The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-06-13
COMMENCEMENT IN DUE WEST.
Continued from page one.)

Continued from page one.)
occasion. While it is confined to
those more closely connected with
the college, the pleasure is in no way
diminished. One comes back after ten
and twenty and thirty years to shake
hands with the comrades of other
days, to greet again the good men
whe helped us to stand up and take
notice, to shake the hands of friends
and to meet the children of those
who have gone before, as they occupy
the places which we occupied in the
bygone years and talk, and laugh
and get "stuck" just as we all did
then. Commencement is still a
great occasion.
And it is a great occasion because
it is in Due West, a little town whose
population is made up Of Gods own
people. You always feel good in Due
West. Never yer a people so hos
pitable, so kind and so %endearing.
They seem to be looking for you
when you get to town for the COM
mencement exercises and they are
awfully sorry when you leave. 1t
is a quaint old town, it has ways of
doing things all it's own, its people,
they say, are somewhat provincial
and look at things only through
their own glasses, but never man
lived who went there who did not in
his innermost self thank God for
Due West.
And the commencement which has
just closed was a great occasion too.
The old college is still on the march.
One sees it and feels it when he is
in the atmosphere of the old institu-
ton. There you find still the same
consecrated, earnest men giving of
their lives for the education and adj
vancement of the youths of the
state and the church. We say moth
ing against the good men who have
gone before when we say that Frs
kline College offers more and gives
more than at any other day in its
history 1t never had a better man,
nor a broader man NOR a mor low
able man at its head than it now has
in DR.. Moffatt. And the people of
IllC COWIl are SIlll Vic Sdllc.
On commencement day in Erskine
College seven of the young men of
the graduating class were to have
spoken, the seven leading men in the
class, the first being w. P. Carwile,
of Due West, son Of Mr.. Frank A.
Carwile of Level Land. Mr.. Carwile
was not present to receive the praises
and the good wishes of his friends.
He and two other members of the
graduating class, MI. Baldwin of Due
West, and MI. Pressly, a son of Rev.
James H. Pressly of Statesville, N.
c., and grandson of the late DR.. w.
L. Pressly of Due West, had left for
the front to join the colors. In the
absence of these young men, their
parents received their diplomas. In
accepting the diploma for his son,
Mr.. Frank A. Carwile took occasion
in a short address to give credit for
the advancement of his son to his old
grand mothers, Mrs. Walker, "who
lives just beyond Chickasaw'' and to
the old college and to the good peo-
pie of Due West. His talk was to
the point and was greatly appreci-
ated.
DR.. Moffatt delivered the diplomas
to the members of the class, and in
his remarks took occasion to explain
to the people the issues in the pres
emit world war. This he did in accord
with a resolution of college presi-
dents in America that the causes of
the wal be promulgated by the heads
sc fha oetsf,,finrc oil nyor tho T1nIfnH
States. DR.. Moffatt was at his best
and explained in detail the issues be-
tween those who are fghing for the
divine right of kings to rule men,
and the right of men to rule them
selves.
The anniversary orator was Hon.
John Hearst Miller, of Birmingham,
Ala, a Judge of the Circuit Court in
his circuit. Judge Miller is a gradu-
ate of Erskine College, for a number
of years was professor of mathe-
mates in the college, and for the last
twenty years before his election to
to the bench was a lawyer at Biz
mingham. He is one of the really
big men of the institution, as well
as of the state. Erskine college is
very much interested in him as he
is in the college. His address was
greatly enjoyed.
One of the most interesting things
to happen was the comforting of the
degree of Doctor of Laws on Judge
Miller and Judge Joseph T. johnson,
Judge of the District Court Of the
United States for the Western
South Carolina district. DR.. Moffatt
informed them the honors conferred
on them by the trustees and deliver
ed to them the parchment e%videncing
che high honors. Both responded in
appropriate speeches.
Rev. A. J. Banson, missionary to
india, attended commencement and
took part in the exercises. His
friends and schoolmates and class
mates were glad to see him again,
and to see him looking so well, and
apparently SO much pleased with the
work he is doing.