The Miami times., 1952-09-13
C. c. sPAULDING; A MORAL
GIANT

row may well say, in referring
to our times, "There were giants
in those days." They may well
include c. c. Spaulding was one
of them.
The passing of c. c. Spaulding
marks the end of an era. He was
easily one of the most picturesque
moral figures of our times. He
was the ablest exponent Of the
theories and doctrines of the late
Booker T. Washington himself,
c. c. Spaulding more truly than
any other represented the essen
tial philosophy of our great
American teacher.
Washington has been abused
and gainSaid. The wrath of lesser
souls have been poured out upon
him. Craven souls have even
sought to cast blasphemies upon
his sacred memory% but Booker
T. Washington stands out in bold
relief, as a peak of the towering
Alps, snow-capped and majestic.
Degrees were not as popular in
those days as now; the accent in
education was not on learning
but on character and ability.
Those idealistic Yankees had
just come south and infused into
the emancipated Negroes the un-
adulterated spirit of Jesus Christ
Himself. Those missionary Yank-
ees represented the finest flower
of Christian knighthood, and they
were easily the finest exponents
of the living Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
One of the tragedies of today
is the pathetic lack Of such Nigh
ty men and women. Character
formation was the burden of their
labors. Today, character has
been made side issue in the
great process and program of
education. Moral Illustration is the
tragic result.
An educated man without cha
racter is like candle without a
lighted taper, like a steaming To-
comotive on the tracks without a
hand to pull the throttle, like a
singer without a song. No one can
at present appraise the moral da-
mage done by this over-emphasis
on degrees and the current under
emphasis on character.
Like the baffled fishermen on
Galilee we are toiling all night
but we are taking nothing. We
are falling in spite Of our suprem-
est efforts. We run hither and yon
crying peace peace; but there Is
no peace!"
Nor will there ever be peace
while our educational system
majors in degrees and minors in
character. When c. c. Spaulding
laid his armour down, moral
giant was retiring from the life's
flaming Flanders Fields. He was
retiring as one of the great moral
heroes of this generation.
When all the fine and COM
mandatory words had been said,
the half had not been told. The
name c. c. Spaulding had been
written larger on Fame's immort-
al scroll. The greatest thing about
c. c. Spaulding' was not his de-
grees and his honors, but his fine
character and this well-wrought
abilities.
The North Carolina Mutual
stands today as a mighty mOnu-
ment and testimonial to his con-
structive genius. The world II
just a little bit better because c.
c. Spaulding has lived and
wrought in his day.
The point Of this release Is to
pause and speak an humble word
of praise for one of the greatest
men of his times and the chiefest
disciple of the lamented, but not
unhonored, Booker T. Washington
who saw so years ago as we all
see today, that learning without
economic support is hollow and
frustrating.
Spaulding saw that Washing
tons philosophy in no way cir
'cumscribed the aspirations of the
Negro race; that il was no device
to perpetuate their higher educa-
ton. 1t has come to pass that the
very Dean Of Negro business was
a simple soul OF simple letters;
but his character and common
sense were abundant.
Spaulding's common sense was