The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1900-05-24
In Unsurpassed ElOquence,
Papers ofTwice. Five Banquet Continued.
Before The Moon.
THE NEARNESS OF TRADITION TO
HISTORY. THE RELATION OF
FACT AND FICTION.

HISTORY. THE RELATION OF
FACT AND FICTION.
Mr.. Green was introduced as a
Commodore, voyaging on seas be-
yond Selena.
He prefaced his response to the
toast assigned him by an "excuse,"
always in order when called to make
speech or play the piano, saying
that he had hoarseness, a frog in
his throat, deserved punishment
from the envious gods who chained
Promethios for bringing fire down;
and who rightfully should punish
mortal mariner who would leave
such company of wit and beauty to
voyage up with Mother Gooses COW,
jumping over the moon.
He intimated though that he was
not the only Commodore" losing
his bearings, had made "foolishness"
of'himself by venturing upon wild
waters and unknown seas.
The speaker said, 1.-THE subject as
signed me is taking the feet of the
Tourists and the other votaries of
Minerva climbing Parnassus out of
the Usual Mundane, mortal paths Of,
"over the hills and great way off,"
but guess, not divsrting woman's
EYES from an object of most fire.
quent attention, the legend being
true, "there's man in the MOON"
And 30 to muster courage for my re-
mote adventures, even beyond, /
feel proud to claim with my associ-
ates, the Hosts this evening, that
the fascination which has attracted
the appreciating eyes and directed
me glad steps of the esteemed COM
any of the "Lady Literatii of Logan"
as our guests, is because the "Thrice
Five Club" in it's brilliant sheen, ip
not in the dark, like the Moon with
its only one legendary man, but has
in very fact and real life, Fifteen
men in it,
And with these preliminary blush
es, venture on the unknown.
Down from the most immemorial
past, floats tradition so strange,
and unlike all else in it's way; so un-
matched in all the dreamy, mythic
lore of antiquity, that it strikes us
at first like an image of the real, a
shadow of the true, and persists in
its own, compelling attention and
stimulating speculation. A great
philosopher AYERS that every form of
religious belief that now exists, or
ever did exist, contains a central
verify. an innermost core of prime
val truth. Ana it may be here as
sumed with equal confidence, that
every ancient myth and tradition !;
every romance and legend of the
morning ages Of the world, contains
a primordial fact in history; fact as
TO person, or place, or event. but
long ago 30 modified by fancy, and
disguised by fiction, as to be no long
er certainly distinguishable as truth.
In the central region of the Pei
OpOnesus, in Greece, encircled by
lofty mountains, with but one pass
to the sea, before the dawn of his
tory, dwelt the Arcadians, the most
ancient race in Greece. They claim
ed that distinction for themselves,
and nobody ever disputed it. They
named themselves AUTOCHTHON-
ES, aborigines; underived from al
lophylliar race; no immigrants,
they, nor fugitives, nor adventurers,
nor castaways; but very natives,
born "of the earth ITSELF" for that is
the meaning of AUTOCH THONE
and homed in Arcadia in all after
time.
Before the elopement of Helen and
the siege of Troy, before Cecrops
founded Athens, or Cadmus founded
Thebes, they were there. Long be-
fore Hercules warred with the ANA
IONS, or campaigned with the Cen
taurs; before Jason veyaged for the
Golden Fleece, and fought dragons,
and serpents, and dear only knows
what besides. In Colchis-back into
the.past still lfurther--before the semi
divine Heroic Age had even its be-
ginning further yet: PRE- SELENE
before the moonl Yes, even before
the moon was, they were AN ANCIENT
RACE in Arcadia! so THEY sAIDl
And the claim has not been disputed
nor disproved. Strangel That the
simplest rustics of all antiquity, and
one Of the most illustrious philoso-
pliers of this most wonder0us age
should alike posit the fact, that at
period so remote in the past as to
preclude all possible disagreement
as to time, the earth had no satel-
lite. Sir John Herschsll presented
the hypothesis, that the moon is a