Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-23
Vice President Fairbanks
Welcome at Greensboro, NC.
WHITE MANS BANQUET
ALL SECTIONS OF THE STATE
WERE REPRESENTED.
Greeted as the Next President Despite
His Expressed Wishes-Other
Notable Addresses.

l
southland yesterday, and for the first time
| in his public career addressed distinctly
southern audience. Twenty years ago he
made a business trip to Georgia and dur
| ing the last campaign he spoke in every
| state of the Union except the thirteen
| known to be solidly democratic.
| The Tarheel Club whose guest of. honor
! he was at Greensboro, N. c., last night,
gave him a most enthusiastic welcome
! There was large gathering of representa-
| tive republicans from every county of the
state The character and number of men
at the meeting and the notables heard con-
spired to make it the most important po-
| litical banquet ever held in North Carolina:
From it will probably date the beginning of
| an organized effort to win the independent
| voters and to swing the state into the re-
| publican column.
l. Vice President Fairbanks in his address
| abstained from politics. He opposed max
| ing the banquet the occasion of furthering
| his own ambitions, and persisted in this
| so strongly that his wishes were in the
| main respected. 1t was orig nally intended
| to have his address on February q, but
| that became impossible, and last nights
function was in reality postponed celebra-
| ton of Washington's birthday.
| About 400 at the Banquet.
About 400 banqueters had been seated
| when Mr.. Fairbanks entered. There was
| an enthusiastic demonstration. Napkins
were waved. and hats, brought from I'M
der chairs. were swung in the air. 1t was
several moments before quiet was re-
stored.
On calling the meeting to order the
| POSTMASTER, Mr.. z. Spencer Blackburn,
read a telegram from Postmaster Cen
| eral Cortelyou, regretting that he could
| not be present He started the speaking
| by telling the story of the history of the
| club and the dawn of better days for
| North Carolina republicans. He said the
race issue had been eliminated entirely.
| The entire absence of negroes, both at the
| banquet and at the reception, amply bore
| out Mr.. Blackburns words. 1t was DIS
| tinctly white mans affair.
When Mr.. Fairbanks rose to speak he
was greeted with enthusiastic applause.
| Mr.. Fairbanks depressed occasionally from
the thread of his patriotic argument. He
said 1t was virtually his first trip into the
south, and he was pleased to have been
able to take it. He spoke as follows:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of North Car
DINA:
This is somewhat belated celebration of
Washington's birthday. When 1 accepted
your courteous invitation for the 22d of
last February l fully expected to fill my
engagement, but the eXigencies of the pub
lie business prevented. l urged your com
mlttee to permit me to withdraw my ac-
ceptance, but they chose rather to postpone
the banquet until tonight 1 am more than
repaid Tor coming by your most cordial
greeting. There is some hing in southern
hospitality which makes a stranger within
your gates feel that he is at home or at
least that he is a welcome guest. 1t is
well that the people of different portions of
the country should meet and mingle with
each other, for the more they come to
know each other the less danger there is
OF MISUNDERSTANDING, and the more GER
tainty there is that they will come into ac-
cord upon great questions which make for
social, material and national growth.
am not here, my friends, to make a
partisan speech, and shall utter word
| the subject of sharp partisan differences.
Progress in North Carolina.
I rejoice with you in the splendid progress
made in recent years by the state of North
Carolina. Her advance has been notable
in every avenue of activity 1t has, indeed,
been marvellous. New fields of employ
ment have been opened to her people. Her
advance, however, has not been alone in
material things, for it has been marked in
educational and social conditions; in those
which should most distinguish the state.
1t seems though she has been deeply
touched by the spirit of Improvement
We felicitate ourselves upon the preva-
lence of broad and genuine fraternal
spirit among all our countrymen every
where Old differences which once widely
divided them have faded away. Old enmi-
ties which grave misunderstanding engen-
dered have happily persisted. Sectionalism
which lmperilled all that we hold most
dear, exists only as an historic memory,
and we gladly acknowledge one country
and the supremacy of one flag.
Cosharers in Valor of the Dead.
In Gods providence we saw our duty diff
ferently a few years ago. We see it the
same today. We have faith to believe that
never again will there be any cleavage
| among the people of the United States upon
! lines of latitude or longitude. We are CO.
| sharers in the valor of those who went
| down to the field and showed the world
| the heroic metal of Americans. We are all
| thankful that He who presides over the at
| fairs of man preserved the unity of the re-
| public and wiped away forever the institu-
| ton of human slavery.
/ was with William Mckinley one evening
at the beginning of the Spanish-American
| war when little gray-headed, gray-beard-
| ed man greeted the President, whose name
abdes with us and will abide with us for
ever as sweet and precious memory.
The President received him cordially and
said: so you want to go to war, generaI?"
Yes Mr.. President" said he 81 want to
go to war; l once fought against the flag
and l wish now, before die, to fight for it
/ love it and honor it..
Mckinley and Joe Wheeler.
The President manifested his profound ap-
probation of the patriotism and courage
of the veteran who spoke, and promised to
in the army Of the Union. He kept the
| promise and the old confederate cavalry
| officer Gen. Joe Wheeler, marched away to
vindicate the honor of the stars and
| stripes. General Wheeler was in that crisis
but a type. Others who had fought against