for the most
part native Southern educators en-
gagged in work in Southern States. The
Northern contingent is in fact as we'll
as in theory party of gentlemen
seeking light at Southern hands. That
they come as the guests of Mr. Og-
den in a private train seems to be the
gist of their offenSe, which is a fact
of malign significance to the carpers
who see in their presence the canker
worm of Southern ideals and South
ern tradition, educational, religious
and political.
Teaching Northern Men.
There seems to be a lively dread
that these Northern men will teach
much evil; as a matter of fact they
are learning much good. The South
ern educational conference is doing
most of it's educating North of the
Mason and Dixon's line. The effect
of the present and the past meetings
is evident in the utteranceS and in
the manner of nearly every Northern
visitor. There is a breadth about the
Ogden party which is encouraging to
one accustomed to the provincialism
of the average Yankee" One hears
of moo York" quite incidentally; one
hears much of changed opinion as to
the aims. the ambition and the pro-
blems of the South. Such commiser-
alton as is expressed or limited at by
the "Ogdenites" is at the delay of
Northern minds and Northern senti-
ment in coming to learn the truth.
Then, too, the conference itself is
really that and nothing more. 1t has
no definite policy; is engaged in no
active Campaign" of any sort or de-
scription. 1t is simply an inter
change of views between commonly
interested men from sections of diff
fering conditions. Its motif is purely
and simply generous discussions and
a seeking after truth at first hand
Such practical benefits as come to the
South and it's institutions through the
medium of the influence OF the con-
ference are collateral to It's work in
duced by the new knowledge and the
better sympathy which the conference
creates.
The Conference and Its Scope
What is the conference and how
did it originate? It is simply the
larger growth of the meetings of some
prominent men in Virginia hotel.
For several years the Capon Springs
hotel i'm Virginia entertained a group
of gentlemen including DR.. j. l.. M.
Currie, Hon. William l.. Wilson, DR..
Charles Dabney, DIR. G.. d. McIver Mr..
r. c. Ogden, Hon. w. L. Baldwin,
DIR. e. A. Alderman and George Fos-
ter Peabody These gentlemen met
for several years and informally dis
cussed educational problems prepar-
ed papers and compared views. 1t
was merely a private gathering of
friends of common interests Finally,
impressed with the fact that their
gatherings had been self-enlightening,
ii was determined to have a public
conference at Winston-Salem. That
was four or five years ago. Very few