The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-22
HOW TIBBS WAS ELECTED.
Senator Eldridge's Speech Nominal
ing the Nashville NewsboY.

ing the Nashville Newsboy.
Below is printed from the Nashville
American the noted speech of Senator
Eldredge Of Shelby. in nominating jim
mic Tibbs, the Nashville newsboy, to be
page OF the senate. Senator Eldredge
has made the newsboy's cause his own,
| though the little fellow came to him
unknown. with no stronger suppliancy
than the BOYS frail yet energetic APP
! pearance- Senator Eidredge had noti-
fed the senate that the man who voted
against Tfbbs voted against the sena-
tor from Shelby. and the sweetness of
revenge would come when the oDDos-
! ing voter wanted the senator's support
on local bill. The speech was as fol-
! lows:
Mr.. Speaker. I nominate for page.
jim Tibbs Of Davidson county. There
/ can be no Interior motive aScribed to
/ THIS nomination, no railroad passes, no
/ champagne suppers no political pulls
\ / come from the muddy Mississippi
river, and Mr.. Tibbs from the misty
/ mouhtaintops of middle Tennessee. Mr.
/ Iibbs has seen ten summers. but many,
! many winters have shed their snow on
/ his sunny head. His freckled, anxious
race is standing there gazing at me
now. He is looking up now, but for
nearly all his life he has looked down.
as he has shined the big feet of small
T,ea-
Mr.. Speaker. 3fr. Tibbs is not here
as supplcant for pity or sympathy
Mr.. Tibbs is a man, and the head of
a family. Mr.. Tibbs has met the dizzy
sinsick world, and won out. He has not
become as dizzy or as sick as you and
l, 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. TIbbs.
l will not refer to the paralyZed brother
who. like myself. knows that Mr.. Tibbs
cannot fail. But, somehow, 1 feel cold
when think of that snowstorm out
yondef, and how It must rattle the cur
uainlesS windows of Mr. TibbS' resi-
dence- And. Mr.. Speaker. somehow do
wish the mother of Mr. Tibbs would
kindly mention this great senate in that
prayer fGr if she did. l believe it would
suit its constituents better. and we
would come nearer coming back next
time.
M. Tibbs, like myself, has been
blown into this senate by the sublimity
of luck. Destiny chooses her disciples
with unerring aim, and those who OPP
pose Mr. Tibbs are fighting God. 1 will
tell you why / think this. | am stop
piri at he Tulane hotel, by the faith
OF the host hereof My wife and baby
are with me there. Yesterday morning
had been up very early discussing the
question of a new constitution for my,
self and state
AT in the morning Sarah was soft
~ humming to the teething baby. rock
ing him back to rest, TO sleep, and to
forgetfulEess, which is the only rest
The old refrain rose and fell as the
nOdding of a flower:
" Jesus can make a dying bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are.
While on his breast 1 lean my head
And softly breathe my life out there
KNOCK! Knock Come in I angrily
said, expecting a bellboy.
Mr.. Tibbs appeared. He came to the
bed and said: Senator. l am named
Tibbs, and I want to be page of the
senate; want you to make the rest of
then; vote for me. please sir
Mr.. T1bbs,' l replied, does it not
occur TO you that you are crowding me
somewhat? Don't you think for the
kind of day and the time of day, that
your visit is not the proper thing?'
Well, it is good daylight. he said,
and have been up some time
Yes sir. all men should be ready for
business by this time, was my reioin-
der, but why do you come TO me, and
how did you find me?'
1 saw you in the Climax saloon yes
terday, and M. AIaddin, the barkeeper,
said you were a SENATOR came the I'M
hesitating answer.
I quickly glanced at my wife, the
rocking had stopped, and the baby,
hearing a strange voice. had ceased his
complaint and was sitting up, looking
like a jackrabbit in a bed of lilies, all
eyes and tears.
Il said: Mr.. Tibbs. must ask you
to excuse me; Will call on you later
Yes, sir; I will see you, he replied, |
and went away.
Sarah turned her head and said: |
Will, / am for Tibbs'
Mr.. Speaker, 1 arose and raised the |
curtain of the window. The east |
seemed fiecked with a swarm of golden |
bees: the sun, that had been away. was |
knocking at the front door of this |
planet. Sir. who can tell of the systems |
and cycles he had smiled upon. of his |
glory and sublimity? The |
light of this sun win fade by and by. !
At one time it was born; at one time it |
must surely die. But. sir the fire l had |
seen in the eyes Of Jimmie Tibbs will
not die It is older than the sun IT
has stood floods of storm, and wrath
that would quench that sun. One is of
today, but the faith, the courage. the
hope Of Tibbs makes us dream again
Of the immortality Of the SOUL
Tibbs was elected.