The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-06-23

- WashinSt0nt u. O., June 2-Th6
tmOst brilliant audience Of the year
numberingr4fu{lS. 8,000,a gathered at
'1Convention Hall on last Friday eve
ming to witness the graduating exer-
Iclses OF the: Normal School No. 2,
NJ. Street High School, and the Arm
tstrong Technical High School. The
great hall; was a blaze Of electric
lights, and. the massive semi-circular
gtrasrs, rRhich form the roof, were
most lavishly decorated With fes-
toons anf streamers Of the national
colors ;Ilennants and banners, while
1he stage was set with potted plants,
palms and gut flowers. The march
Of the graduating classes to the
rostrum in always an event." and
this year the graceful young women
and the many young men seemed to
walk with more stately stride than
usual In addition to the 148 grad
yates on the immense platform, this
year there was a chorus Of two hun
dred voices, which added greatly to
the beauty Of the picture. All of the
young ladies wore pure white, and
some of the gowns were dreams"
OF the 'modiste's fascinating art. The
Wembers OF the High School wore
! their uniforms, while the non-mili-
[tary contingent was attired in the
conventional black.
In the foreground Of the platform
were seated many persons promi-
nent in the life Of the nation, and
the remark was common that "In no
city on the continent can there be
gathered together on short notice
more distinguished audience of In
| iternationalcph cpharacters than in Wash
f1ngton. Capt. James w. Oyster,
tpresident Of the Board OF Education,
presided, and with him were the
members Of the Board, three Of
whom are colored. Mrs. Mary
Church Terrell, Attorney R. R.
Horner and Rev. w. V. Tunnel. AS
sistant superintendent Roscoe Conk-
ling Bruce was in general charge of
the arrangements, and Prof. E. c..
fWllltsms,: principal OF M. Street, DR..
W: .BEpce Evans, principal OF Arm
strohig' Mah tfafs afid Mis- LSaSEy 4:
Moten, principal Of the Normal look
ed after the welfare OF their re-
spectiVe schools, announcing the
names of their graduates when the
time came to present the diplomas.
Among the distinguished guests
present were: DR.. w. D. Crum,
Minister to Liberia: . Col. Robert
Smalls, collector Of customs, Beau
fort, S. c.; George w. Ellis, late
Secretary Of Legation at Monrovia,
Liberia, Africa; w. T. Vernon, Reg
lister Of the Treasury; Judge Robert
II. Terrell, Of the Municipal Court;
Former Governor.P. B, S. Pinchback,
of New York; Mrs, 3. K. Bruce; DIR.
Thomas Jesse Jones, Of the Census
Bureau; Attorney James F. Bundy
and Attorney r. R. Horner, the
speaker Of the evening, and the Hon.
Washington Gardner, Representative
in Congress from. Michigan, who
presented the. diplomas.
The addres1' Of Mr.. Horner was
rich in thought and the delivery was
eloquent and convincing. The sal
lent points were greeted by enthusi-
presented by Mr.. Horner is conveyed
in this excerpt:
Ten millions of our people who
were but yesterday slaves" said Mr..
Horner, "Whose ancestors were taken
| by force from their native land and
transported to these cold and hos
| tile shores to become articles ,of
commerce., are~today- struggling for
q place of honor among this mighty
people that led them in bondage
less than fifty years ago. We are
forced to enter into competition with
this strong and intellectual race,
which, in the progressive attain
ments Of civilization, Is centuries in
advance Of US. Handicapped as we
are, never the less, we are part
and parcel Of the American people,
and though retarded by inheritance
and training, and rendered weaker
thereby, we are, to a very great ex-
tent, thrown upon our own resources
as race and must Of necessity rely
| upon our own efforts to accomplish
the best results in the onward pro-
gress Of the nation.
THE race must no longer expect
others to carry its burdens. In this
| strictly commercial age when men
and nations are struggling to reach
the top with all the ability, cunning
and energy at their command, there
/ is very little time for sentiment, and
the weaker brother must develop
strength or go to the wall The law
Of the survival Of the fittest sounds
harsh and cruel, but it is logical
and just. The other race in this
country has it's own burdens, and we
should not expect it's members to as
sumo those belonging to us that we
our selves should carry. A race is
made strong by bearing it's own bur
deDs and solving it's own great prob
,lemS
Mr.. Horner is a man Of marked
ability and stands high in this COM
4 m, ~ In hn l.