The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-06-09
so YOUNG MAN RETURNED
1T TO PRESIDENT OF THE
COLLEGE
A CONTRITE SPIRIT
Caused Him To Make Aclsnow-
Judgement Of Wrong He Had
Done College and Himself

MUCH discussion has been caused by
the publication { the facts that DR..
II. n. Snyder ha received from some
graduate Of Wofford college a cOntrite
letter In which this person admits that
he had received fraudulently medal
awarded in sOme college competition.
lie returns the medal to the college.
Stories Of conscience money" are
not infreQuent. Office holders who 20
not work and draw big salaries are
never known to, send any back 10 the
treasury, but occasionally there comes
the refreshing account of some heurt
broken person who wishes to get his
COINCIDENCE squared with the world.
John Austin, the man on the corner,
one day this week received a letter
from a person who had stolen some-
thing out of the store and wished to
relieve his conscience by confession
These Incidents come up almost dai-
ly. but that Of the medal being re-
turned Is without parsiiel.
In speaking Of the gold medal which
was returned to him Wednesday
morning by former Wofford student,
who felt that he could keep 1t no
longer because he had won It unfairly,
DIR. Henry Nelson Snyder said that in
stead of destroying the medal ae he
had at first thought OF, he would OBJ
literate from 1t all traces an distin-
guishig marks which might lead to its
identification, and will in time award
1t II such an occasion should ever
arise. to some student who shows some
signal qualifications Of manhood
which may compare with the wonder
full victory the original owner won In
his own soul when he. returned 1t.
This medal with the history attached
to 1t. and symbolic OF the great
struggle which once. went on in. a
mans soul and in which his finer quail
tiles Of manhood were finally victor
ious after the long ordeal will indeed
be one to be proud of.
Dr.. Snyder addressed the college
students in the chapel as follows
This mornings. mail brought me a
1t. It was from q j, former student OF
this collegeEa student who left. the
college before any one OF YOU entered
It. A part OF the letter read as fol-
-" SO long as there is weight In
my soul and conscience that, my work
is sadly In vain, God requires me to
make a confession and give up this
medal, which Is not ..rightsully mine.
do not know what to do with it.,
am sending il 10 you to. dispose Of
II at your discretion" ti
From this letter I have torn the
signature, and from the medal i shall
obliterate every mark that might lead
to Identification Of the man. Nj mean
to respect his secret absolutely.
mo one can tell what he has suf-
fered In carrying this hidden wrong
5,o Ill
able thing by copying the essay that
won him the medal, he doubtless did.
not realize the price he was paying
for the golden prize for excellence
which was not honestly his. Youth
Is provorbially thoughtless. and
stranly like their elders, ut times
young men show singular failure to
measure things at their right value
ceiling cheaply mans honor, for a.
little bauble and short hour OF
popular. applause. But this. boy had
something IN him just a. bit too fine
for. him to hold to an honor which he
own honor, So he suffered in the deep
silences pf his own. soul. and the, me-
dal Intended to. be a shining badge
OF worthy achievement, became. {. an
ever present. intolerable hurt to his
2ieanesti thinking. and made the COM
mon work OF the hands Eeem sadly
IN vain. y ,. ~
"He could not keep the medal and
he recovered his manhood by sending
it back. None of us can tell what it
cost him to do this-what doubts, what
struggles OF mind, what anguish or
soul. He: had-to reach down into the
depths OF his character to find the
tstrength thus to face the shame and
humiliation OF possible exposure. but
In, doing It he piayaS ..Sse man, sn.,
aa hard as IL was, went the only way
by which he could have found again
his lost self-respect, his ease Sof cons
science, and peace OF mind, s. .;s.
| sssa.sI venture tina statement; Z that + he
ts happier at this hour, than sfie, haY
been In long time. He knows he has
done the only. thing q real mar caaid
do under the circumstances. He must
also have within: him q sense OF We.
tory. strong enough to make him all
but sing as! hes goes about his work.
and hold his head higher than he has
held Il for a lonE TIME, and face life
LIN the inspiring eCnsci0usness that
he has found again something very
precious which III q shadowed. blind
h9nE he carel elossIy let, slip from
slt Is thus moral tonic to read this
pnge .of human experiences In which
10 the, record OF a man s's playing the
Imam And recovering his integrity
of character oyer q hard aud bitter
road OF effort Y #
Savings Bank Deposita.
sErom The Wall Street Journai.)
8 eyer IN my exnerte have Il
flta Z Hyn if.nP 4 :, - :.