Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-11-14
A MEDAL SPEECH.

hiOuai, a"aiuSu w hlioo Mill
ME Warren, at the Demorest medal
contest, Music Hall, Cincinnati, June
2S, 1892.
We little realize today just what all
this means. We look upon this young
lady, and say with one accord, Isn't
she beautiful, and wasn't she grand?''
Three thousand bright eyes are no.
centeIed on this magnificent, diamond
mounted gold medal. Everybody
seems happy; wen the defeated con-
%testants who acquitted themselves 80
nobly, join in their heartiest congratu-
lations.
A generation from now the fact will
have fully dawned upon us that back
Of this young woman, and back of this
medal, is a great cause. And two
generations hence, the world will know
that the cause and importation that
enabled her to move this great audi
ence to the highest pitch of enthusiasm
was of God.
1t requires no great stretch of imagi-
nation to look ahead sixty years, and
see the winner of this prize, now still
in her teens" an old, white haired
grandmother, who has passed her three
score and ten. 1t seems we can al
most hear her great grandchildren, as
they gather around her say:
Grandma, please tell us q story"
well, children, what kind of a story
would you like?"
Twill grandma tell us about what
happened when she was a young LADY,"
"Yes, yes, do" cried the rest with
one accord.
Without another word of reply she
moves slowly across the room, opens
the upper drawer of an old fashioned
bureau and takes therefrom a little
box, and as the children watch eagerly
she quietly unwraps from around it
yards of what was once cotton tape,
but now yellow from age, and a tlast
the box is opened, and from the midst
of some more cotton she brings forth
this medal.
The children eyes, as they watched
her, fairly stand out as they exclaim,
"Oh, grandma, what's that"
"a Demorest diamond mounted gold
medal, children"
"Demorest, who was Demorestp"
why children, he was a Christian
philanthropist. who a long time age
lived in New York City. He was once
a poor boy, but by his honest, indus
trious habits, as he advanced in years,
he increased in wealth until he was
enabled to spend Thousands of dollars
annually for the good of humanity.
He organized what was then known as
the Demorest medal contests. This is
one of the medals. l won it when a
girl"
what made that mark on it grand
map"
"Why, I gave it to Dots papa to
play with when he was cutting his
teeth, and he bit it,"
"Oh, the naughty little thing.
What were the contests all about
grandma?"
why, you see, children, Mr.. DEM
crest wanted to get rid of the saloon"
Saloon? Why, grandma, what's o
saloon 2"
why, the saloon where they used to
sell a poisonous drink that made men
so crazy that they would rob and steal
and murder, and sometimes ever kill
their own children"
"Oh, my, wasn't that awfulY Why
did they let them keep such placesY"
THE laws authorized them TO do it,
if they only paid money for it,"
who made such laws, grandma. 2"
THE Democrats and Republicans"
Democrats and Republicans. Why,
what's a Democrat and what's a Re-
%publicanY"
well, children, they belonged to
political tribes that used to inhabit
this country, but they are extinct now.n
Don't they have 'em in the circus,
grandma"
NO"
"Oh, how we wish we could see lust
one."
IF ever you visit Washington City,
children, you can see a few specimens
of mumifed Republicans in Smithson-
ian Institute"
well, aren't there Democrats there.
too, grandma?"
mo, they couldn't preserve them {;
they tried it, but they wouldn't keep"
but were there no churches then?"
Eyes, children"
well, what did they do, grandma"
They passed resolutions"
what did the preachers do?"
why, most of them said they were
holy men of God, and didn't want to
mix politics with religion"
well, you mixed 'em, didn't you,
grandmap"
"Yes, children"
did grandpa mix 'em too?"
"Well, children, it has been a long
time since then, and your grandma's
memory is not as good as it used to be,
but can say that your grandpa said
grace and held family prayers twice q
day and was always very kind to me-"