The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1884-07-18
PROCTOR KNOTT.
A Humorous Speech by Kentucky's Gov.
ernor In 1870.
ben. Perley Poore's "reminiscences I

ben. Perley Poore's "Reminiscences
Proctor Knott. of Kentucky, made very
humorous speech in May, 1870 on propo.
sition to pave Penn sylvania avenue at the
public expense. He gave as one reason
why this should be- done, that the avenue
is SO much used by the horde Of Office
holders that throng the thoroushfares of
Washington. "for, sir" said Mr.. Knott,
"if there is Il being ON this earth Tor whose
comfort and convenience | entertain the
profoundest solcitude, if there is one whose
smallest want stirs my sympathetic soul to
its serenest depths, it is your otlir holder,
your public functionary. When | see one
of that noble army of martyrs bidding
adieu to his home and all the sweets of pr.
vate life, for which he is so eminently
fitted by nature, to immediate himself upon
the altar of his country's service for four
long years, Homer's touching picture of
the last sad scene between the noble Hec-
tor and his weeping family rise, before my
sympathetic Imagination. When ! see him
plunging recklessly into an Office of the
duties of which he is profoundly and de-
family ignorant, am reminded of the self.
sacrificing heroism of Curtiua when he
in the Roman forum When / behold him
sadly contemplating his majestic features
in one of those gorgeous and costly mirrors
which is furnished him at the public ex-
pense, III y heart goes out to him III sNmpa
| thy. When see him seated sorrowiully at
| miserable repast of sea-terrapin and
| champagne my very bowels yearn for him.
| And when ! see him performing, perhaps,
| the only duty for which he is fully compe
| tent, signing the receipt for his monthly
| pay, am so overwhelmed with pity for
| his miserable condition that | wish | were
| in his place. When such considera
| tons as these, sir, have come crowdiug up.
| on my mind appealing to every generous
| sentiment of my better nature; when |
| have thought how the official nerves of our
| poor neglected public servants are racked
| by the car rafting DER the stony stones,
| l have felt, under the sudden impulse of
| the moment, that we ought TO tear up the
| old cobble- stone pavement on the avenue
and supply its place with one of the new
| fashioned patent wooden ones, over which
| the splendid carriages of our Government
| officials with their coats of arms and liv.
cried outriders might glide as smoothly
and nOlSelessly as the aerial car OF the
| fairy queen through the rose-tnted clouds
of the upper ether" Mr.. Knott disclaimed
anything but the kindest feelings toward
the people of Washington. 81 rejoice
said he, "to know that they are so fortu
nate as to have the privilege of enjoying
the fruits of the Governments munihcenc,
in improving the Nations Capital Blu
| do hope that after we shall have pave,
and lighted all their streets for them aite
we shall have supplied all their house
with water, after we shall have contribut
ed in every possible way to their comfort
convenience and tastes, they will not insis
on our making an appropriation to pay
salaries to the little caSt-ron niger
which see some gentlemen have put up il
front of their houses to hitch their horses
70