The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-02-01
GEN, ,FITzHUGH LEE
PRAISES M'KINLEY
Speaks at Banquet Given in
Canton, 0.
UNITED NORTH AND SOUTH
Glory and Fame of the Late President
Not Confined to Ohio, But Have
Spread over the Entire
World.
UNITED NORTH AND SOUTH

|
Kinley, the Young Mems Mckinley club
OF Canton, tonight held a notable ban
quet in the auditorium. Canton's new
assembly hall. Vice President-Elect
! Fairbanks occupied the central position
as chief guest of honor. Justice William
r. Day, friend. neghbor and confident
to the late President. master of
ceremonies To his left was General
Fitzhugh Lee, idol and hero of the south,
Wis a Wis sat General Black, one of the
heroes of the civil war and former COM
mander-in-ehief of the Grand Army of
the Republic To either side of these
guests we're Governor Myron r. Herrick
and Lieutenant Governor Warren G.
Hardinge of Ohio.
In the banquet hall, nanking these
guests and orators, were congressman
and ex-congressmen, and party leaders
from Ohio as well as notables from re-
mote distances. Down in the pit of the
hall to the number of more than 800 were
residents of Canton and many other per-
sons prominent in state politics.
Back and all around the diners the
vast ampitheatre section of the hall with
its capacity of 5000 people was almost
completely filled VITA aaditors In the
midst of the serving OF the menue there
was a sudden hush to the festivities and
almost as man the vast assemblage
arose to their feet and for more than
minute stood in respectful silence. The
occasion was the arrival OF Mrs. Mcl<in-
ley, wife of the late President She was
accompanied by a larGe party of friends
including Mrs. Day, Mrs. Fairbanks,
Miss Grace Mckinley. Miss Black daugh-
arIy a
box during the speaking. Justice Day,
as toastmaster, opened the speaking pro-
gramme.
Vice President Elect Fairbanks, guest
of honor of the evening. spoke to the
toast Mckinley" .eulogizing his per-
sonal character and paying tribute to
his work in bringing about better reel
ing between all sections.
General Black responder to "Comrade
Mckinley" saying:
General Black Speaks.
at is well ~sii> McKlnley now, fallen at
Y the meridian of achievement, when re-
Cancellation was in the hearts of his once
warning countrymen, when instead OF
hate, love filled the breast of all when
prosperity showered its blessings over a
smiling land with the whole past secure
and the future opening long avenues to
the feet of the republic and bidding 1t
walk under the ver-blossomlng flag of the
free. He fell on the very utmost height.
| close under the stars. when all men loved
Kim. and In the service of his people. and
OF God: and 1t may well be said OF every
act of this mans life outside the mere
domain of party behests that every step
in his career was luminous with the light
of that comradeship whose bonds he as
sumed in 1861 and which lasted all through
lis life This was an American soldier;
this was an American President, this a
comrade of veteran soldiery of the great
war"
Mckinley and tho South" was Cen
eral Lees subject. He said.
General Lee Speaks.
"Ohio 1t is true is the state of his
nativity Her citizens knew and loved the
living Mckinley. her soil Is sacred with
the grave that marks the resting place
OF the dead Mckinley; her people Will
cherish his lofty character and his splen-
did services as long as the mountains
kiss the Heavens or the rivers roll to
the sea.
"ohio, however, cannot bound his
boundless fame for on the wings of
renown his glory has been waited to
all parts of the world Tonight each
state which is represented by star
in the national crown which binds the
American Union Is equally Interested IN
all that concerns the name and fame
|
|, your midst so quietly that no sound
can ever wake him to Glory again.
Virginia Proud of Sons.
"Old Virginia is proud of the fact that
she gave to the country George Wash
iueton She too rejoices that she was the
mother of Thomas jefferson. She sent
forth also James Madison. the father OF
the constitution; Patrick Henry the
great creator of American liberty. She
, brought forth. too, James Munroe' ana
the great jurist John Marshad. Proud as
, the old state may be at the career OF
, her sons, she is equally proud as an
American state, in all that concerns the
noble life and the great work of William
McKinley-the typical American citizen
The great men [ haze mentioned with
Adams, Hamilton and Franklin and
other distinguished colleagues. worked
|, out successfully the problem of human
, government discovered constitutional
liberty, caused freedom to dwell in our
midst and erected popular government
which has widened and )roadened since
their day. until the national banner
floats over more square leagues OF land
than did that Of Rome after seven CEN
turies of growth.
I'VE should look more frequently back
to those men of the past whose tntellec-
. tual labors accomplished so much while
gazing. too, upon the great future unroll-
, ing before us, but whether looking DacR
| or looking forward. our hearts and mem
ories should go out to one whose splendid
national work healed the scars of war
and brought in closer union the men
whose loaded guns were once pointed at
the breasts of each other. He Is the
source. to a marvellous degree, from
which has flowed the fraternity of the
: sections.
: Proposes His Own Epitaph.
.'Could T., he once said to me, write
| an epitaph upon my tomb. l would say:
Here lies President of the United
States who has done more to bring all
the sections of common country into
more harmonious and closer friendship
than any of his predecessors
"He has fought his last battle. He has
written upon the rol of fame the lass re-
cord of his great life. He has left the
inspiration of a beautiful life and exalted
cl laracter and illustrious example in all
tfat pertains TO a stainless private life
and a most distinguished public career.
1--WE of the south do not forget the kind
|, | words Mr.. Mckinley uttered In his speech
! at Atlanta Ga. when he said:
:. In the spirit Of fraternity we should
4 Continued on Seventh Pags)