The Portland daily press., 1895-05-01
Mr.. THOMAS IN KANSAS.
An Imposing Assemblage of Swedish.
Americans Listen to the Ex-Minister.
(From the Kansas State Journal of
Topeka.l

(From the Kansas State Journal of
Topeka.)
A grand ovation greeted the Hon. W.
W. Thomas, Jr., at Hamilton hall last
evening. The vast auditorium was
packed with an eager and enthusiastic
audience numbering fully 1880, among
whom it was easy to see that our Swed-
ish American citizens largely predomi-
mated. The occasion was the address on
Sweden and the Swedes" by Mr..
Thomas under the auspices of the Scan
dinavian Republican club. The hall
| was handsomly decorated with flags and
bunting, while the front of the speaker s
stand was a mass of flowers and palms.
Governor Morrill,, Mayor Fellows and
large numbers of the first citizens of
Topeka graoed the platform by their
presence.
The exercises were opened by the patri-
otic pieces of the Swedish Fatherland
executed by the Swedish orchestra of
Topeka and vocal music.
Mayor Fellows, in an appropriate speech
introduced Gov. Morrill,, who delivered
an address of welcome to the distin-
guished guest. In his youth, said Gov.
Morrill,, in the old Pine Tree State, he
was accustomed to look up to an honored
citizen of his native State as the type of
| what an American citizen should be- and
it now gave him great pleasure to intro
duce to Kansas audience the son of
| that old citizen and friend who for SO
many years had ably and successfully
represented the United States to Sweden
and Norway.
Mr.. Thomas was received with an out
burst of applause as he arose to address
the vast audience which seemed eager
to catch every word that fell from his
lips. With the most eloquent English
he mixed the most mirrh provoking
phrases in Swedish, recalling by these
sounds from home most vividly the old
homes in the Northland to every Swedish
American present.
Probably there does not live in the
United States today between the two
greater knowledge of all that is neces-
sary to treat this subject exhaustively
than Mr.. Thomas. Selected by Presi-
dent Lincoln In 1861 to be United States
consul to Sweden he remained till 1898,
serving the period of Cleveland's first
term, closing his service as minister
plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary
the Swedish language correctly from the
scholastic standpoint, and by his twenty
five years residence in the country, ming
ling with the people, he has caught .he
accent, the subtle intonatiop.
No report short of verbatim one can
do justice to the gifted speaker, and for
an hour and half he held his audience,
willing and most delightfully."- entertained
captives. He dwelt in succession upon
the country, its extent, it's physical feat
ures, its geographical position, its re-
markable history, it's varied and extern
sive productions, the habits and charac-
teristics of it's people, their achievements
in science and literature. and more than
all, the military genius Of its great
leaders, Gustavus Vasa. Gustavus
Adolphus, and Charles XII, showing
the extent of the worlds Indebtedness to
them and their armies in establishing
| freedom of religious thought.
| He paid glowing tributes to it's poets,
authors and artists. His tribute to John
Ericsson, and the incalcuIable service
he rendered this country, in building
the Monitor, which crippled and de-
stroyed the rebel ram Merrimac. brought
out cheers, and when he closed his grand
oration he was given long, continuous
applause 1t was the most imposing as
sem blage of the Swedish-American race
that ever took place in Kansas, aud the
credit of calling together this grand
assem- blaRe belongs in the first place to
our young and enterprising fellow citi-
zeDs of Swedish extraction, Mr.. A. v.
| r