The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-07

versal education in every courthouse
and town hail and in many churches
and schools throughout the state with
the result that in six years he had
started new school in nearly every
center of population.
Melver, who had delightful hum
our, was In the habit OF telling this
anecdote on himself:
He was caAed To speak before
large audience OF country people at
u summer encampment and education
was, as usual. to be his theme TO
appreciate the point of the anecdote,
you must know that McIver was a
large, portly man, intensely masculine
In every feature. and always wore
black frock coat and white cravat,
after the Southern fashion for public
men. Tae county orator who func~
toned on all such occasions, was put
forward to present the distinguished
visitor He made long, noisy grand
iloQuet Introduction. and finally turn
ing to McIver, with sweeping ges-
ture. he commanded him to arise. ana
then in stentorian tones he proclaim
cd: Ladies and Gentleman. ! present
| to you the venerated and sainted alma
Carolina"
| When the Southern education board
wanted a popular leader for its field
work. there was but one man, and
he was Charles McIver, And now our
patriot enters upon his second and
larger campaign. which soon extended
over the whole South from Maryland
to Texas Time falls me TO tell you
of the wonderful work he did. Il,
lectures by public addresses, before
institutes OF teachers, before school
boards and town councilmep, before
legislatures and Chautauquas. where
ever the real people gathered, MeIver
preached the gospel OF universal eou .
cation. When not speaking. he was
planning, dwictating, writing, or CON
ferring-at home. la hotels on the
train, he was organizing and directing
his army OF co-workers. He was IRE
uuently called To other parts OF the
country and spoke in fremont Tenn
pie, Boston and Carnegie hall, New
/ York with as much power and ease
az in a schoolhouae IN North Caro-
| line. The man worked as II he were
| mad---no, as II he were inspired .
Charles Mcrver died suddenly on a
railway train on September II. 1905,
Just as II was leaving Durham, the
scene of his first labors for public
! education. He had worn himself out
| at forty-six did not know It, His
| funeral Grafton was delivered by MI.
William J. Bryan. who was a personal
friend The governor of North Caro-
/ lima made official announcement for
his death in a message to the Aeglsia-
ture, which Immediately provided for
a memorial building at the college he
founded; for all North Carolinians
realized that they had lost their best
| and most usefuie citizen and all
southerners that another great, UNI
selfish spirit Tad passed over the river
70 Join Curry and Lee.
Whittier has exactly described the
work Of MoIver in these prophets
words:
lie had the look
And air Of one who wisely schemed,
And hostage from the future took
In trained thought and lore OF book
Large Drained. clear-eyed, of such as
thence
Shall Freedoms young apostles be.
Who. following in Wars bloody trail
Shall every lingering wrong assail;
All chains from limb and spirit strike,
Uplift the black and white alike;
The darkness and the ignorance.
A soho olhouse plant on every hill.
Stretching in radate nerve lines
The quick wires OF Intelligence;
Till North and South together brought
Shall own the same electric thought,
In peace a common flag salute,
And. side by SIDE In labor's free
Harvest the folds wherein they
fought"
The full recognition by all the poo
pie of the doctrine that the chief
business OF IA democratic state is to
educate all its children at the COM
more cost, that all the common
wealth. should DO 1devor4d first Of
all, to the training Of tho children
this was the lesson Newer taught.
Largely as the result Of his living and
teaching. think we may fairly say
that this doctrine IL now sincerely be-
i.sved. II 1t Ia not fully acted up to.
by ali the people Of the Southern
states. These people havs decided that
thu benefits OF the public schools shall