Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

ESTABLISHED 1865. NEWBERRY, S. C., SATURDAY,DEMBR610.XTA GOLUIBIA FEIALE TO I The Whole of Yesterday's S sion of T] IT WIS I BITTLE ROYIA SOME OF THE STRONGEST ARGUMEN1 PERENCE--EvS. E. 0. WATSON OPPOSING FORCES MADE THE FEELING PREVA The Columbia Female College willnot be moved. By a vote of i2o to 95 Conferene so decided yesterday morning. The whole of yesterday's session was devoted to a consideration of this, probably the most important question to come before the present sesson, and the discussion was a battle royal. Rev. E. 0. Watson, of Charleston, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the institution, led the forces in favor of the removal, and the Rev. J. W. Daniel, pastor the BethelMethodist church of Char kiton, led the opponing forces. For Shreea ar half hours the discus ion lasted, and some of the strong est arguments ever heard on the IoAr of Conference, were made. A indly feeling, however, prevailed hro ghout, and when, the final -:te was taken, after every inch of round had been contested, there :as general rejoicing that the ten m badblen relieved. Of course the Greenwood and Lrens forces championed the us of the removal. And when had lost the motion from j awood, seconded by Laurens, -a~the vote unanimous, was r; ost gracefully done. The matter came up as a special hr at ro o'clock. the Derby ftniufion Dr. 0. A. Darby was the first to Wcure the floor. He offered the ag *~owing resolution: ~'esolved, That it is the sense ~ Conference that the Colum 4~ ~EmaleCollege remain in the of Columbia, its present loca "W. H. Bays, -"0. A. Darby.'' rev. L. F. Beatty moved to mnend the resolution by striking -.0*the words, "remain in' and in ~tIng in lieu thereof the words "be ~moved from." Mr. C. C. Featherstone raised the pditat the report of the comn . dto investigate the stausofthe matter and'to re wtsetiker or not there are any ~bsacles in the way of the re - *1 of the college must be heard. mecommittee reported that af terblivestigation it was of the opinion'that the college could not e itremoved under the present char t, but that an amendment to this charter could be secured through the office of the Secretary of State without any action on the part of the legislature; and that there were wo legal obstacles in the way of se curing this amendment It was moved to lay on the table Mr. Beatty's amendm'ent, making it the sense of Conference that the ~college should be removed from Columbia. A roll call was demanded. The motion was carried and the amend ment lost by a vote of 1o8 to 106. The resolution offered by Dr. Darby, that the college be allowed to remain in Columbia, was then . squarely before Conference. Rev. E. 0. Watson, .Chairman of the Board of Trustees, .desired to make a statement in re igard to his own attitude and to that .of the Board. The Board did not -attempt to arrogate to itself any su perior sense of the solemnity or the simportance of this matter. All ~were interested alike. The pres eat conditions indicated progress throughout the South, the birth 'of a new Southland. The situa tio, -ash Boardsa -it in the COLLEGE fELIN IN OLUMBIA, ession Devoted to a Discus his latter. FOUGHT TO THE FINISH. S EVER HEARD ON THE FLOOR OF CON. AND J. W. DANIEL LEADING THE OPENING ARGUMENTS-GOOD LED THROUGHOUT. light of this progressive spirit, was that one of two things, enlargement or removal, was necessary. The college has a glorious history be hind it and was never in more pros perous condition than at present. But at the present location there was no room for improvement, for keeping in touch with the spirit that is incarnated in this new Meth odist Church, in new enterprises, in the hum and whir that is going on throughout South Carolina. As trustees charged with a sacred trust they could not turn away from these other towns which offered oppor tunity for this enlargement.' Un der the resolution of Conference a committee from the Board was ap pointed to visit the points desiring the college. Propositions were se cured from Aiken, Laurens, Green wood, Sumtei, Brookland, but none from Columbia. "We wrote to Columbia nt we would visit Co lumbia. We went and found two or three men and had some conver sation and that was all." He said they visited the other towns and after full investigation they recom mended Greenwood. But that was eliminated from the subject and the question was now upon its removal from Columbia.. The Board had no objection to the city of Columbia. But some thing had to be done. No imporve ment under present circumstances was possible. The old building it was hardly possible to improve and was not large enough for the pres ent buildings and a suitable cam pus, to say nothing of additions Greenwood's offer was $42,960 in cash. A most desirable site in that town could be secured for $2,ooo, and no site was offered for a greater amount than $i x ,ooo. They were not going to throw the buildings in Co lumbia on the market, but were going to sell them in their own good time and in their own good purpose. The Board believed that by the re moval of the college $roo,ooo could be put into new buildings.. It was a question of enlargement or removal, and hitherto enlarge ment had not been possible. To remain here they were, simply to do nothing, would be to sacrifice glorious opportunities. Rtev. J. W. Daniel, of Charleston, a former member of the Board of Trustees, heartily con curred in some of the statements that had been made by his good brother, Mr. Watson. He could not disagree with his statement that there is at present great activ ity in all lines. But he could not agree with his conclusion that the removal of the Columbia Fe male College from its present site would aid in the development and expansion of the college. Suppose the college were removed to Green wood. Then it would be only twenty or thirty miles from Wil liamston Female College, and the two Methodist colleges for women in the State would be brought into sharp competition, and the death knell of Williamston would have been sounded. All the female col leges were now crowded into the upper part of the State, and there was no. surer way to kill them all than by further crowding. It was not true that Columbia had done nothing. A half century ago the city of Colr.mbia built the present building that could not now be replaced for $5o.000- The peo n1e of olumbia would have stulti fied themselves had they made of fers when the impression was rife that the agitation was for the sole purpose of getting more money out of Columbia. But how insignificant were the bids for the college's removal. Take Greenwood's bid, the insignificant sum of $39,ooo; and that in sub scriptions subject to death and to withdrawal! It was proposed to give up a building worth $50,000, a desirable lot in the centre of one of the most progressive cities in all the South, and to be sidetracked in the little town of Greenwood for the insignificant little sum of $39,ooo! Mr. Daniel spoke of the moral side of the question, of the compact made between the fathers and the people of Columbia, and the first, as he said, that this compact would be broken by the removal. The Conference had been discriminating against the girls' college, even in its Twentieth century movement, and yet they expected it to grow and flourish in equal degree with C Wofford, and now it was proposed to continue this discrimination by C removing the college at a sacrifice. He did not know what the Rishop was going to say about it, but he believed that some of the greatest safeguards of governments and in dividuals were enshrined in par liamentary law. Here was a move ment proposing to change by its re moval, the very name of this his torical institution. He believed in accordance with parliamentary law a two-thirds vote would be neces sary. Finally, in the name of common sense and in the name of the women of South Carolina, he plead that the college be left in Columbia. Don't touch that institution. Leave it where it is. Do that and the bless ings of God will rest upon you. Move it and you stab to the heart Methodist female education in South Carolina. Mr. C. C. Featherstone, of Lau- 3 rens, spoke in favor of moving the a college. If it could not stand comn- t petition in the upper part of the e State then let it die. So far as the 5 moral side of the question was con cerned the college belonged to the Methodists of South Carolina, and they had the right to move it if by doing so they thought they could advance the best interests of educa tion and of Methodism. Why does Columbia not patronize Co lumbia Female College? Because it can find better institutions? He stated the advantages offered by Laurens including $25,ooo in cash and other o'ffers sufficient to raise the whole amount to $4q5 ,ooo He was asked by Mr. Daniel if Laurens had ever allowed a first class college to die. He denied that Laurens had ever had a first class college. Mr. J. H. Lesesne, of the -com mittee to investigate the legal status, explained that his commit- , tee had found sufficient data to de- a cide that the college could not be i removed without one legal step, the1 amendment of the charter. They had been informed that the deed was in such shape that the prop erty could be held if the college were removed, but this they did not know. He thought the best plan to postpone the matter for a yeair and give the board power to recommend. Rev. R A. Child spoke in be half of Greenwood. His Bro. Daniel had striven by insinuation to leave the impressIon that there were legal obstacles in the way. Rev. M. L Carlisle, of the legal committee, explained that the comi mittee from information were most strongly inclined to the belief that the property was held in fee simple, and it was a matter of congratula tion that there were no legal techni calities in the way of its removal. Mr. Child, in continuing, thought it absurd that the matter should come under the six restrictive rules, simply because in order to remove the college a change of name would be necessary. Something had to be dne. Not lng ago the statement appeared in the Advocate that one hundred girls were turned away from the doors of the college. A better building than the present one could be erected for $25,000, giving } REV. A. F tatements seeking to prove the ssertion. Why were all the feme.le olleges located in the upper part of he State? Because here the best :limatic conditions could be ob ained. REV. G. [The editor of the Advocate, Rev' V. R. Richardson, denied that ny statemenit in regard to girls being urned away from the college, had ver appeared in the Advocate. leveral instances were cited by REV. J.]1 iembers, and quite a warm discus ion was provoked.] A failure to emove the college now, after Co umbia had refused to make an ffer for its retention, would be a acit admission that the matter had REV. E. WasnBRna.TeV chai ruled that the speaker was in order, Continuing Mr. Child said that i: Columbia had contributed every dollar which went into the brick and mortar of this institution, Co lumbia had been well repaid by the . PHILLIPS. fifty years of the college's existance in the city. The car of the twentieth century was moving with immense velocity and everything which did not keep pace would be crushed beneath the M. BOYD. heels. The Methodists in South arolina could no longer pin their faith to this little cooped-up insti ution in Columbia. Greenwood's ~ubsc:ription list was as binding as a ote. This in answer to Dr. . BEARD. Daniel. Rev. M. L. Carlisle said that Co umbia was composed of human ature, and no town in Columbia's osition would have made any effort o retain the college after the report HODGES. became rife that the agitation was simply to draw money out of Co lumnbia. The property in Columbia would not bring, if put on the mar* ket, over $25,ooo. Subtract fron3 this $15,ooo, which the college ows, ad d the remainder.$x r .ooo. tc E Greenwood's offer, and there is c $49,00o for the building, of a lege, and a first-class college cati be built for that amount. Mi over if such a sum were accef from Greenwood, as a matter course Greenwood would exF and demand representation a local interest, nor would the Mt udists have complete control of ti own institution. It would be cal Greenwood College, and would tied down to local interests. Columbia it would be recognized the South Carolina Female Colle The wisest thing to do was to le; it where it is and take their sym thies and their interests to an in: tution which has done such a i rious work in the past. Rev. J. M. Steadman, of Cb leston, thought the greatest c sideration was the question of p ronage. The Piedmont was n sending thirty-six pupils and rest of the State ninety. Th was no assurance whatever that t patronage would follow, and speaker favored Columbia. Dr. J. A. Clifton said he l fought for Williamston, when ma who are now its supporters w against him, and the best intere of the girls of the State was wl he had in his heart. And if having one college in the up] part of the State and one the centre and one mo.e j would receive an education I gran i results could not overestimated. To the subject. brevity was the main beauty his speech. For the remo first came Brother Featherweii (Featherstone) and then Brotl Child, who had more voice fo child than any man he had ei heard. For three logical reas< Columbia was the best locati4 The first, the advantages afforc the students by a residence in I capitol of the State. The secoi that Columbia, with a populati of 35,000 is the strategic point the State. The third, the hea condition in which the college Is present and in whiich it has be since its foundation. The Vote. Upon motion,the previous quest was called, and in the vote rolk demanded. The resolution, maki it the sense of Conference that 1 college remain in Columbia, e carried, the vote standing 120 y< to 94 nays, and the college rema in Columbia. Rev. E. 0. Watson, after the vt was taken, said that in view of i Twentieth Century Movement a Columbia's part . in it, and thes tion just taken in Conference, n was Columbia's opportunity. 'I plan of the Board was to correl; the educational system. Rev. R. A. Child, on behall Greenwood, moved to make i vote for the Darby resolution, ke ing the college in Columbia, una mous. The motion was secom by Lauirens and carried. Ben TmUman Doesn't Care. The Atlanta Journal recently pl lished the following: "Things will do just as they ai said Senator Ben Tillman, of Sol Carolina, standing in the Atla union depot. "I am perfectly content to see republicans stay in full power ui a financial crash ecmee, for all ti gold standard and their tariff, until they get all the damaging t is coming to them." Senator Tillman was. epeaking the recent election. He passed through the city l~ ing on the Birmingbam train on way to Cameron, Texas, where h to lecture. "bI am very well satisfied with outcome of the election," he said, "1 don't think it would have b any benefit to the Democrats to c trol the house now. I want the publicans to hold all tbe respo bility. We could have done nothi with them controlling the senate the executive, and it is my judge~ that the party will suffer nothing its failure to win this time for reason that there will now be no vided administration to lay thi to, and the Republicans can hold bag themselves and shoulder all blame. I await the day when crash will come and they get that's coming to them. inly DR. DuBOSE ON THE col not EPWORTH LEAGUE. )re ted SCHOLARLY ADDRESS IN THE INTER of EST OF THE WORK ect Heard Last Night With Close Attention by Sa One of the Largest Audiences Ever th- Assembled in Central ieir Methodist Church. led be The public address before Coo In ference last night was delivered by as Dr. H M. DuBose, General Secre ge. tary of the Epworth League, of we the M. E- Church South, and was pa- in the interest of the League. ;ti- Probably one of the largest au diences ever assembled in the Meth odist Church n as present. ar- The address was interesting and )n- instructive. At times the speaker at- waxed eloquent, using beautiful ow and poetic language, of which he the is master. He outlined the work of ere the League, telling of the good his which it has done, and the grand the results which can be accomplished in the Church only by the organi ,ad zation of Leagues in each congre ny gation within its bounds. Through ere out he held the undivided atten sts tion of his large audience. at Dr. DuBose has gained a na by tional reputation as a League per worker. He has also become well in known as a poet, and has issued a irl volume of poems which have been he widely read. He has a wonderful be vocabulary and deals in beautiful for flights of imagination. It has been of said of him that 'he carries the va1 sun in one pocket, the noon in the ;ht other and plays with the stars". ier Dr. DuBose comes of South Caro r a lina stock, and has host of friends rer and admirers among all denomina >ns tions in South Carolina. Mn. Devotional exercies were con led ducted by Rev. W. A. Rogers, with he praper by Rev. Peter Stokes. id, I Rev. E. 0. Watson, President of on the Epworth League of South Caro of lina, made a few opening re th marks outlining the work of the at League and urging the members of a Conference that they direct their efforts towards making the annual -meeting of the League to be held in Charleston next spring the most successful in its history. ngDr. DuBose, the speaker of the :he evening, was introduced by Rev. W. A. Rogers. Dr. DuBose prefaced his remarks iswith the words of another, that the nineteenth century was an age of )te endeavors, the twentieth century :he was to be an age of achievement. nd That the ni x9th century was an age cof great endeavors had been proved. owWhether or not the twentieth cen 'he tury was to be an age of great tachievement was to be disclosed. Pre-eminently the greatest move -of ment that characterized the closing ;he decades of the nineteeth century p.was the young people's movement ni- in the Church. adThis movement, while it was to be considered tonight in connection. with the Methodist Church, be longed to the whole of Christen dom. Some probably thought that the movement was a twentieth con s," tury fair, a thing that came with ith the moment and would pass with nta the moment. For this reason, he the wanted to bring to attention the stil fact that the young people's move eir ments in all the different churches md was the greatest thought in Chris bat tendomi in this age. of It is character that is behind every thing. There is nothing great av- in the world but man, and there is his nothing great in man but wind. 18 But mind was raw material that the must be made into fabric and trained so as to be worb gracefully It is en character that is needed in the on- Church. Character does not come Re- as a gift nor does it come from ~si heaven. It comes out of the earth, wdfrom seed gathered in heaven and ent is garnered and woven into beauti by ful fabrics. the The speaker said this is a time of d-great development, a time of kingly tepeace in the world, and it is easier the to do things now than formerly. the He spoke of the great progress in al