The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-09

might paint tho picture in such last ing. vivid colors that they would neither fade nor blur, lut sink so deeply Into your hearts and minds that 1t would always continue an inspira- ton and permanent suggestion to you.
 assert deliberately that, in my judg- ment this institution is of greater value. viewed from any standpoint. than any mill. or any factory. or any furnace in the State, or 1t may be all of them-and I will tell you why. We have here tangible evidence of what one can d, One man, with an idea, who has faithfully pursued 1t with unselfish and unflagging purpose for the good of his fellow men, has made this institution. What object lesson could be more elevating and enobling? What more eloquent sermon could be preached on our duty to our neighbor than this institution? But some man will say: Where and how has 1t benefited us? What has How has it helped the StateT' Thesanswer is bvious, if you will only pause and think for a moment. What Is the most valuable product of Alabama? What really and truly enriches the State above all things? What Is now. and always has been.
 
 precious asset?
 My friends, 1t is net the cotton nor the corn. It is not the furnaces or mills. It Is not the amount of money we have. But 1t is the men and wo- men of the State For if we have these good. then all the other things come as surely as day follows night. Show me your men and women and will tell you what material things you have.
 Now, your furnaces turn out iron; your factories turn out their several kinds of goods, each of its kind, like what was turned out the day or the year before. while this institution turns out men ant women; and no man can estimate the value of one man or one woman.
 Where did your furnaces come from? Where did you mills come from? Where did your improved cotton come from? Where did your improved corn come from7 Where did your improved agricultural implement come from? Where did everything that means ad- vance in character, in morals, in re- ligion, and in personal comfort to each of you come from? Each In its turn came from one man. One idea. Pardon me for one word of digres- sion. because I am preaching you the doctrine of utility and not religion. Where did your religion come from? Where do you get all the solace and comfort that you feel from your faith in reliigon2 Now, hear one of my old friends over in the audience--an elder, or a deacon, or a preacher In the church--tell me t. y came from Jesus? My friends, the same man must admit, whatever his faith may be In the divinity of Jesus that at least 1t was the one man who had the faith, who had the idea who had the sense of justice and righteousness. who had the profound faith in charity and love that has spread all over the world, to all manner of men, to their better ment and comfort. When anything good comes, when anything comes for the improvement and betterment or men, and we seek to find out how IL came we are at last reduced to the proposition that one man has started. in the humblest way, all of the great movements that have produced great results in the world.
 Now, let us leave this aspect. Who was it discovered your mineral wealthT One mani Who was 1t devised the furnace to put it in marketable shapef Che mani Who was 1t devised machin- cry to gin your cotton? One mani Who was it devised machinery to put it into cloth? One man! And so you may go through the whole list, and when we come down to the end of things we find that one man generated the Idea, and from this grew all the wealth and prosperity which the gen erations that follow reap.
 Now, where did these men come from2 Look back over the records Of history and you will d that nearly all of these men came from just the same places that these Tallapoosa boys come from-from farms in the country where, by the fortunate accident or poverty, they @ere forced to work in their youth, and thereby secured the physical strength to stand the strain that was afterwards put upon them.
 Go to your cities--either in the South or out of it-and see who the men are who have made their marks in the world, and you will discover that IL is in a large measure these same coun- try boys that are going to this lnstl- tute to get the foundation for an eau cation which will enable them to make e mark in the world for tnem selves, and to better the condition or their fellow men.
 have learned with modification that this institute, the only educational establishment in Alabama TOT the ln- dustrial education of white boys Tn the State, receives no share from the public revenues. and I appeal confi- dently to you people of Taliapoosa ana section to see to it that your represen- tatiyes in the Legislature shall not longer allow this to continue. do not mean by this to assail your worthy senatorial representatives, but do ap- neal with confidence to the voters or this county, to the men who have the interest oI the future men and women of Tallapoosa county at heart to work in season and out and to see to 1t that the present Legislature does not ad- iourn without adequat, appropriation from a plethoric treasury to support an institution which Is of such vital interest to you all.
 MT. London spoke eloquently on civil duties and urged all to do we'll their part. ...
 Thus ended one of the best years of this splendid institution.