The Washington bee., 1911-06-03

0'olc Dul III IIe intelligent loyalty OF
It's citizens. It was wittily said, You
can do almost anything with a bayonet
except sit on 1t. You cannot rest a ma
ton upon force. If that was true, and
| 1t was true, even under the old forms
OF government, how much more is it
true under a government like ours,
where public sentiment is the only kind.
where even the law upon the statute
| book IS a dead letter unless the good
VIII OF the community is behind it.
durham has become one of the most
important places in the United States.
his little town OF 1900 inhabitants.
among the hills of North Carolina, has
| drawn TO itself the attention of the
whole country. Why? Because it has
struck bedrock on this race question.
here is a community where the best
| elements of both races meet and work
together for the good of all. Mutual
| IhelptulneSS and mutual respect-those
| are the taIlsmanIc words that have been
spoken here. We have seen a circuit
Judge OF the United States and for
inner governor of the State traversing
the country to fill the treasury of this
institution. We have seen a diStin-
gu1shed ex-Confederate officer, perhaps
| the foremost citizen of his State, ready
| to become the guardian of its funds, to
give It the prestige of his name and ben
/ EFT OF his counsel and service And We
have seen the good people of this town
| setting the country an example of un-
selfish and brOad-minded hospitality III
ian attempt to elevate a race. Hereafter
when those sad events occur which have
| occurred so often, and will occur again,
to make us doubt whether there is such
a thing as humanity left, we will think
| OF this generous city and take courage.
| We will say to ourselves, there is the
true spirit of the Southland there is
the finest example of Southern chivalry.
| The men who defy the law, the men
iwho seek to keep their fellOw-men in
l Ignorance, the men who would Danish
| schools and substitute the lynching tree
for the COurthOuSe-theSe are not the
real South any more than the real North
is in the grog-shOp and the brOthel.
| And when we are Shamed and discour-
| aged by some exhibition Of negro de-
IpTavIty we will think of these clear
eyed, modest and earnest students, these
| brave and self-devoted teachers who are
using the benefactions of their white
| friends and their own strength and re-
sources for the welfare of the poor and
weak of their own color We shall
watch the growth of this noble effort
with anxiety, but also with new courage
and with higher hope The influences
that have founded and foStered this
school have made Durham a city that
is set on hill. 1t cannot be hid >
The presentation of graduates was by
Prof. T. P. Smith, dean of the CONNER
cial department of the institution, and
in a concise and appropriate and COM
nonsense address John Merrick pre-
Sented the diplomas to the following
graduates of the commercial depart
ment: Dora Aston, Weldon, N. c.;
Beatrice Bynum, Durham, n. c.; Nellie
Hunter, Lynchburg, Va.
In introducing Hon. N. B. Broughton,
of Raleigh, Dr. Shepard said he was one
of the schools strongest friends. Mr..
Broughton, in presenting the prizes,
caused much applause by his original
way of saying the things most helpful
to a student In urging the students to
acquire all the knowledge possible for
la life of true work, he said: stop no.
where short of the top. The open door
is at the top, the closed door at the
bottom"
The address to the graduating class
was delivered by President Shepard, who
particularly emphasized the following
IutteranCes
Gas you are going out into the busi-
ness world a proper and true valuation
of time next to character will be your
largest asset Punctuality. On time
every time, and the humbleSt toiler, if
he is putting the best into his life, is
deserving of our utmost respect.
| Value character; value time; be
faithful and loyal to every trust; be
true to yourself Finally, SOW every
where the seeds of peace, love and con-
Itentment; try to scatter sunshine; make
friends of the people among whom you
live, both white and black, and show to
them that this institution exempliheS in
the conduct of its students and gradu-
ates love to country, love to our own
Southland (for the Southland is our
home and its people our friends), love
for right, truth and justice; that our
Igraduates and students honor work, and
that it is their pleasure as we'll as duty
to try and lift up the man down. So
Ilong as you do this you help and honor
lyour alma mater, and in the years to
lcome your alma mater can point to you
las students worthy, who have not be-
trayed the trust repoSed in them by the
president, faculty and the board OF
trustees.
MAY / sum up all that | have said
by closing with a beautiful sentiment
The authors name do not know:
Luck means rising at 8 o'clock ir
the morning; living on a dollar a day il
you earn two; mind your own busines:
and not meddling with other peoples
luck means appointments you have never
failed to keep, the trains you have never
= failed to catch; luck means trusting II
f. God and your own resources.
"The Bible has been one of your text
. books in school; let it continue to bt
your guide. 1t will be the custom il
: this institution to present each gradual,
= with a Bible. Treasure it; read it
study it.
Now, go forth to battle for the right
and may God be your protector"
Prof. R B. McRary, grand master Of
: Masons among negroes in this State, one
l of the sanest and ablest leaders in hi!
: race, and the first one in his race to give
t $3.50 to help DR.. Shepard make his plan
y