The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-21
AMONG OLD-TIME FRIENDS
WhiteIaw Reid Visits His Mother and
Is Given an Ovation at Cedarville.
Non Partisan Welcome TO Which the Gifted
Editor Replied in Feeling Terms-His
Youthful Days Recalled.

CEDARvILIE, o., Aug. Colon. White
law Reid and wife arrived AT Xenia at
O'Clock this morning and were driven at
once to his old home. one mile from this
village. where q cordial welcome awaited
him from his aged mother, now In her
eighty ninth year. who SIMPLY Idoiizes her
illustrious son. 1t was not generally known
when he would be here. but at about 2
o'clock crowds began TO gather IN the spa
cious lawn in front of Hon. Andrew Jack
sons residence. where 1t was de-.
cided to hold q non-partisan reception.
The reception committee, consisting of
prominent citizens Of all parties and . num-
Der of newspaper men drove QUITO the REID
homestead and accompanied the Republic
an candidate for the vioe-presidency and
his wife back TO town. He was cheered on
ell sides. aud received an ovation when he
arrived at the jackson place. A large
platform had been erected, and on IL were
seated the reception committee, newspaper
men. Mr.. REID. Mrs. Andrew Jackson and
others Hon. Andrew jackson, Repub-
lican, introduced Mr. George w. Harper,
Democrat, who made the speech of well
come. Mr.. Harper said:
lit is the pleasant duty ASST gned to me
by generous neigh bOre of welcoming home
TO the scenes of his boyhood days. and to
the present home of his venerable mother,
one who has since achieved for himself, for
his native village and for the country at
large many and great honors. We have
long known him. and respect and honor
him. He lived and toiled among US as
student, teacher and editor. Whitelaw
Reid bonored God in the days of his youth.
and applied himself to intellectual pur-
suits. In youth he was active and untiring
IN educating his own mind. Since then ne
has been active in training the minds OF
others. He has distinguished himself In
journalism, literature, politics and di-
plomancy. He is now at the head of one of
the Oldest OF our newspapers. We honor
him for his courage and industry, bis great
intellectual and moral powers. and because
he uses yhem to elevate, educate and en-
noble mankind. We feel that the interests.
the liberty and the rights of the people OF
this country would be safe In bis hands.
One of the great political parties has nomi-
mated him for the Office of Vice-president
You all come to see and to hear him. /
have the pleasure and the honor of intro
ducing him to You, ladies and gentlemen,
the Hon. Whitelaw Reid"
Mr.. REID's FEELING RESI- oNsE.
Mr.. Reid, in response. said:
Ladies and Gentlemen. Mr.. Harper
This is indeed an ideal welcome. and my
only regret Is 10 luu NY SOIL Wholly unpIo-
pared for it-unprepared because had not
anticipated such a company, and had ex-
pected only to meet old friends and neigh
bors and shake them by the hand. Never
theless, in spite of the unexpected neeessi-
~ of few remarks, ills an ideal welcome,
because at period of some interest in my
life, you give me the privilege of meeting
my old friends and neig hbors here without
distinction of creed, or party, or race-of
meeting you simply as men aud women,
of NJ M
boy hood. and many of whom have first
known me and REGARDED me for my parents
sake. 1t will be the proudest laurel /
shall ever hope TO win If at the end of my
career 1T may still be said that / never for
feited that regard. Applause. No ap-
plause can ever be so grateful tn any right
thinking man as that of the people who
have known him earliest and best. and
have followed his whole career with that
kindly yet critical watchfuIness which
ones elders and ones playmates give.
Sweeter always the cheer of ones native
village than the proudest honor of the
metropolis or even Of the nation. Jap
plause.
1T Is a great pleasure. Mr.. Harper, to re-
celve this testimonial of kindly good will
from old friends and neighbors at your
shall not venture to say In the presence of
wives. both of whom are younger than
ourselves. quite how long, but certainly
over third of century, and in that time
we have uniformly and always differed on
politics and never differed on anything
else. Laughter and applause.l l hope
that that relation between rs may never
vary, except In one way, and l have almost
abandoned hope OF ever seeing any cnange
in that particular Ilaughterl, but it pleases
me to remember that you are under the
best of home influences, for If you would
not take my politics you came to my school
for your wife. lApplause.
lit Is most agreeable, and yet Is q source
- A..Au a. be 49,
which wakes SO many memories of one of
Cedarvilles best and most lamented citi-
Gems. heard first of bis fatal illness in
Syria. just as i was taking the steamer for
Alexandria, and shall always be grateful
thatI found the time in Egypt to write him
. letter of sympathy, and, as il proved. OF
farewell Few qualifications have been
greater to me in life than TO have been
since told that that letter reached him
while he was still conscious. and brought
him pleasure.
IL am glad also to meet here the pleasant
proprietor of these beautiful grounds and
TO go back, as his presence and name carry
me back, to the days when he and / were
very young and when his father was the
brigadier commanding the military forces
OF half dozen adjoining counties; in those
days brigadier-generalw was q very great
man. Those of you who did not have, like
myself, the honor of knowing Robert Jack
son, nevertheless. have shown in his case
that you appreciate good qualities even In
the second generation. [Applause.l
Now. gentlemen, | propose to throw
myself absolutely on your indulgence. My
only regret is that find here the omni pres
ent recorders of the unimportanr. who are
engaged at this moment in chronicling
what /, as an editor. would instantly tell
them to boil down to a stickful, and which
hope their editors will require them TO
restrict to even narrower limits. Laugh
ter. You will. perhaps. feel that / do not
even stop at the proprieties of
the occasion when / add. follow
ing line of thought which has
already been twice suggested on this plat
form, that really you confer the greatest
pleasure upon me to-day, after that of be-
ing allowed TO look again into SO many
familiar faces, in the pleasure 1 know you
are conferring upon q certain dear old lady,
. neigh Dor OF yours, now in her eignty-
ninth year; and the greatest regret have
about it 10 that similar qualification. in
Witnessing the esteem and good will shown
to his son, might not have been vouchsafed
90 that good gray head so many Of you re-
Applause.
81 know what this community is besides
being q comm unity of education, of good
morals. and OF strong religious tendencies
1t is also a community of extremely strong
and very diverse opinions on public affairs.
If man has contrlved to live among you
or under your wstchful eve for ffty-ive
years. and TO enjoy still from all of you
such kindly esteem as you show to-day, he
has gained that which ought to be a source
OF pride 10 live through life. and Ihe men,
cries of which will always be treasured by
those he leayea hahiud HIM lApplause