The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-21

Elizabeth Sandlin Alexander City;
Orrie Stitt Wehadkee; Esther Tho
Montevallo. May 2O-(Special. with
masterful baccalaureate address by
Marion Luther Britain. state superin-
tendent of schools of Georgia and pres-
dent of the Southern Educational asso-
citation, the commencement exercises at
the Alabama Girls Technical institute
came to a close today after DR.. Thomas
Waverly Palmer, president of the inst
tuition, awarded diplomas to the 36 grad
yates.
Mr.. Brittains address was entitled
Literature and Life and was master
fGl effort, showing the development of
the place which woman has held in So
ciety since history began. In connec-
tion with the programme there were sew
eral musical features which were of ex
ceptional merit. They included a piano
sclo, the Pilgrims Chorus from Tam
hauser; piano duet, Romance, Valse,
Palonaise,' by Arensky, and three songs
by the school, "God of the Nation, from
II Trovatore; Soldiers Chorus" from
Faust, and the graduation song. At the
conclusion of the regular programme
President Palmer called upon Sol. d.
Bloch one of the trustees of the school
and a prominent citizen. Mr.. Bloch was
introduced as 'the man who conceived
the idea of the A. G. T. L." and made
few very optimistic and pleasing re-
marks about the wonderful growth of
the institution and the rosy future that
stretched ahead
DR.. Palmer introduced Mr.. Britain with
the statement that Alabama owed much
to Georgia and was now put under new
obligations by the presence here of the
distinguished head of her school system.l
Mr.. Britain is a midde-aged man with
a pleasing personality, and began his adj
dress by telling a humorous story. He
then launched into his tracing of the
development of woman.
The Development of Woman
Greece has been the worlds school
master in a certain sense he said,
land yet we find that in the days of
Greece and the great men she produced
that woman's place was very inferior
compared to that of her brother man.
Woman in those days was largely a slave
and a plaything and was treated and
considered as such.
Ill tHc luiIcoS VI tiiIt, hoNtNSi, eiiSi z
came a change. In an obscure corner
of the worlds greatest empire a teacher
appeared, Jesus of Nazareth. From that
time on the place of woman in the world
steadily has developed until today she
stands beside her brother an equal In
every mental and bodily sphere. The
three important doctrines taught by
Jesus were the fatherhood of God. the
brotherhood of man, and that woman
nnt n nlayt1iOR nj a slave of
but of equal stature with her brother.
And Jesus was so recognized by the
women of the world. Sad as may seem,
some of the discourtesies and insults paid
to the Son of God on this earth, yet not
single instance remains In history Of
such an insult ever being paid by a
woman"
The speaker here took up the work of
different authors of different ages, show
ing by the character of their heroines
how the gradual development and change
came about in woman's life, mentioning
such authors as Bocaccio and Margaret
of Nevarre, Dickens, Thackeray, George
Eliot, Shakespeare and others.
An Appeal for the Child
Mr.. Britain closed his address with u
remarkable appeal for the child with
this increasing power of woman" lie
said, there has entered into the field "a
new Richmond. In the olden times the
child had to take his chances and, like
the weak and helpless of all ages 1t suf-
fered many wrongs. But the world today
has accepted child study as a recognized
branch of science. There is public SEN
timent in it's favor and it is constantly
growing. Many states of our union have
passed stringent laws in the endeavor to
force fair chance for those in the for
NATIVE period of lift. We have only a
few states remaining where parenl is
still permitted to main a childs life ard
keep it in the darkness of illiteracy end
ignorance through promptings of selfish
greed or besotted stupidity. Christianity
and patriotism will rot suffer long this
condition. Before lorg the advocates of
compulsory education laws are sure to
gain the day. The great heart of the
world is more and more attuned in SYM
pathy with the children who are not In
the schools"
Seniors Present Gift
When DR.. Palmer arose he announced
that two large lights and posts had zen
presented to the scnoo. by the seniors
which were graduating and that they
would be erected in front of the main en-
trance TO the large dormitory This is
the seventeenth commencement of this In
stitution." stated tho president. I'm the
II years that have rassed since the first
buildings were erected here, the school
has met and overcome many difficulties
1t has grown by tie forts of its strug-
giles and there now lies before 1t a future
over which none can help but be optinis-
tic.
seventeen years from now those of
us who are here now and live that lorg
Will he able to talk of the small school
that was here in 1919. l am no prophef.
put ! can see In the future great thing
In ~ fpc To- ry~t-
ciates the work being done here and he