The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-03-30
FAIRBANKS SPEAKS
Guest Of Honor al Banquet Of The Tar
Heel Club
he SPOKE on POLITICAL LINES
Touches Upon Matters Of Large Pe-
iitieal impcrtanee-scid Advocate
Of Republican Doctrines

honor at a banquet OF the Tar Heel
Club here Wednesday night. The oC-
casion was one Of great brilijance.
The Vice-President spoke at length.
and said in part:
Mr.. Fairbanks Speech.
Mr.. Blackburn and Gentlemen OF
North Carolina:
This is somewhat belated cele-
bration of Washington's birthday.
When | accepted your courteous inyi.
tation for the 22d of last February,
| fully expected TO fill my engagement,
but the exigencies Of public business
prevented. | urged your committee TO
permit mo 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 a 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 social, material and national
growth
am not here, my friends. TO make
q partisan speech, and shall utter no
word with respect to those questions
which are the subject OF sharp par
tisan differences.
| rejoice with you in the splendid
progress made in recent years by the
State of North Carolina. Her ad-
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
ditiors; in those higher walks which
should most distinguish the State. II
seems as though she has been touched
deeply by the spirit of Improvement.
In Gods Providence we saw our
duty differently a 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 loE gitude. 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 insti-
tuition of human slavery.
was with William Mckinley one
evening at the beginning of the Span
ish-American war. when little gray
head, gray-beareed nSn greeted the
President whose name abides with us
| and will abide wiiI us forever as &
sweet and precious memory. The
President received him cordially, and
| said: so you want to go to the war,
general?" Yes, Mr.. President" said
he, Il want to go to the war. | once
! fought against the flag, and wish
now, before l die. to fight for it.
| love it and honor it,"
| The President manifested his pro-
found appreciation CT 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 a 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 4 plane Of
perfect equality with his fellow
Americans. Our laws must be in.
spired by a sense of Justice. Let us
| teach the love CT Justice at the fire
side, in the school room. in the pulpit
! in the press, il the counting hou3e,
in the factory. Yes, Teach it every
where, for without Justice abides with
us, government Is 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 CT men oil
| low and hign degree
Political parties are essential in
popular government. They have e.
listed from the earliest days CT tbs
republic, and they wiz continue 10
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
wholesome and which tend to adyancl
to the utmost degree the public veal
| They should support sound AMI 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
! as pure as we would have the State
| They should r. he eircn over tx
mere time-seryers. Or 10 these wacss
| allegiance is net first to the pab.:s
welfare. Be good party men. but be
patriots first of all. President Haye:
very well observed that, He se.ve:
his party best who serves his cG1-u,
/ best
But, my Democratic friend. you sav
Yes. | grant your claims about tins
beneficent results following Republi
can administrations. but it is not re
spectacle to be q Republican in tht
South; and some Northern mc'
seemingly are IN accord With you u
this view.