Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-12-17
COL. w. q. HOWELL ELECTED PRES
lDENT BY AccLAMATioN.
His Eloquent inaugural Address Inciden-
tai Discussion of Ward Politics : His
Opinion OF Some People With Hair
On Their Heads.

Ws s srsat.. T ii q
q portance. For the last three or fou
/ years the contests for President bav
been so exciting that personal con
/ ficts have been narrowly avertet
r more than once. A year ago whel
Col. Dave Wiley was defeated b.
, Col. Ches Pyle by one vote, ther,
were charges of stuffing the ballot
box, false counting and other grav,
offenses and for awhile there wal
serious danger of split in the Club
, but harmony was finally restored an(
when Col. Pyle a month later invite(
Col. Wiley to take something will
him, the latter accepted and the,
took walk together. Subsequently
when President Pyle appointed Col
Wiley to represent Hopkinsvillt
Club No. l, Knights of the Shining
Pate, at the Bradley inauguration
the reconciliation was complete
and the former rivals became such
fast friends that they do not hesitate
now to borrow money from each
other.
1t was generally expected that Col,
Wiley would be a candidate for Pres
ident again this year, but the genial
colonel magnanimously declined,
saying he favored a Democrat for that
office, since the Republicans had
everything else worth having.
For one he did not want the whole
earth and was content to let Demo
crat preside over the Baldheaded
Club, since there was no salary at
tached to the position.
All of this had become known in
advance of the meeting Saturday
night and with Col. Wiley out of the
race al eyes turned at once to Col.
W. R. Howell as the proper man to
fill the position that had been SO
worthy filled by Coils. L. H. Mckee,
is. h. Claggelt, Buckner Leavell
Clarence Blakemore and A. W. Pyle
1t was few minutes past the reg
ular hour when President Pyle
moved down the richly carpeted aisle,
assembled to the platform and raped
for order on the handicapped table
with enty-dollar gold piece for a
gavel.
AS soon as the roll call was com
pleted, President Pyle announced as
| the first order of business the election
of President for the ensuing year.
| Nominations being called for, Col
| Wiley rose and in a graceful little
speech of three-quarters of an hour
nominated Col. Howell and movec
that he be elected by reclamation
The motion was carried by a rising
vote and Co.'s. Wiley and Tibbs were
appointed to escort the new President
to the chair. The members drew
heater and craned their necks in an
effort to catch every word of the in
augural address Col. Bowel was ex-
pected to make, 1t was well known
that he was man of few words, of
extreme modesty and great consci
entiousness and it was expected that
his speech would be worth listening
to in many respects.
Col. Howell wore happy smile
and standing collar when he faced
the crowd before him. He also wore
a shirt and in the bosom thereof
glittered a diamond of unusual brill
fancy, that he had bought for the oc-
casion at Col. Cooper's damon
Grocery. Col. Cooper who needs no
guardian to look after his business
interests, arose as soon as score of
electric lights had focused their rays
on Col. HCwelPs head light, and
asked that the colonel kindly button
his coat over the replendent jewel, as
some of the members had weak eyes
and had left their goggles at home.
Having placed his handkerchief over
the sparkler and cleared his throat,
Col. Howell spoke as follows to wit
viz:
"BRoTHER Colonies. akEt7 SO
i can find no words to express the
gratitude / feel on this occasion, al
though | am told there are 10000
in the English language. Suffice it to
say that my heart is OVERLOOKING with
the emotion / would conceal If I could.
To reach the highest position of trust
in this noble order id enough to sat
isfy the ambition of any man, and I
shall do all in my power to merit the
distinguished honor you have con-
ferred upon me.
/ call upon you one and all to bear
witness that owe my election to no
combination, conspiracy or corruption
The Office has sought the man. As
Cincinnatus was taken from his pillow
he become a Roman Consul, SO hav,