Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1905-03-29
FAIRBANKS SPEAKS
Guest of Honor at Banquet Of Ike Tar
Heel Club
HE SPOKE GIN POLITICAL LINES

Touches Upon Matters of Large 9o-
IticaI Importance-BoId Advocate
Of Republican Doctrines.
Greensboro; N. G., special.-Vice.
President Fairbanks Was the guest OF
honor at d banquet Of the Tar Heel
Club here Wednesday Hight me oc-
casion was one Of great bfllllance.
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 lnVl-
tation for the 22d of last February,
I fully expected to fill my engagement,
but the exigencies of public business
prevented. urged your committee to
permit me to withdraw my .aGGsptanGe, J.
but they chose rather to postpanssthass 8
banquet until tonight. snq2rsass eq2sas
than repaid for coming yltosf
cordial greeting. There isisson1efh1ngss
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.
It is we'll that the people OF dlffer.
ent portions Of the country should
meet and mingle with each other, 1or
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 &C.
cord upon great questions which make
for social material and national
growth.
am not here. my friends, to make
partisan speech, and shall utter 40
word with respect to those questions
which are the subject of sharp par
tisan differences.
1 rejoice with you in the splendld
progress made In recent years by the
State of North Carolina. Her ad-
vance has been notable In every ave
nue. of activity. 1t 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. IL
seems as though she has been touched
deeply by the spirit of Improvement.
In Gods Providence we saw our
duty differently ii few years ago. We
see it the same today. We have faltn
to-believe that never again will there
be an%cleverage among the people OF
the United States >upon lines OF lati-
tude or longitude. We are coi.shaFera
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 Dresides over the affairs OF
men preserved the unity Of the repub-
lie and wiped away forever the lnsti-
tuition Of human slavery.
was with William Mckinley one
evening at the beginning Of the Span
ish-American war. when a little gray.
head. gray-oeareed man greeted the
President whose name abides with us
and will abide with us forever as a
sweet a1d precious memory. The
President received him cordially, and
said $50 you want to 90 to the wal,
general7" "Yes, Mr.. President" said
he, 81 want to go to the war. ! once
fought against the flag, and wish
now, before l die. to fight for 1t. |
love it and honor 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 cur 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 a 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 e.
isted from the earliest days Of the
republic and they will continue to
the end. 1t 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 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
as pure as we would have the State.
They should rot 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 well observed that. HE serves
his party best who serves his country
best"
But. my Democratic friend, you say
Eyes, l grant your claims about. the
beneicent results following Republic
can administrations. but it is not re
spectacle to be Republican in the
South; and some Northern men
seemingly are in accord with you in
this view.
Myself Southern born, bred and
reared in the South, Republican az