The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-05-10
Wake Forest Orators.

/ For number Ofyears the students
! Of Wake Forest College have van
| qnisEed those who have met them in
debate, and the strength the men
from this college have developed in
the pulpit, at The bar and the forum
/ has been acknowledged everywhere
/ In Congress today the two most ef-
fectivc speakers in the North Caro-
lima delegation were trained in the
art Of public speaking in the literary
| societies of Wake Forest College. and
upon any question that comes before
the people, whether it be political, so
cial or religious, the sons of this
| school bear''a conspicuous part. Now
there must be a reason for this supe-
| riOr skill among the men from Wake
! crest. 1t is not, OF course, that they
| have more natural talent than 9th
crs They are simply North Carolina
! boys, like all the rest. Nevertheless,
| ther" is a reason somewhere, and it
| is we'll worth while to look for it, 1t
is generally conceded that the two
| literary societies of Wake Forest Col
lc@c have exercised q marvellous in
{ ~ oNfI UIlc IlN'9 vi illt 81
Any group OF boys that you may
| meet from Wake Forest fall naturally
/ into "reminiscences OF society llfe-the
rough and tumble struggle for mas
/ terry. and the victories and defeats of
| those splendid conflicts, leave the
/ charm OF their influence in the mem
! Orv OF men. We have found this par
| tirUlar feature III no other college SO
! greatly emphasized. The societies at
Wake Forest are the very life blood
| Di the college, and through them,
rather than in the class-rOOms, the
college has done by far its most tell
ing work in the particular we are
| discussing in this article. We are
! told that in many OF OurCOllegeS the
! irutefniticS have ovcrshadOWed and
/ pHrulvZod the work OF the societies,
. and consequently. wherever the fra
/ t"ruitN spirit i strong the society
spirit IS corrcSpOndiugly weak. Fra
trrmlti"s de- not develop mental
strength. The spirit OF the fraternity
is the spirit OF caste. 1t emphasizes
comgeniaIity of temper, and eNpends
! itself upon the effort to polish and
| refine and fit its vOtaries for the par
| IOr where the ieyOtecS OF ''SOcietv
love to linwer. rather than for the
huStimgs where men are found. Rug
@cd strength OF character IS not the
| passport into { ne fraternity so much
as the mOduIatcd voice. the graceful
bearing. and all those elegant attri-
| hutcS that adOrn the select and eX
.l, ! ,,,D,,1,r 1IC1
society. OF course we would not rail
against t hose natual divisions among
men that always have been and al
ways will be. There are distinctions
and differences that must be recOg
-nized and respected, but the point we
make is that the college. as a college,
must notrecognize these distinctions.
| Wake Forest has always been demo-
cratic-it must always be, or its Use
fulness is at an end. The fraternity
strikes Il fatal blow at the very tap
root OF democracy, because mental
power III its eyes is not so attractive,
ii it wears brOganS, as weakness i'll
patent leather, provided, of course,
that weakness is not dishOnOrable.
for we should not say that the fra
tcrnity is careless about the honor of
hose who jOin it. Now it is u we'll
known fact that, as Il rule, the men
who move things in the world are
not the men who in their youth in
hailed the perfumed air of the drawing
room. but rather those who followed
a bay mule barefOOted, and learned
in the cOrnficld how to manage men.
They 90 to the college from the farm.
awkward and ungainly boys from
the barkwO0ds, and find themselves
on the outside OF the fraternity be-
cuusr they are not fit to associate
with the sweet-scented chaps within.
They receive a hearty welcome into
the society. however, and under its
fostering care they soon show the
metal of which they are made. They
forge their way to the front by main
strength and awkwardness. They
may hc bunglim@ as oxen at a card
party. but woe betide the waNen fig
urc with store clothes who attempts
to meet one OF these country men
where mental strength becomes the
test. Wake Forest has through all
the wears n0uriShed her societies.
Size has never forgotten where her
@iuuts grow, In proportion as her
society spirit has run high and strong
her sons have gone out from her halls
cUuQuering and to conquer. The fra
tcruity spirit has not been uprOOted
Ht Wake Forest. We are aware of
lhat The cid time intolerance and
arrogance are still there: but it has
been outlawed. and the day the trus-
tees decided to do this was the bright
st day that has dawued upon the
college since the war, Not endOw-
mrut, not equipment, not the favor
ui the great and powerful, but men
are the crownin@ glory OF a college.
Ihe Baptist people OfNOrth Carolina
have poured their money into Wake
Forest. not that it might flood the
world with gentlemen who can shine
in tie polished circles OF society. but
that it may give Us men with rugged
power conSecrated to the service of
God and humanity. and the college
viii multiply her power exactly in
proportion To her faithfulneSs to the
people who breathed into her the
breath of life. and who furnish the
boys that crowd her rclass-rooms We
believe that the spirit of democracy
! that has always prevailed at Wake
| Forest, and that finds its best and
| highest expression in the influence OF
her two literary societies, is respon-
sible for the splendid victories she
has won and that have made her ia
nous throughout the South. 1t
makes no difference what other col
leges have done and are doing. the
question for Us to settle is what is
best for us. The glorious history of
Wake Forest College and the proud
!, position occupied by her sons in the
lie OF our country are the best an