The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1875-07-06
A THUMPING ADDRESS.
BY Brother Jonathan johnson, p. w.

Hoodlums, Co,0,trysnen and Lawyers
The apology have to offer for appear
ing before you to-day is from keen
sense of duty, and as the representative
of this glorious band of Thumpers
l feel proud in responding to their call.
When distinguished citizen is called
upon to preside over the deliberations
of precinct meeting. he is ever ready
to return thanks to his supporters, and
is Immediately possessed with feeling
of good will towards men, and is i'm
pressed with such feeling of kindness
that he is led to make the grave re-
mark that this is the proudest mo-
ment of my existence" Take again.
if you please, the best and purest men
of the land; men whose patriotism rise
above all other considerations; men
whose fidelity to country is unques-
toned; men who, if they never have
been elected to the Legislature, have
aspirations to that end; men who assist
the Government in its revenues by.
standing by their lager BEER" men
who may be engaged in the solemn re-
sponsibility of game of pedro, all
feel proud of the position they occupy;
and 1, too, feel proud of the distinction
awarded me by my fellow "Thump-
ers."
Neither do l come before you for the
purpose of making a grand rhetorical
flourish. and dwell upon the brave and
unselfish deeds of our forefathers, who
endured the hardships and privations
of well-fought battle; who SO nobly
shed their blood and so heroically laid
down their lives that we might be free;
but I come for the more important pur-
pose of impressing upon your minds
that on this day, made sacred by the
deeds of those whom we venerate, that
we are free in the broadcast acceptation
of the term, or no such organization as
the Thumpers would be tolerated
in your midst.
And as the grand oratorical Thumper
of this institution, which your humble
servant has the distinguished honor to
represent, it becomes my duty to dive
into the misty records of history to
show why every American citizen
should celebrate the annual return of
this, our nations birthday. For this
purpose we need not 60 further back
than the rise and fall of the Roman
Empire, for we do not find in all lis
tory that Noah had Plymouth Rock
on which to land his skiff; we had, fell
low Thumps, and although our Ply
month Rock won't go twenty-five cents
to the ton by Gintz & Ginacca's pro-
cess, yet it is Plymouth Rock neverthe-
less. And when we refer with the
pride of American citizens to our fore
fathers, We should, fellow Thumpers,
return thanks to the true and trusty
commander who guided the gallant
ship Mayfower safely to her moorings;
for had he come up to that historical
rock in tiltin' way he surely
would have beeched-er'' Then
where would Plymouth Rock have
been? where Plymouth Church? where
the observation-disclosures? ! answer,
hanging on the ragged edge." with
large slice of the Day of Judgment in
sight.
We also find that in reviewing the
history of Socrates the ancient and hon.
orable society of Thumpers " dates
farther back into the dim vista of the
past than does any other secret or pub
lie organization. The mystic tie of
Masonry dates its future history from
the building of the Temple, and many
historians date the existence of the So
ciety of Thumpers anterior to that time.
Its principles are as broad as civiliza-
ton itself, and its charities are be-
slowed upon the unfortunate as freely
and gently as the dew from heaven.
The Odd Fellows are not in their or
ganization SO hoary-headed with age,
but whose principles of brotherly love
extend wherever language is taught,