The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-05

i0oHi ScilIIlittee. july "a he was
eiected treasurer. AT the same meet
ing he was placed on a committee to
examine into the state Of the library.
ttc. August I he was appointed on
another committee, the duties OF
winch are not designated. Septem-
per o he was chosen censor morum
inns position was responsible for dis
ofuer during society meetings. March
L, lS1t, he was treasurer again. april
10 ne served as secretary in the alb
sence of the regular officer. The
minutes of this meeting. written by
Polk, are written in a painstaking
manner. The letters with very few ex-
cePtlons, are written separately and
distinctly. Polk usually wrote the
Spencerlan style, without the old-fash-
Toned s, however. At this meeting
he was appointed a committee of one
to "choos books IN the library to the
value Of ten dollars in order to have
labels put IN them with James /.
" ortham's name as donor April
- POLK was elected corrector. The
outS Of this officer was to criticise de-
bates and compositions. April 80 he
was appointed with two others on a
to ascertain damage done a
library book. May s Polk was elect
ed president Of the society upon the
resignation of Hardly l.. Holmes, who
had served one meeting. Nav 20,
1918, he was elected for the second
time president, holding the office until
he graduated.
Polk was fined several times for If
regularity. The nature OF this Of
tense IS not absolutely known, The
suggestion has been made that it
meant tardiness. Seven fines of ten
cents each were imposed upon him.
Once he was fined twenty-fi' e cents
for gross irregularity. He as fined
twice for absence. The record Of
March Is, 1917, says: "Hamilton {.
Jones was fined ten cents for threat
ening language to James X. Polk, and
Polk the am for replying 10 Jones'
Evidently Polk was quick at retOrt.
Polk read much and over Il wide
field While q student. The full list OF
books loaned from the library to so
cietN members while he was in college
cannot be found. A catalogue Of
books belonging to the Dialectic So
ciety shows, however, hat he present
ed several books. These embraced
historical, biographical and theologi-
cal treaties. They are eight volumes
Of Gibbons Rome, presented by Polk
and J.. Simeson unitedly; Williams
France; Memoirs of Darwin: Addi-
sons Evidences; Gospel: It's own Wit
ness.
In the archives of the Dialectic So
ciety are the second inaugural address
and two compositions in Folks own
handwriting. The inaugural address
is on ~"Ehoquence." The compost
tons are On The Powers of Inven-
ton" and 1.-THE Admission of Foreign
ers into Office in the United States
The following extracts are taken at
ndO
His composition on The Powers of
invention begins: ITO a~naIyZe the
human nina With a Locke and 20
examine the powers Of its minute
parts fall not within the tyro's prov
ince, but to contemplate It's RAPID
stride to eminence belongs equally to
the unlettered savage wrapped in
security in natures forest and the
polished European who feasts on the
dainties OF his sumptuous board.
Again: In fine what is the occupation
in life in which this faculty may not
be exercised? Place man in ne
cessitous circumstances and his busy
mind Will project schemes of relief
which to the mere theorist who had
never been placed in & similar situa-
ton would appear chimerical. Pres
ent to hin the ~alluring prospec Of
immortality on earth and what a
spring is given to every action
From the composition on The Ad-
mission of Foreigners into Office in
the United States the following eX-
tract is given: so long as virtue is
the prominent feature of American
jurisprJtdence tho Eagle OF liberty
VIII nave Iu1I Stppe 1oI MS NliSS
If our republic like unsuspecting in
nocence has opened the portals of
humanity and rendered itself Vulner-
able to the poisoned darts OF a vicious
world, it is q more lovely trait in its
character than all the splendid equip
age of a ~yrant'S throne on the
boosted energy Of European le9isla-
ton
From his inaugural address "On
~Eloquence' three extracts are made.
he says: "Refiect upon the necessity
of ~cultiVating your oratorical powers.
You not only live in a country which
possesses advantages over every other
in the superior excellence of its po-
litical institutions and in the free
dom of parliamentary debate, but YOU
are the chosen few of your own com
Inunity, who have the advantage Of
q liberal education. Thousands by
nature AS good as you remain the
Saraa rude stQGES that na-uEe fOrnal