Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1903-01-27
MEACHAM'S SPEECH
At DR.. POweII's Annual Banquet
in Louisville.
Reprinted From the Courier-Jour-
nal of Friday by
Request.

r. II OWSll, lOImeTly OF THIS City,
was given at Louisville Thursday
night in the basement of the First
Christian Church, to the men of his
church and outside guests. The
decorations were red and green,
smilax and carnations. The speak
ers were seated at round table,
forming the hub Of a wheel, the
other tables radiating in all direc-
tons. Speeches were made by Mr..
A. Y, Ford, "1903-A Prophecy"
by Gen. Basil w. Duke, "Boots and
Saddles Mr.. Chas. NJ. Meacham,
of Hopkinsville, THE Town and
The City Rev. J. Kinley Smith,
"Brickbats and Bouquets" Col e.
Polk Johnson, "IucoDgruvial Re
marks" of New Orleans. There
were 425 present and DR.. Powell
presided as POSTMASTER.
The response Of Mr.. Meacham
was as follows:
The Town and The City.
Your send.ofF makes me feel like
that great Roman poet of whom
Cicero said; "The fame that pre-
coded him was only equaled by the
applause that followed after him.
I am here in response to an invi-
ton to throw some light upon a
question that must necessarily fail
to interest many of the four hundred
unfortunates exposed to the sound
of my voice. hope, however, that
this delicate reference to the four
hundred may not be taken as an in
fringement upon the copyrighted
privilege of your own most distin-
gulshed journalist.
1t is possible that l may fail to
hold you spellbound throughout the
somewhat lengthy and labored ar
gument am about to make, because
it must be admitted that statistics
always appear formidable and un-
interesting. did not choose this
subject, and it is DR.. Powell fault
and not mine that this calamity has
come upon you at so inopportune a
time, to destroy the pleasure of an
otherwise suspicious occasion.
am to talk to you about "The
Town and the City," and the infor-
nation shall give you will be based
upon the population statistics of
Census Bulletin No. Is. The broad
sides of figures with which l am
loaded may not throw you into par
oxysms of mirth, but they may be
relied upon as being authentic, in
structive and as merry as Director
Merriam could make them.
You will observe that my subject
is double-barreled one. 1t is the
first time have ever found myself
on both sides of a proposition.
A few years ago, when 1 was a
schoolboy, 1 was, as president of a
debating society, called upon to set
tie many questions that had up to
that time remained in doubt. Among
these problems was one resolving
that life in the country is filed with
more pleasures than life in the city.
Having been called to the presi-
dency like Cincinnatus was called
to rule Rome-fresh from the plow-
I natura ally leaned to the Reuben
side of the question, and handed
down a decision in favor of the
country, upon the ground that it is
better to be big man in small
town than a small potato IN large
city. But / am not here tonight to
turn back the leaves of time, and
declare with Cowper that "God
made the country, and man made
the town" 1t is not permitted me
TO talk of pastoral scenes and bu-
collie pleasures. am to impart in
formation upon both the town and
city. Just think of the magnitude
of this subject 1t covers the whole
universe, excepting few back pre-
cincts, and needs to be divided into
many sections, You must not Won
der then if the speech l am to spread
over so much territory happens to
be little thin in spots.
Z When my name was first men
toned in connection with this honor,