The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-11-18


passing the Cumberland Church on
the left and turning into high at
Eddy's corner, then moving up High
to Eleventh, and so on across to
South Main and down that thOrOuh-
fare to the Public Square, where the
procession disbaRded aid its rank
and file threw themselves into the
vortex OF fireworks aud OratOry that
for hours ragged around the old court
house.
The eliminating magnificence and
exultation Of the night was reached
when the head of the procession
reached the square with Chairman
Smiser, MarshalIs Webster, Latta
and the rest of them riding proudly
in the van and the long line of cheer
ing thousands behind them filled the
entire length of South Main with
brilliant light, exploding pyrOtech-
mics and jubilant shouts of victory.
A large platform had been erected
on the North side OF the Court House,
and upon it were assembled the ora
tors of the occasion, jammed IN on
all sides by enthusiastic friends most
anxious to assist in the shouting
from the most advantageous position.
These friends and few hundred 9th
ers assembled just in front of the
platform, were able to Ncatch fraG-
ments OF the splendid OratOry which
was poured out from eloquent lipP,
but their burning words, charged
with the full intensity 'ot the hour
were lost on a vast majority of the
multitude that covered every foot of
the square.
Two immense bon-fires illuminated
the scene and there was an uuin-
terrupted and deafening fusillade of
fireworks, mingled with exultant
shouts from thrOats that seemed
never to grow tired. A frenzy of ex-
element took posse ssion of the peo-
pie and nothing but the viOlent ex-
ercise of the lungs and limbs could
give it proper vent. 1t WAS the fren-
~ of pure joy, unmixed with any
alloy of bitterness, aud, therefore,
wonderful to relate, the police had
no occasion to arrest a single man.
In spite of the uprOar, a few hur-
dred people listened to the speakers
while they strained every nerve to
make themselves heard. Hon. l.. 2
Padgett acted as master of cere-
monies and introduced, one after IAN
other, Hons. Il. w. Ewing and Allen,
OF Pulaski, Col. n. n. Cox, Capt. w
J. Whitthorne and Geo G. Taylor.
Their speeches were keyed up to the
high note of the occasion aud swelled
with the cresendO of triumph
aud congratulatiol. Glowing with
magnanimIty in the full flush of vic
tory, they chimed in a chorus the
invitation to erring D,mOcl ats to
come on back to the Ark of DemOc-
! CIV. The invitation met with inn
mediate and numerous respon- les and
| quite number were baptized back
into the true faith, parson Palgeti
officiating and sprinkling them IN
the name and grace OF Cleveland and
Peter Turney.
One of the happiest features OF the
evening WAS the testimonial Of appre'
citation presented to Chairman
Smiser. 1t was an elegant gold
headed cane, given him by the Demo
cracy Of the county which he has led
in the great battle just won. TIE
cane was presented in most felicitOus
terms by Hon. l. p. Paigett, and
was received by Mr.. S .niser in word
OF eloquence that came hit from
full heart and heated his audience in
to a flame OF radiant enthusiasm.
Did space permit, it would be
grateful pleasure to de cribe in detail
every feature of the tran 'cend"nt
occasion, to mention individuals to
whom special credit for its success is
due, and 10 attempt as far ~ our
words wonld 60 to paint more vivid
picture of the glamour and glory OF 1t
all. But it is too large a subject to be
entirely c0mprs hended here, and
must have been seen to be fully
appre C ated.