The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-05
ORATORS CONTEST
 AT GREENSBORO Eight Juniors of Southern Uni
 versity Take Part LITERARY ADDRES 5 Rev. E. c. McVay of Kansas City Deliv- CTS Address Before Alumni Asso-
 citation on The Gentleman.
 Tribute to the South.
LITERARY ADDRES s

Greensboro, June 4.-(Special)- The junior oratorical contest last evening par ticipated in by eight young gentlemen from the junior class, was exceedingly interesting, the young men all showing the most careful training A unique fea- ture of the evening was the clever man. ner in which Q. w. Thompson. one of the speakers, extricated himself from the dilemma caused by forgetting his speech. After thinking hard for a second, he seemed to realize the futility of waiting and gracefully bowed himself off the rostrum with the quotation, "He who fights and runs away, will live to fight another day."
 This morning at 10;30 o'clock occurred the inter-society oratorical contest. Four young men contested for the medal offer ed by the two literary societies. Two speakers were elected from the Bellies Lettres society and two from the Clarlos. Ther subjects were as follows:
 "The Spirit of War" F. T. Turnipseed. "The Crisis in Russia" J. H. Williams. Solo, "Beloved It is Morn." Awkward.
 An Ideal Man." J. T. DeBardeeben.
 America and the Philippines" J. A. Wood.
 Solo, Love Song" Haesche.
 At the conclusion of this programme the annual literary address was delivered by Dr. Andrews Sledd, president of the university of Flofida.
 This position is elective and Dr. Sedd was almost the unanimous choice of the boys who knew him during his professor ship in the Southern university. Dr. Sledd delivered magnificent address and the audience showed its appreciation by the heartiest and most prolonged applause. It was several minutes after he closed before Dr. Hosmer could be heard. pr. Sledd spoke on the liberating power of educa- tion.
 This evening at 8:3o the annual address before the Alumni association was deliv- ered by the Rev. B. c. McVoy, pastor rroost Avenue M. D. church, South Kan yas City, Mo His subject was "The Gen tleman," and he spoke in part as fol- lows:
 "The subject is one which I believe needs to be especially emphasized in this Hay and time. The world has always had In 1t a great many more men than gen tlemen. Plato was a philosopher but not gentleman. Socrates was a man of great wisdom, but you would hardly call him a gentleman. Caesar was the flower of the Latin race, but he lacked much of being a gentleman. A gentleman is more than a philosopher or a scientist; more than scholar or a money king; more than a lawyer, doctor, teacher, mer- ,shant minister or statesman. man can be all of these things and not be gen. kieman. A gentleman is a man crowned with those graces of character that com- pei the respect and honor of the world, a man kingly in spirit. He Is known by certain unmstakable marks-his speech, his regard for truth, his absolute hon. esty his reverence and respect for wom- in his attitude toward the weak.
 The finest type of the gentleman this country ever produced was "the gentle han of the old south
 '"The south has changed much in re- sent years, prospered wonderfully and nany things that formerly characterized It, have passed away. But we cling to one fhing-the spirit of the manhood and Homanhood that was the charm and glory bf the old south. Unspeakable would be bur loss if we lost that. I covet for the pld Southern university above everything ilse this distinction: That those who have zone and shall go out from these halls hay be known in the world first of all IS gentlemen. We can rear no grandei monument to our alma mater than that. :.
 In closing the speaker paid tribute tc Stonewall Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, R E. Lee and William Mckinley, they were true gentlemen. But" said he, Jesus oi Nazareth was the first and only perfect gentleman the world has ever seen, he was the highest wave of the sea, tho 10 true gentlemanhood Christ must be Dur aspiration, our inspiration and oui guide. May our own passion be to become ike unto Him."