The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-01-20
ELMER THOMAS
LAJDS LAYTON
Brilliant Young Attorney
Makes a Hit at a
Banquet

the many able addresses delivered,
Hon j. Elmer Thomas, OF the law
firm Of Thomas & Bridges. was among
the best He spoke on Lawton. His
remarks are given below in fun.
Nj. Toastmaster gentlemen Of the
Young Mems Democratic club OF
Lawton. and fellow Democrats:
/ am glad to have the honor as well
as the pleasure Of standing before the
Democracy of city, which our ma
tlonal government has seen fit to
name in honor and in memory Of that
distinguished son OF my native state:
thet citizen in peace; that patriot in
war; the pride Of Indiana, Henry w.
Lawton.
AS l stand here tonight, conscious
of the place and position l am ex-
pected 20 FILL J am fiusned with a.
feeling mingled with sadness and re
gret. For it is well that remember
that gloomy day two years ago. when
stood in the city Of Indianapolis and
there saw thousands OF his country
men, with bowed heads and muffled
voices, quietly and reverently paying
a last homage and respect to their
fallen hero of the Philippines; a hero,
yea, citizen OF the United States of
America sacrificed upon ,ne altar OF
Republican avarice and Republican
greed. Well do ! remember that. as
with slow and solemn tread, we pass
ed by the bier of our honored dead,
made a vow that so long as my
hgmble voice retained its vigor, that
The virtures in peace ana the valor in
war Of that citizen and patriot should
not perish from the earth.
But sir; a grateful nation and a
thoughtful people have determined to
build monument to his memory; a
monument more lasting tnan marble
shafts; more beautiful than bronzed
figures; a monument which pray God,
may endure as long as the Anglo
Saxon race applauds its civic ana
valiant heroes.
Our government has set apart |
away out here on this Western prairie, |
where his bravery was shown and
his reputation won; away out here
at the gateway Of the wichitas; in
the very shadows OF Mts Scott and
Sheridan, the soil upon which a
thoughtful and patriotic people are to
rear the structure
On the 9Th Of Lass August, the
ground wac broken; plans were
evolved and submitted; poutical arch
itecture was debated and discussed
and on the gath OF last October the
corner stone was laid Of this,-the
largest and grandest city in the world
-of its age; a city, although conceiv-
ed in Republican iniquity was born
of the virgin Democracy.
Lawton is today a democratic city,
Comanche county will be tomorrow
Democratic county, ana Oklahoma
will be represented IN in the next
congress by a Democratic congress
man And sir, If I mistake not the
signs OF the times, in addition TO his
being a Democrat, he VIII be a repre-
sentative Of the young Democracy Of
oklahoma
Oklahoma, once the Red Mans land,
a.
For him, Oklahoma is the revised edi.
tion of opportunity. The youth and
vigor OF American citizenship has al
ready shown the temper q. its steel
Il wss the young man, VINO twelve
years ago. armed with blanket, knap
sack and frying pan, attacked this raw
and virgin prairie anc reduced it 20
civilization. IL was the young man
who formulated and gave to us the
best government possible under The
restrictions imposed by our national
constitution. So much ror the yigor
OF the young man in the early days;
so much for the ability OF the young
man to build a commonwealth by iu'
dicious craftsmanship; SO much for
the young mans brain and Drawn
yet, last but not least II was the
young men Of Oklahoma, joined by
those OF the Southwest who. decked
ia Rough Rider uniforms, charged a
Cuban Hill, whipped a mongrei despot,
elevated their illustrious reader to the
presidential chair and won the plaud-
its and admiration Of the world.
To-day. this southwestern country is
the theater Of America, If not Of the
entire world. The building OF Okla
homa is the drama; the opening Of
thc Kiowa- CO lanohe rese, alton me