The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, June 10, 1904, Page 2, Image 2
president of Roanoke college. At
the conclusion of his remarks Dr.
Dreher announced that on actount of
the fact that two of the class had
made exactly the same average it had
been impossible to award the medal
but for the generosity of Mr. Z. F.
Wright. who had offered to provide
an additional medal, and two German
medals were awarded this morning
one to Mr. James R. McKittrick and
another to Miss Lola Lake. both of
the senior class.
Owing to the length of the exer
cises which were to follow, the an
nouncements of the awards of the
other medals were made by President
George B. Cromer.
The John M. Kinard Freshman
medal was awarded Miss Sara E.
Bowers. with honorable mention of
Mr. W. F. Hipp.
The Greek medal. offered by
Messrs. C. P. Boozer and W. A. Mose
ley, was awarded Mr. J. H. Riser,
with honorable mention of Mr. P. A.
Schumpert.
The John J. Long Science medal,
the contest for which was throughout
the course, was awarded Mr. L. M.
.Bouknight.
The 0. B. Mayer Senior history
medal was awarded Mr. L. M. Bouk
night, 'vith honorable mention 6f Mr.
James R. McKittrick.
The George S. Mower Senior essay
medal was awarded Mr. Wm. B: Sea
brook.
The degrees were conferred and the
diplomas were awarded the graduat
ing class by the retiring president,
Dr. George B. Cromer.
Dr. Cromer's farewell address to
class of 1904 was the deeply sincere
utterance of a man who had watched
their college career with loving in
terest and who took a deep and abid
ing interest in their future.
Dr. Cromer spoke with an elo
quence which fittingly expressed his
deep feeling. There was no voice of
God out of the clouds, out of the
winds, or out of the earthquakes, he
said. The voice of God came to men
in a sense of duty, and those who
heard were those who listened, and
listened in a time of need and con
scious dependence. He had few
words to say to the graduating class
this morning. He wanted to urge
simple, plain, down-right, straightfor
ward honesty-not that kind which
puts books in shape because the
grand jrry is coming to inspect, but
that kind that challenges investiga
tion and inspection. The only real
problem which we have, he said. is
the problem or ho'nesty. We have no
negro problem. What we need is hon
esty-honesty among the white men
of this country.-what we want is
voters to rule the country in the fear
of God.
As a last word to the class of 1904,
he wanted th-sm to be scholars if they
could and to win position if they
could. He wanted them to go up un
til they reached the full measure oi
their willingness to serve the people
in the iear of God. But above all he
wanted them to be honest men and
honest women.
The Two Presidents.
Dr. Cromer, the retiring president,
presented Dr. Scherer, the incoming
president. with the words: "And now
I have the honor to present my friend.
and your friend, and the friend of
Newberry college."
Dr. Scherer's inaugural address
was characteristic of the man.-elo
quent, thoughtful. His diction was
superb and his delivery graceful. And
above all, he showed his love for the
college, his abiding faith in its future.
and his earnest purpose to give the
best that within him lies for its wel
fare.
Dr. Scherer's address .is publishe!d
in full elsewhere.
THE JUNIOR CONTEST.
Mr. J. E. Harms, of Savannah, Win
ner of the Oratorical
Medal.
The Junior oratorical contest was
held on Monday night before one of
the largest audiences of commence
mecnt. The medal was awarded Mr.
J. E. Harms, of Savannah. with hon
orable mention of Mr. R. W. Frick,
of Chapin. The presentation was
made by Dr. W. H. Dunbar, of Bal
timore.
The Contest was participated in by
eight young men, selected from the
class at a preliminary contest. They
with their subjects are as follows:
WV. E. Derrick, Hilton-Peace Hathi
Her Victories.
L. E. Dreher. Selwood-Lights and
Shadows.
R. W. Frick. Chapin-Everlasting
Monuments.
J. E. Harms. Savannah. Ga.-Luck
or Labor.
J. C. Hipp. Newberry-America's
Mkissign
E.TH. Olney, Charleston-Climbers.
W. E. Pugh, Prosperity-The Ten
dency of the Times.
J. H. Zeagler. Lone Star-The Two
Evils.
All of the young men acquitted
themselves with a great deal of credit.
and their orations were heard with
pleasure and with closest attention
,by the large audience.
The committee of judges consisted
of Dr. V. H. Dunbar. of Baltimore:
Rev. J. D. Kinard, of Orangeburg; Mr.
Z. P. W,right. of Newberry: Col. W.
H. H unt. of Newberry: and Capt. J.
1W. Jenny. of Jennys.
Excellent music was furnished by
the Newberry orchestra.
ALUMNI ADDRESS.
I It Was Delivered by Dr. James M.
Kibler, of This City. of the
Class of '82.
The annual address before the
Alumni association of Newberry
college was delivered in the opera
house Tuesday morning by Dr. James
M. Kibler, of this city who was a mem
ber of the class of '82. His address
was a thoughtful and forceful plea
for public education.
Dr. Kibler is a strong writer and a
graceful speaker, and his address Tues
day morning was received with close at
tention. The speaker drove home
with force the truths which he utter
ed. and those in his audience were
strongly impressed with the thoughts
which he brought to them.
In a professional life of eighteen
years Dr. Kibler has had opportun
ity to study the condition and needs
of the people of South Carolina, and
his address on Tuesday was made
all the more forcible on account of
the fact that he spoke in some degree,
at least, from his own personal ex
perience among the people of his
state.
The speaker was introduced by
Hon. Arthur Kibler. president of the
Alumni association.
After a few introductory remarks
Dr. Kibler announced as his theme,
'A Plea for Public Education." When
a thoughtful man took cognizance of
life and things around him, he said,
his heart was touched with a feeling
of deep sympathy on beholding the
titer dependence of the great masses
of our people upon the will and de-,
sires of a few. They had no aspira
tions or incentives for a higher life.
and were content with the menial
things around them. How were they
to be lifted from the slough of their
helplessness? By developing. train
ing moulding and elevating them
to ai higher plane of usefulness.
w the.re wtould dawvn before their
viions the light of worlds. befor un
seen. and beauties of thought, of de
sires and of aspirations never before
imagined.
The speaker came. therefore. to the
Alumni association this morning with
a deep feeling of their responsibility
for their fellow-man-they had been
lfted from the commoner walks ot
lie by' the fostering .care of others
and to those also of his fellow-citizens
whose circumstances and environ-1
ments or life had given them more
than ordinary advantages in the great
struggle of existence. He came to
all with a Plea for Public Education.
The great need of the times now
was a more thorough system of corn
mon schools and a more liberal at
tendance upon their sessions.
South Carolina had state colleges:
for the higher education of young
men and young wvomen scattered
throughcut her borders. besides a half
dozen or more denominationaI col
leges whose curricula were equally as
high as the state colleges. and whose
infuences were a power for good.
There was no danger in the denomi
national colleges being short-lived.
The prayer, love. devotion, and sac
rifices of God's people guaranteed
Itheir success. And it seemed from the
liberal appropriations lavished upon
the state institutions that their con
tinued existence was assurred. He
would not have the doors of one of
them closed, but he was persuaded
that a superabundance of funds wvas
being used for their maintenance.
The colleges should be maintained
and successfully conducted, but the
little log cabin school house should
not be forgotten.
The speaker quoted statistics show
ing the startling average of illiteracy
existing among the white voters in
South Carolina-an average of near
ly 300 illiterate white voters to each
county. Be it said to the credit of
Newberry county, however, she had
but 104. By comparison it was
found that with only three exceptions
there was more illiteracy in South
Carolina than in any other southern
state, and more illiteracy in each ofI
the southern states than any other
state in the union. To what could
be attributed these facts if not to the
lack of interest in public education?
The greatest need of the state. he
said. was money. and how and upon
whom it should be used; a thorough
system of education having been es
tablished. how a liberal attendance
upon its sessions might be had. The
speaker noted that in a discussion of
any question of universal public good
to the state we were necessarily con
fronted by the omnipresent negro
probiem. In the state there were four
colleges for the higher education of
the negro and common schools in
every district. for which they paid
about one-fourth the amount neces
sary for their maintenance. It was a
mooted question whether the effort
to give the negro a higher education
was for his good and the welfare of
the state, or whether it was not bet
ter to give him an industrial educa
tion and make him a trained workman
and better citizen. Until the fifteenth
amendment of the constitution shall
have been repealed. said the speaker,
and the privilege of the ballot denied
the negro. the north and south would
never come together in the solution
of this question. Disfranchise him
and let him work out his own salva
tion.
There were today in this country,
continued the speaker, school houses
fit only for the owl's nest, the mill
villages with a populati6n of several
thousand people and the school
cared for on account of its slim at
tendance by only one, two or three
teachers. It was said that the rea
son why the southern mills were so
populous was that labor was much
cheaper here, and the people live on
less money, this being a mild climate
with short winters. See to it, friends,
he said. that it does not prove an ex
pensive experiment. The little ones.
were earning their own support by
their own labor. What of the next
generation and of the next? He was
told that 42 per cent. of the white
children of the state were not attend
ing school. This was due either to
carelessness. inability or downright
opposition of superiors. And there
were 2o.ooo more negroes than whites
in the common schools of South Car
olina.
The speaker referred to the "Og
den movement." saying that if pro
perly condu:cted. and with the right
motives behind it. it would be of great
benefit to the south and of help to her
people.
Hie referred to the strenuous efforts
now being made by the state to'en
courage immigration. and to the as
sertion that in the public schools
where attendance was voluntary the
foreign portion of the population took
advantage of the tuititon more gen
erally than the native population.
making it neccessary that our people
be universally educated that our in
stitutions might have their integrity
perpetuated.
The rural free delivery was also
adding much to the convenience and
comfort of country life, and would
prove of benefit in building up the
country and enlarging schools.
The speaker wvent back to his origi
nal proposition. that the great needl
qf the times was a more thorough
system of common schools and a
liberal attendance upon their ses
sions. H-ow were we to h.tve a more
thorough system of common schools?
That was not a question f')r themn to
decide. A thorough system of
scho.is having been establishedl Jiow
ai we maintain a liberal atten-lance
aren their se.,s,ons, we ihe question
m. the speak '. proponuded to the
:,u it i.
Only one thing could bring about
a revolution in this matter. and that
was a law~ 'of combutsary education. In
vade the "sancity of the home."' over
throw the idols of ignorance, polish
the rugged jewels, and make them
sparkling gems!
The speaker said he was sincere in
this matter. for the question had
weighed. upon his mind and heart for
several years. and he took this oppor- i
tunity of giving it public expression.
In a professional life of eighteen 1
years he had entered the homes of I
all classes of people and had seen
their frailties and faults and knew
their needs. He appealed to those;
before him. therefore. that their in
tluence might go out over the state!i
in tli-ir behalf. All around were;
poverty. ignorance and misery. These 1
could he corr-cted. and it must bell
done. The children of the state cry
ing for -:.e r: 1 - f knowledge and
the parc-t7.! 'r v ithholding it was
a sight that t-iuched the heart of allh
right minded citizens.
*There blooms yonder upon the
bank of the brook by the mea4ow."!!
concluded Dr. Kibler. "a modest little
daisy. neglected. unnoticied. yea,
even perhaps unknown: yet as sweet,1
as beautiful and as full of promise
as the most highly cultivated daffodil
of the florist's. I am told that when- 1
ever water is turned on the dreary I
desert everything will grow with I
wild luxuriance. It seems that the I
very powers of nature had been
confined for centuries only awaiting
an opportunity to be released. Then
turn the refreshing waters on the
Sahara of our state and permit the
neglected flowers of our *youth to
bloom with beauty and fragrance."
Alumni Association.
The annual meeting of the Alumni
association was held in the
opera house immediately after
the address to the Alumni. The
meeting was called to order by Hon.
Arthur Kibler. prayer was offered
by Rev. Mr. Livingstone. and the pre
vious minutes were read by the sec
retary. Mr. Kibler was unanimously
re-elected for president, and Mr. J. B.
Setzler for secretary. Prof. W. K.
Sligh was ilected treasurer and Dr.
W. G. Houseal was made vice-presi
dent.
The Hon. A. F. Lever was elected
to be the next alumni orator.
The committee on building a gym- I
nasium, reported subscriptions to the
amount of $1193 and one hundred and
fifty nine dollars in cash. The com
mittee was authorized to continued in 1
their efforts with a view to starting 1
the gymnasium as soon as possible.
On a motion from Dr. Cromer, the
thanks of the association were ex
tended Dr. Kibler for his excellent
address.
A motion by Prof. A. J. Bowers
to make Dr. J. A. B. Scherer an hon
orary member of the association was
unanimously carried. Following this
the association adopted' resolutions
pledging the hearty support and co
operation of the alumni in the work
of the new president. Dr. Scherer.
LITERARY ADDRESS.
It Was Delivered Tuesday Night by
Hon.'W. C. Benet, of Co
lumbia.
The annual address to the literary
societies of Newberry college. de-'
liered Tuesday night by the H-Ion. WV.
C. Benet. of Columbia. wvas a gem. Ne
soke of the dluties devolving upon
college mn,n and for nearly an hour.
by the power of his eloquence and
the beauty of his language he held
the closest attention of his audience.1
The address throughout, so eloquent
was the wording which clothed the,
magnificent thought which it contain
e,. was a beautiful prose poem.
Despite the rain, a large audience
greeted the gifted Carolinian. Judge1
Benet delivered the literary addres
here in 1885, and there were many i
the audience Tuesday night who heard
him at the time and who, even afte
this lapse of years. remembered the
mesage which lhe brought ilinetee
years ago.
The speaker was introduced by Col.1
E. H. Aull.
Judge Benet said he desired to say
something to the young men of the
literary societies about the obligations
devolving upon college graduates-I
what the world had a right to expect
of them.
One of the first of these obligations
was to be the friend, guardians and
presrvers of liberal education in the!
the south. Nothing could take the
place of the old classic curriculunm.
It was urged that Latin and Greek:
would not help to make money. Edu
eation was not principally intended
to help a man to get along in the
world. When he heard the question.:
Of what use is Greek and L.atin?" it
reminded him of the question of Judas
Iscariot, "To what purpose is this
Another obligation devolving up-i
:ollege graduates was to continue
heir student life after leaving col
ege, to still foster the love of study
tnd good reading. to be seekers of
Cnowledge as long as life should
ast.
Another obligation devolving uponr
he students of southern colleges was
o learn the lessons of southern his
ory. In beautiful language the speak
!r portrayed the condition of the
outh at the close of the war for
outhern Independence.
Happily the south iad emerged
rom the darkness and the danger. from
)ut the clouds. and she was now
)ravely endeavoring to rebuild the
;hattered fabrics of her national life,
mnd. her voice was now to her co!
ege graduates. to whom she called
o preserve the glorious records of
ier past. Some there were who
,vould have us to believe that the his
:ory of the south had nothing worthy
>f study, that a new south had risen
iaving nothing in common with the
>ld. They knew not of what they
;poke. As well tell a mariner to go.
ipon tlie sea without his compass
nd his chart. To the past we must
ook for help, to the past we must call
:o guide us. And was it deaf and
lumb? No: the voices of the past
ave forth no uncertain sound, and
voe to that people who regarded
:hem not. Should the southern states
;ever themselves from their memor
Lble past? Perish the thought! It
,vas time to drift from the bloody
:hasm made by the war, to lift the
:rimson curtain that was droppea.
nd it was the duty of the college.
raduate in this first calm of peace,to
o back to the past and save all that
was precious there.
The speaker painted a beautiful pic
ure of the old south, of the purity of
ts statesmen, of the high resolves
,vhich atcuated the performance of
very duty, of the high code of honor
>f the southern gentleman. The
)ringing forth and the study of these
vas one of the sweet uses of the study
>f the history of the 'past. He was
:erain South Carolinians could serve
:heir country best by remaining true
:o the traditions of theirstate.
A people without a history were
ike a man without a memory, and
;uch a man was not far removed from
:he brute.
Another obligation resting upon
:ollege students was the duty to aid
n the cultivation and creation of a
listinctively southerr literature. The
outh had produced many men of lit
rary genius. among' whom he men
ioned Dr. J. A. B. Scherer. the new
)resident of Newberry college. whose
-ecent work. "Japan of Today," he
!haracterized as the most valuable
ontribution to the history of that
rudy: But the south had not taken
he place in literature for which she
vas so well ftted by her fruitful
ields of romance and of histor;,
ased on a glorious past. Not yet
iadl the tale of the Confederate war
>Ceen told and it was well. We were
-et too near those bloody fields, and
hey were vet too real to be softened
r subdued by the glamour of ro
nance or truthfully portrayed by the
>en of the historian. In glowing
vords which formed one of the most
eautiful prose.poems it has ever been
he pleasure of a Newberry audience
o0 hear from the lips of a public
~peaker, Mr. Benet pictured the nat
ral bea.uty of the beauteous south
and,. lacking only the genius of man
: bathe it in a light never seen on
and or sea, the consecration of the
oet. to make it as worthy of pilgrim-.
tges from the distant parts of the
~arth as any of the grand scenery
amous in song and story. Engage
n writing southern books. he pleaded.
iot for the love of money but for -
he love of letters and the love of
:ountry. The literature of a country
,vas its only immortal part.
DR. SCHERER'S INAUGURAL~.
ddress on Wednesday of the New
President of the College.
Following is the full text of Dr.
[ames A. B. Scherer's inaugural ad
Iress. delivered on Wednesday morn
ng:
In addressing this audience this
norning I will include a term which
ncludes all: board of trustees, faculty,
:he students. people of Newberry. and
isitors-when I address you as the
riends of Newberry college. That is
he bond which unites us all. The
2onorable gentlemen of this board
ave proved through years of triU