The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-06-19
BLADES o. GRASS AND THINGS
The Governor Tells the Buckeyes
Something About Good Old
Tennessee.

on the upper corner of the menu
card that lay beside the plate of each
member of the Blades of Grass Club
who sat down to the summer dinner
Of the club at the st. Nicholas last
night. A half dozen deep green
blades Of June grass, fragrant and
moist from nearby suburban pas
ture, lay beside the bouttoniere OF
each member OF the club, and the
great oval floral designs made Of fra
grant June roses, intertwined with
waxen-leaved smilax that gave dash
OF color to the sparkling tables, filled
the dining-room Of the club with per-
fume.
Col. L. G. Weir, as full of cheerful
ness as maxum and as witty as
Chauncy DePew, presided at the horse
shoe-shaped table. At his left sat
Gov. ]. E. Campbell, of Ohio, and at
his right sat Gov. Robert L. Taylor,
the famous fiddler OF Tennessee, who
defeated his own brother, another fid-
dler and popular Republican, for
the Gubernatorial chair Of the prosper
GUS Commonwealth of Tennessee. At
torney General Michener, Of Indiana,
a man OF stalwart physique, brilliant
eyes and alert intelligence, represent
ed the Governor of Indiana, who was
unavoidably detained at the State
capital. Judge W. W. Cleary, OF Csv-
ington, portly, gray, keen-witted and
quick OF repartee, represented Gov.
Buckner, Of Kentucky.
The dinner itself was perfect, and
served exquisitely. The soft music of
violin and harp filled the blanks be-
tween courses, and the sweet voices OF
soloists gave dash Of vocal color to
the songs of the night. This is the
legend OF the club that started at the
diners from the second page OF last
nigth's menu:
"And he gave it for his opinion that
whoever could make two ears OF corn
or two blades of grass to grow upon a
spot of ground where only one grew
before, would deserve better of man
kind and do more essential service 10
his country than the whole race o.
politicians put together. ."-Gulliver'i
Travels.
When coffee was served, and the
blue smoke of fragrant cigars rose
above the candles, COL Weir, in 8
clever and appropriate little speech
introduced Gov. Robert i. Taylor, o
Tennessee, while the club sang, "He'
jolly Good Fellow"
~ have grudge, and a special
grudge, against Ohio" said Gov. Tay
lor, after extending to the club hi
thanks for their invitation, "and thi
grudge against Ohio | have possessed
Tor ten years. When I was q younj
man, Ohio sent young man dow
in the mountains of Tennessee, ant
he actually beat me for Congress
, Cries OF 'Oh, ho' !; beat him once
he beat me twice. I've been mad a
Ohio ever since. / accused this youn
man of being from Michigan, but h
Q denied it, and laid it on Ohio, and
s will never be satisfied until l get M
: revenge. Laughter. look for m
revenge in beating an Ohio Republ
: can in '82 with an Ohio Democra
and we notify you right now tina
we're going to put j. E. Campbell 0
our ticket. would love to tell you I
the country laid waste and desolAte
twenty-five years ago, and that hf
now sprung into life, and is bloomin
today like a rose, but have not I'll
time. She rests upon different civi
ization. Her young men have gor
, to work, and the South is raising mo
cotton today chan she ever raised b
fore, cheers and her great mines
a mineral wealth have been freely ope
ed within recent years, and befo
long, we OF the South believe th
! Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia al
Alabama will be the great centre
i. coal and iron production, and tn
- Ohio will come down there with h
= goods to swap for our iron and col
We believe, too, that you freed o
niggers in 1860 or '65, and we belle,
] too, that we're getting our mon
: back now in selling you our old sal
fields at $3.50 per front foot. Laue
ter and cheers. have no speech
make, except to come here and of
you the hand Of fellowship and
fraternal friendship Of the sons a
daughters Of the old Volunteer Sta
% cheersl Cincinnati sits here on /
hills and queens it over the great I
er, the great Southland at her it
Where now she has three hundl
thousand people she ought to hay
million. [Cheers. Her citizt
ought to 60 to work as one man
bring about happy commercial rt
N, tions with the New South, and to {
tivate especially these relations, fc
tell you the South is growing ri
and If Cincinnati viii try she {
n hrine.- n srraak a.rt of ll.s. s..aaltla Of