Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-21
NORFOLK PEANUT MARKET
WHY NO CHAPLAIN WAS cuoSrx
-"ehoer or the Legislature OF
FLORIDA Opposed the Mot,o,

int Legislature Of
"rida Opposed the Motion.
"acAsonville Fla) Times-IrnionN
no Legislature convened in November
ana among the elect was old uncle ooa wa
iondiy called him) Jerry r. Smith uho
I1preSented the senatorial district Of
ps.".il .0H county. Uncle Jerry was n
,oP'l9. preacher of the primitive faith
49,, ne was a good modest. pious
49, aiiu AL VINO knew him loved him
80 oeIIy had ,deas-ideas of his own.
'ooul many things, both religions and
secular. IL he had been sent IN tba Co.
ate on any particular issue. IL was meyer
known. To those who knew him ,ndeod
such a suppostion could not occur for
the man had been built on too larea =
scale TO be fenced in a small pound bv
hamperinS instructions" or narrow CON.
siuefatlon or party advantage.
Among Uncle Jerrys colleagues yera
General a. *. Allison, Of Gasden; General
reward Hopkins. of Duval; Judge ID p
nCgue, OF Leon; James Abercombie. of
Escambla; General j. G.. Cooper of
marion; ID. p. Holland OF Franklin and
others or more or less note including
General j. NJ. Taylor, from South Florida
Ihey elected f. J. Vann, Of Madison pres.
Iuent. General Taylor was noted for his wit
ana kindly humor. General Allison. who
mad been elected President during tho
last year of the civil war, and became ex-
oihclo Governor upon the Death of Cover
nor Milton, confessed that his education
IN music and song had been sadly neglect.
ed, whatever might be said of mis- abiIitv
as statesman; the President of the SEN
ate. though living in a district adjoining
mat or Uncle Jerry, had not come under
MS ministratlons, or, at least. mad not
yielded to them. In fact, he was rather
lrrelgious in those days, am told. III
ne had ever prayed at all, 1t must have
been in a locked up closet; and as for
praying in public, such a thing was to
him unthinkable. Even TO this day he
has friends who truly believe that he had
rather be shot than DO such thing.
UNEXPECTED OPPOSITION.
In the routine work of organizing the
Senate ii became necessary, as General
Taylor seemed 10 think, to secure the SER
vices Of a Chaplain. and so, as in duty
bound, he made the customary motion to
that effect, which was seconded by Cen
eral Allison-a motion which had passed
without objection on similar occasions
ever since Florida had been State.
Never had it entered into the head OF any
member TO oppose such a proposition; to
have done so would have smacked Of
sacriege. And so when Uncle Jerry Ge-
liberately arose Qor no one could hurry
HIM and announced that he would OPP
pose the motion, IT is needless TO say
that "he had the ears OF the Chamber"
He was cool, sef-possessed, eloquent Tor
had he not been preaching for years 20
q
han a paltry Senate Chamber could con-
ain?
To report that speech In full, or even
70 give its character at this late day, |
would be impossible. His text he took |
rom the fact that our government had |
lecreed and absolute and eternal divorce |
Church and State. Therefore, |
leld it wrong unconstitutional-for the |
legislature 10 appropriate the hard-earn- |
d fruits OF toll eXacted from the tax
layers 20 remunerate any preacher for
my professional service he could posi-
,ly render: that the State mad no authori-
Y, written or unwrtten, 20 hire a preach
r 10 pray for ii or TO save the souls or |
Is servants; that all who prayed as
natter Of course prayed for those in
uthority, from the highest TO the low
st. and never thought OF charging for
UGH service, much less of making such
raid upon the Treasury as that contem-
lated in the motion" Perish The
bought that any minister OF God could
% found 10 sell his influence, &c, and
o for 30 minutes did Uncle Jerry stir
% the sluggish consciences Of his Sen
torial brethren by such reminders Of
the bedrock, nud-sill fundamentals" OF
W form OF government.
HIS TRIUMPH.
When he resumed his seat there was
Hence eloquent of conviction. and Tay-
Dr. rose to the occasion. In neat little
peech he frankly acknowledged that
ne honored Senator had presented un-
proof of the Nervousness OF
10 practice which had heretofore OBJ
lined i'm all the deliberative bodies Of
hristian nations, that such an out
lgeous breach of the Constitution must
souelched Immediately. and. there
IRE. he begged leave TO withdraw his
lotion and 10 offer its stead resolu-
on that the daily business be opened
Y a prayer from the President. and
lat General Allison be requested to sing
lie doxology.
But Uncle Jerry would not be laughed
II of court in this way. He came to
Is feet again, ana 10 the oCNdSioh 1T t"e
me time His mettle was up, and he
NV carried the war into the enemy's
,untry. To the great relief OF the
resident and perhaps) OF General ALI
N he opposed the substitute and offered
: humble services as Chaplain without
oney and without price"
The substitute was lost by unanimous
re. Uncle Jerry had conquered. the Con-
tuition was IMPLICATED, and the country
we'd True to his obligations, every
orning at the tap OF the Presidents
vel old Uncle Jerry. the honorable
I'd honored Senator from Hamilton.
,elt al his seat and offered prayer
nich SCARED far above the roof of the
nItol IL any prayer offered in that place
err did or could.
Yearly all the actors and spectators
this little scene have now passed over ,
Il rest under the shade OF the trees"
, Uncle Jerry among the majority.
4 Il IS not too much TO believe that
q bened!ction Of those unourchased
AYERS still fingers as fragrant men, ,
v with the survivors. and Is yet with ,
r State 20 bless and 10 save. ,