The Florence daily tribune., 1899-04-15
TIDPS WAS ELECTED.
THE FLIGHT or oRAToRY THAT WON
HIM a PAGESHiP.

ttpr In words rhnt Carried the Day.
Below il printed the noted speech Of
Senator Eldridge of Shelby ia LuiniuAt-
ing Jimmie Tibbs. the Nashville news
boy to be page Of the senate Senator
Eldridgp had made the ncwshoy' cause
his own. though the little fellow came
TO him unknown. with no stronger sup
plicancy than the boy 5 frail yet ener-
getic appearance. Senator Eldridge bad
notified the senate that the man who
voted against Tibbs voted against the
senator from shelby. and the sweetness
OF revenge would come when the oppos-
ing voter wanted the senator's support
on local bill The speech was as fol
lows
MIR Speaker, | nominate for page
Jim Tibhs of Davidson county There
can be no Interior motive ascrihcd to
this nomination. no railroad passes, no
champagne suppers no political pulls
| come from the muddy Mississippi
river and Mr. Tihbs from the misty
mountain tops of middle Tennessee.
Mr. Tibbs has seen ten summers, hut
many many winters have shed their
snow ON his sunny head His freckled,
anxious face is standing there gazing
at me now He is locking up now. but
for nearly all his life he has looked down
as he has shinod the big feet of small
men
MIR Speaker. Mr. Tibbs is not here
as n suppicnnt for pity or sympathy
Mr. Tibbs is man and the head Of
family Mr. Tibbs has met the dizzy,
sinsick world ard won ont He has not
become as dizzy or as sick as you and
and therefore ! will not refer To the
humble home of Mr. Tibbs or the old
mother who, no doubt. is on her knees
praying to Almighty God for Mr. Tihhs
| will not refer to the paralyzcd brother
who, like myself. knows that Mr. Tibhs
cannot fail But somehow | feel cold
when | think Of that suuwstorm out
yonder and how it must rattle the cur
tainless windows of Mr. Tibbs resi-
deuce And Mr. Speaker, ! somehow
do wish that the mother of Mr. Tibhs
would kindly mention this great senate
in that prayer Tor. if she did, believe
it would suit its constituents better and
we would come nearer coming back neNt
time
mir Tibhs like myself, has been
blown into this senate by the sublimity
of luck Destiny chooses her disciples
with uuerring aim and those who up
pose Mr. Tibbs are fighting God | will
tell you why | think this | am stop
ping at the Tulane hotel. by the faith
of the host thereof My wife and baby
are with me there Yesterday morning
l a l,
question of n now constitution for my
.elf and my state
All q in the morning Sarah was soft
ly humning TO the tcething baby rock
ing him back to rest. to sleep and to
forgetfuness which is the only rest
The old refrain rose and fell as the nod
ding uf flower
Jesus can make IA dying bed
Feel soft us downy pillows are,
While ON h's breast lean my head
And softly breathe my life out there
KNOCK knock Come in. angrily
said, expecting II hellboy
Mr. Tbhs appeared He came to
the bed and said Senator, | am named
Tibbs and want to be page of the sen
ate want you to make the rest OF
them vote for me. please sir.
MIR Tibbs, replied, does it not
occur TO you that you are orowding me
somewhatf Don't you think for the
kind of day and the time of day that
your visit is not the proper thingg
"'Wch it is good daylight he said
and have been up some time
"'Yes, sir all men should be ready
for husinesa by this time, was my re
.l.,,t la. 1
and how did You find meI
81 saw you in the Climax saloon
yesterday aud Mr. Maddn the bar
keeper said you We're II senator. came
the unhesiHting answer
"l quickly glanced at my wife. the
rocking had stopped, and the baby
hearing Il strange voice. had ceased his
cumplHint and was sitting up, looking
like Jack rabbit in "A he'd of silies all.
eyes and ears
II said Mr. Tihbs, must ask you
to excuse me | will call on you later
"'Yes. sir. viii see you he replied
and went away
Sarah turned her head and said,
Win am tor Tihhs
MIR Speaker. | arose and raised tn,
curtain of the window The east seemed
hecked with a swarm of golden bees
the sun. that had been away was
knocking AT the front door of this plan
ct Sir. who can tell of the systems and
cycles he had Smiled upon, of his un
speakaule glory and sublimityY The
light of this sun will fade by and by
AT one time il was born. at one time it
must surely die, but. sir, the fire had
seen in the eyes of Jimmie Tibbs will
not die 1t is older than the sun 1t has
stood floods of storm and wrath that
would quench that sun One is of to-
day. but the faith, the courage and the
hope of Tibbs make US dream again of
the Immortality of the soul ="
Tibbs was elected, Nashville AmeE-
lean