The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-12-22
GUESTS OF GOVERNOR.
Centennial Executive Com
mittee Entertained Last
Night.
A FelicitOus Occasion at Which Genial "Our
Bob" Was the Host,

Centenlal Exposition last night at the
Maxwell House. This was the second
annual dinner of the committee, the
first having been given last year by
Mr.. A. H. Robinson. Gov. Taylor as
honorary member of the committee ex-
tended the invitation for this year and
the following gentlemen were present,
several members being unavoidably
absent; j. W. Thomas, E. @. Lewis,
W. L. Dudley, ]. H. Fall, A. H. Rob-
inson, E. E. Barthell, G.. II. Baskette,
Tully Brown, W, H. Bruce, G. E. Cur
ry, J. H. Mcdowell, J.J. McCann and
B. F. Wilson.
The dinner was an elegant and elabS-
rate affair and the genial host of the oc-
casion was in one of his most delightful
moods. After the courses had been
served with most enjoyable social table
converse, there was some impromptu
speech-making.
Maj. J. w. Thomas rose and pro-
posed toast to Gov. Taylor. He spoke
of the warm regard which the people
had for the Governor. and of his per-
sonal esteem for him. He concluded
his remarks as follows
"Gov. Taylor has sympathy ever
ready, when you ask of him a favor.
He has been censured because he can
not turn deaf ear to the wives, moth
ers and daughters of the unfortunate.
/ do not think he should be censured,
but respected and loved. For mercy is
nobilities path and no word from
Kings lips is SO sweet as pardon.
Without mercy the world would be
lonely, and many beautiful garden
would be a wilderness. 1 propose a
toast to His Excellency, Governor lay
lor."
! Governor Taylor responded as fol-
lows:
"There are times in our lives when
the heart feels the most and the lips
move not cannot express my deep
gratitude to my friend for his tender
words in your presence concerning me.
have always had the most affctionate
regard for him. 1 am reaching, have
reached the cleaning Of my political
career. I welcome the cleaning as
gladly as the stars seem to welcome
the cleaning Of day. Another morn
ing I trust will dawn upon my life
more congenial to my heart and my
feelings. / am one of the few politi.
clans who delight to be retired fiom
public life. I loye the warm sunshine,
I love the glad flowers, love to be in
that condition Of life when every thO't
that goes out from my brain and my
lips is like dove, q carrier dove, bring.
ing back to me an olive branch-or q
dollar.
"The emotions of my heart are moi
those Of hatred, but of love and genial
friendship and good will toward my
fellow-man. can say to my friends
gathered around this board tonight
that I have seen good many shadows
across my path, yet ! have had little
Of the sunshine. go out of the gu.
bernatorial chair without an emotion
of hatred toward any man in the world
feel no resentment to those who have
fought me in political life. Opinions
will clash, and they have the right tt
their opinions. I feel, however, as
grow older that l feel the sting of ad
verese criticism more keenly than ever
before, and I am delighted to say with
in thirty days from this happy night ]
will be private citizen, with no hatred
toward any man and no wrongs tx
avenge. am in love with my fellow
man. with this beautiful world, ant
want to live in it until l get so old tha
it won hurt to die.
81 trust that this annual meeting
of the board will continue for many
years to come, without report to come
to us of the passage of any member be
yond the silent river. cannot take
my seat without expressing my thanks
for the accepting of my invitation to tbs
annual dinner of the board, and will
carry it away with me as one the o
sweetest memories of my life."
Maj. E. G. Lewis, who had just re
turned frem Chicago, where he attend
ed the banquest given Ferdinand w
Peck, Commissioner General of th,
United States to the Paris Exposition
responded to call. He said:
81 take pleasure in saying that I at
tended the banquet given Mr.. Peck, a
the representative of the Tennessee
Centennial. I was SO recognized in tn
invitation, on the floor of the recep
tion room and at the banquet table.
| was glad to be able to be present ant
to have the honor of representa-,
. the Tennessee Centennial. Many wer
: the courtesies shown me, especially be