The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-06
Portrait of Professor
 Presented.
Alumni of Alabama Polytechnic Insti- tute Heard Stirring Address on Child Labor By Hinds
 Peavy of Birm-
 ingham.
BY WILL T. sHEEHAN.

pondence. )--"You have planted for the ages. 4 friend told Socrates that once IL as one of the greatest things that had ever been said of him or his work,
 portrait of Professor Otis D. Smith bama's great seat of industrial educa- tion. The institution today was frag- rant with his memory It was Alumni Day and the old boys gathered again by the hundreds among the scenes of their happiest years. The memory of the mature man, quickened and recep- tive among the scenes of his youth strong and gentle man, who has passed frotm earthly view. whose deeds live ar ter him and whose influence survives the years.
 their annual gathering here a day of honor for the memory of Professor Otis o. Smith Hinds Peavy. not so many years ago a college boy in Au, burns walls, delivered today the Annual A splendid Iife-sized portrait of Pro. lessor Smith, done in oil by Samuel Hoffman of Montgomery. was presented l to the college by the alumni. Present. ed by W. W. Pearson of Montgomery of the class of 1882. and E. M. Oliver of the class of 1876, the picture was wrapped in eloauence; and d,ising deGoraeed efi lection and remembrance. With the same affection. with the same appreci- alton of the splendid life lived by the great teacher, 1t was accepted by Capt Remembered Prof. smith. And not man sat within the audi torium of Langdon Hall but remem- teacher. guide and counsellor and friend If 1t Is full life to live in af- fection. to be immortal in influence, then indeed the strong man who spent k Ato f,xI t1f e fy, hn Auburn lived the full life.
 The alumni held a business meeting, they sat down together at delightful banquet enlivenod by wit and eloauencel the competitive drills of the cadet bat talion were held, and commencement girls in beautiful toilets decorated and redecorated the tree-shaded campus, but | that about which interest most clust- cred were those impressive exercises | this morning at 10 o'clock in Langdon Hall.
 In the modest fruitful life he led, it | probably never occurred to Professor | Smith that in after years, his instruc- tions and association with him would be cherished by the boys, whom he | taught as some of the finest things life. How much he was planting for | the ages" he never knew. He could hardly have looked so far into the fu- ture as to see the harvest in all its l few men have so wrought and so | achieved as Otis D. Smith, in that field of endeaer to which he devoted | his life.
 Was a New Highlander. A man of education, teacher he came from the north and the fortunes to the South where he made his for | ence of New England thought and edu- cation he did not hesitate to. when the crisis came. to shoulder musket and light with his fellows for his adopted | State
 His life is indissolubly enwrapped with the life of Auburn; He was at helped 1t grow to its present splendid stature. He chose to spend his life | in modestry and usefulness, and before new Rs ops ss. aew which G s Se was assured of perpetpity and of sue cess. He did not. perhaps, know the depths of the affection and love. of nor of that great part of Auburn's sue him.
 the incident of this expressed love to- day comes as a fine evidence that dol lar getting Is not the main thing in life and that the life of the student and the teacher has its own rewards of honor.
 The alumni orator. Hon. Hinds Peavy is a young Auburn graduate who has gone to Birmingham and there built It was an eloquent address he made The audience received 1t approvingly and at times enthusiastically. So fine a speech does not often come from so young a man.
 He was presented to the big audi saGe o by 6bsp9n IocsT D Se pss entation was happily made and the warm reception. of his audience put MT. Peavy upon firm footing for his ex- cellent oratorical effort
 Spoke On Child Labor.
 MT. Peavy chose to speak upon the vital question of child labor. The vii injustices that were being committed l under the present deplorable conditions
 Tn the Alabama cotton mills were ,viv- | the hearts of his hearers.
 His hearers were given new view cotton mills. and a new view of the present law on child labor in Alabama | which was so useless and ineffective. | His speech he explained was some visible of the worlds workers. the 1 workers who sing in the bushes Of life, hidden and unseen" The song had to do with the life work of a little Ala May.
 lie pictured first in striking words the child life refiected S by the 'G peren. rem nial beauty of the hill country of | North Alabama where he first saw | these innocent children at o'clock on
 summer. forming dancing their way to work in a great cotton mill. He
 when the whistle blew and when John and Mary had begun the unequal task or pltting their feeble strength against a remorseless combination of steam
 and steel, And when the day was done
 what of the children who went so joy ously into the mill?
 Here they come Poor wounded
 spirits trembling from the worlds
 shock. Poor little pended backs with
 nothing to, support them. Poor little
 tired feet dragging slowly. on.
 | Slow stolid, supplied, senseless,
 covered with lint from head to heel.
 they approached, the cotton covered
 ghosts Of the States better life-the
 debllitated. decivilized products of a
 raise political economy-their silence.
 thelr muteness. the articula to ex-
 pression of their great agony
 Continuing MT. PeavY said: And on
 that August day looking upon the spir-
 ltual death of those two children from
 that commercial travesty that enriched
 the states material wealth and paup-
 mat was the civilization which our leg
 lumate institutions were called upon
 10 protect to run up the flag of pro- l test and let 1t wave to the time when
 justice and mercy and equity would
 once more sit In the seats of the nigh
 should know that the money changers
 sat In the portals of her temple, that | they trafficked in the coin of the soul" | Most Terrible Picture.
 My friends. 1t was the most terrible
 BIG BIC ture ever saw, child deadened in
 tne rose bloom of life. for profit be- | yond the capacity and power for pleas
 gre and for play robbed of those in-