AN EXPLANATION.

The present Secretary of the Southern Educational Association will not attempt to enumerate the difficulties encountered in getting together the papers and other copy for this volume. He was elected Secretary by the Board of Directors after the adjournment of the meeting of the Association held in Chattanooga, December, 1910. The proceedings for 1909 had not been printed, and only a few of the papers read at that meeting, as well as the 1910 meeting, were turned over to him.

The following circular issued by President Cassidy from Lexington, Ky., on March 18, 1911, explains itself:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Owing to the delinquency of the former Secretary of the Southern Educational Association, the proceedings of the Charlotte, N. C., meeting have not yet been published. It is the sincere desire of the present officers of the Association to issue, at the earliest possible time, both the Charlotte and the Chattanooga proceedings in two separate volumes.

Because of an unwise and perhaps unwarranted expenditure of the Association's funds by the former Secretary, the amount that can be expended on these publications is necessarily limited, and in order to meet the unpleasant-yes, embarrassing-exigency that has been forced upon the Association, it is found necessary to publish the papers read at Charlotte and Chattanooga in a greatly abridged form. This is much to be regretted, for, having read these papers, I am impressed with both their thought and style of presentation and am exceedingly sorry that each one cannot appear as originally written.

It was at first contemplated, and was so ordered by the Board of Directors, that I should edit and condense all of the papers read on the two occasions referred to. The papers were sent to me for this purpose, but on beginning the work I was soon convinced that it was a task which no one could perform with satisfaction, either to himself or to the authors. It would be taking too much liberty with the fine thoughts of others. And upon mature reflection, I have concluded that in justice to the authors these excellent papers should be returned to them, and that they should be requested to rewrite them as briefly as possible.

I feel sure of the cheerful coöperation of each writer in this embarassing situation and earnestly request that he rewrite his paper, incorporating nothing that is not absolutely essential to preserve the thought and unity of the production. In other words, make it as brief as possible.

If each contributor will do this at once, and return the condensed production to Mr. Wm. F. Feagin, Secretary of the Southern Educational

Association, Montgomery, Ala., at the earliest possible moment, the proceedings will be printed as soon thereafter as possible and promptly sent to the members of the Association. Please bear in mind, in rewriting your paper, to preserve only essentials, to have the rewritten paper typewritten, and to return immediately to the Secretary at Montgomery, as stated in the previous paragraph.

All who have not returned their papers by April 3, 1911, will be considered as not desirous of having them printed, since the proceedings must be in the hands of the printers not later than April 10, 1911. I beg to assure you that you will greatly assist us by complying promptly, if not cheerfully, with this request, and that no such contingency will arise after the next meeting.

Assuring you of my gratitude and asking your hearty coöperation for the future success of the Association, I am,

With great respect,

M. A. CASSIDY,

President Southern Educational Association.

WELCOME ADDRESS.

SUPT. J. Y. JOYNER.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In the name of ten thousand teachers, seven hundred thousand school children, more than two million people, I extend to you a Tar Heel welcome to the Old North State, "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great."

The whole State stands with outstretched hands and bids you welcome. My poor words of welcome are but the feeblest echo of the unworded welcome that thrills a thousand thousand hospitable hearts today at the news of your coming within our gates.

We welcome you for what you are, a goodly company of men and women from all our sister Southern States, called to the high calling of developing the unknown possibilities of childhood into the infinite possibilities of manhood and womanhood, an aristocracy of mind, morality and unselfish service to whom more than to those of any other calling has been entrusted the fashioning of the forces for protecting our homes, perpetuating our prosperity and preserving our civilization.

We welcome you for what you bring to us-instruction and inspiration, higher ideals and nobler aims, a finer enthusiasm and a sublimer faith. We shall receive more than we can give, but we rejoice that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive, then yours will be by reflex action the greater blessing still.

Such a body of men and women, on such a mission bent, ought to feel at home in a State that was among the first of all the Southern States to establish and maintain a public school system before the war; to reconstruct, enlarge and improve it after the war; that was, so far as I know, the only Southern State that kept open its public schools and preserved untouched its permanent school fund of two million dollars throughout the war.

Could all the people of the. State have been consulted they would, I think, have chosen for the royal entertainment of their honored guests this, their "Queen City," that stands upon

the sacred soil where American patriots first hurled defiance into the teeth of British tyrants.

Our welcome is all the warmer because you have come to see us in the midst of a happy Christmas-tide, when “Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men," is written above the portals of every home and every heart in our old-fashioned State that has not yet grown so new-fashioned, thank God, as to neglect hospitality, forget spirituality, sneer at honest sentiment, and teach its children that nothing must be believed that cannot be proven; that Santa Claus and the spirit that he stands for is a myth, and the Babe of Bethlehem no longer divine.

We are glad that you have come; we shall be sorry when you must leave. We wish you while you stay profit, goodfellowship and gladness.

Ours is yours while you remain. If any old fellow grows tired of the city, come into the country and we will warm his heart with a country welcome one of North Carolina's own.

"A hospitable wide hearthstone,

A cheering pipe of cob or briar,
And a red, rousing, light'ood fire."

ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

SUPT. F. P. GRAHAM, CHARLOTTE, N. C.

Mr. President, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Southern Educational Association:

I am here today to welcome you to a city that is 580 miles long and 180 miles wide. My welcome, therefore, is exactly in that proportion, 580 miles long and 180 miles wide. I feel this morning (not having any subject assigned to me, that being impossible), like Senator Mooney did when he arose to speak at the Southern Manufacturers' Club in this city. "Boys," he said, "you have not given me any subject, so I think I will just take a crack at creation and quit at that." This is the first time in all my life that I have had an opportunity to address the whole Southern Confederacy at one time, with the border States thrown in. I know of nothing more appropriate to say to you in a welcoming address than to say that North Carolina

feels like a full sister to many of your States, and at least a half sister to all the rest.

When I look over this list of States represented here, North Carolina has a right to claim as a first State not as a sister only, but as a daughter, Tennessee. Tennessee came into this Union at the same time that the great State of Kentucky came in. I believe as I go along I will try and show the bond. Tennessee claims that she has had three Presidents of the United States-Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew JohnNorth Carolina claims to have furnished the birthplace of all three of these. Polk was born in North Carolina only seven, or perhaps nine, miles from the spot where I am now standing. Jackson was born in North Carolina, not very far from the place where we are now assembled, and Johnson was born in the city of Raleigh.

son.

As we do not seem to be in a great hurry this morning I would like to tell you the first time I ever saw a President of the United States. It was that great man Johnson, when he came to visit at the University of North Carolina. One hundred and twenty-five men greeted him at the Governor's Mansion. When called upon for a speech, it was made in language something like this: "Young gentlemen, I cannot quote to you of any great Emperors of Roman history, for I have never studied Latin, neither can I cite to you any great heroes of Grecian history, for I have never studied Greek, but if you will pardon me I will point you to myself. Forty years ago, young gentlemen, almost to a day, I passed along that pathway there, barefooted, and with only thirty-five cents in my pockets, which had been given me by a friend. Today I stand here a President of the United States of America, a position second to none on the face of the globe."

I have not called your attention to the fact that Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia were members of the original family of our State. Tennessee and Kentucky are the oldest ones of the original thirteen. Louisiana comes next, coming at the same time as the great State of Indiana. We have under Johnson the great State of Arkansas, that joined our Confederacy; after that we have the great States of Mississippi, Missouri and Alabama, under the great President Monroe.