The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-03-30
FAIRBAl > sPfsks
Guest of Honor at Banquet of the Tar
feel Club
he SPOKE on POLITICAL LINES
Touches Upon Matters of Large Po.
liticaI Importanee-BoId Advocate
of Republican Doctrines.

Greensboro, N. c., Special.-Vice.
President Fairbanks was the guest or
honor at a banquet of the Tar Heel
Club here Wednesday night. The oc-
caslon was one Of great brilliance.
The Vice-President spoke at length,
and said in part:
Mr.. Fairbanks Speech.
Mr.. Blackburn and Gentlemen OF
North Carolina:
This is a somewhat belated cele-
bration of Washington's birthday.
When | accepted your courteous invl'
tation for the 22d of last February,
| fully expected to fill my engagement.
but the exigencies of public business
prevented. l urged your committee to
permit me to withdraw my acceptance
but they chose rather to postpone the
banquet until tonight. / am more
than repaid for coming by your most
cordial greeting. There is something
in Southern hospitality which
makes the stranger within your gates
feel that he is at home, or, at least,
that he Is welcome guest.
1t is we'll that the people Of differ.
ent 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 mis-
understandings and the more certainty
there Is that they will come into ac-
cord upon great questions which make
for sociay material and national
growth.
am not here, my friends, to make
a partisan speech, and shall utter no
word with respect to those questions
which are the subject Of sharp par.
tisan differences.
I rejoice with you in the splendid
progress made in recent years by the
State Of North Carolina. Her adj
vance has been notable in every ave-
nue. Of activity. It has, indeed, been
marvellous. New fields Of employment
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 con-
ditions; in those higher walks which
should most distinguish the State. It
seems as though she has been touched
deeply by the spirit of improvement,
In Gods Providence we saw our
duty differently few years ago. We
see it the same today. We have faith
to believe that never again will there
be any cleverage among the people OF
the United States upon lines Of lati.
tude or longitude. We are cosharers
in the glory won by valor Of those
who went down to the field and show.
ed the world the heroic metal OF
Americans. We are all thankful that
he who presides over the affairs Of
men preserved the unity Of the repub-
lie and wiped away forever the inst1-
tuition of human slavery.
I was with William Mckinley one
evening at the beginning of the Span
ish-American war. when little gray
head, gray.beareed man greeted the
President whose name abides with US
and will abide with US forever as a
sweet aad precious memory. The
President received him cordially, and
said: so you want to go to the war,
general?" "Yes. Mr.. President" said
he, 81 want to go to the war. I once
fought against the flag, and l wish
now, before I die. to fight for 1t. l
love 1t and homer it." ~ ~
The President manifested his pro-
found appreciation of the patriotism
and the courage of the veteran who
spoke, and promised to put upon him
the stars Of a major general in the
army Of the Union. He kept the
promise, and the old Confederate cav.
airy officer. General Joe Wheeler,
marched away to vindicate the honor
of the stars and stripes.
General Wheeler was In that crisis
but type. Others who had fought
against the flag, in the long ago, were
inspired by the same high purpose
which actuated him, and well demon
strated the gratifying fact Of our COM
plete solidarity.
Republican government was ordain-.
ed to promote justice; to secure each
and all in the fullest possible enjoy
ment Of equal rights and privileges
under the law. Every American must
stand before the law upon plane OF
perfect equality with his fellow
Americans. Our laws must be in
spired by sense Of justice. Let US
teach the love of justice at the fire.
side, in the school room, in the pulpit,
in the press, in the counting house,
in the factory. Yes. Teach it every
where, for without justice abides with
us, government Is a mockery.
Let us safeguard the rights Of prop
erty; protect that which honest and
patient Industry has acquired. But,
first Of all. and better than all, pre-
serve inviolate the rights Of men Of
low and high degree.
Political parties are essential in
popular government. They have ex-
listed from the earliest days Of the
republic, and they will continue to
the end. It is of vital importance,
therefore, that they should be high
minded and patriotic; that they should
stand for those measures which are
and which tend to advance
to the utmost degree the public veal.
They should support sound and con-
servative policies, which are the only
sure foundation Of industrial and so
cial progress and Of enduring national
greatness.
We should see that parties are kept
Is pure as we would have the State.
They should not be given over to |
mere time-servers. or to those whose
allegiance is not first to the public
welfare. Be good party men, but be
patriots first Of all. President Hayes
very we'll observed that, "He serves
lis party best who serves his country
,est."
but, my Democratic friend, you say,
Yes. grant your claims about the
,enefcent results following Republi-