The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1905-07-29

tradition and coming down to facts
of the present decade. Greenvilfs
moven on in quiet, unostentatious
way, supremely satisfied with itselI
and its environments. 1t vas the town
OF Greenville then, but it was OBJ
!, served by some that the geographers
in compiling their maps of Mississip,
!, pi, had placed towns like Vicksburs
and Jackson on the maps and had al
together neglected Grecnyille, This
inevitably caused mich righteous in
dignatoin; Greenyille fel. outraged
the affront could not be overlooked
I, The education Of the people OF the
/ State could not thus be neglected
The State could not be regarded safe
until it learned of Greenville. After
mature deliberation, it was decided
that the best plan to pursue was to
visit condign punishment on these
geographers by socially ostrae;s:ng
them, and, so far as l know, this has
been strictly adhered to-not one Of
these geographers has ever been in
vited to Greenville. But GreenvilIe
could not justify itself by such mega
! tive actlon-it must do something
positive; therefore, it decided to be-
come a city, and what it decides to do
it always does. The result is, it is
now city. But after this it was sug-
gested what would it profit us if we
did become a city and the people did
not know of us Could we afford 20
permit the yearning thousands OF Mis-
sissippis white citizenship to live aud
die in total ignorance 0: Greenvilic !?
Hence, sixteen years years ago, we de-
cided to invite the Mississippi Press
Association to meet in the Queen City
of the Delta. We ieia, by so dong
that we could do much to ennghten
the people whose education had been
so sadly neglected. Although the re-
suits of your former visit met our
most sanguine expectations, never
theless it was discovered that some
were still left in utter intellectual
darkness, and realizing more and
more that no mans education is com
plete unless his information about
Greenville was accurate and full, the
representation in the State Legisia-
ture from this county cheerfully vot-
ed for an appropriation of $I,25o,ooo
to be applied to the education of the
+. common school hcildren of the State
It is true that some badly informed
and lily advised fnanciers criticised
this appropriation, but we passed
such criticism by without comment
because we felt sure that DIR critics
did not know that GreenvIle had been
neglected by these selfish historians
and vile geographers, and that, there
fore, this appropriation was required
to meet that yearning desire of the
people for correct knowledge abou,
Greenville.
! Recurring again to your last vista
tor, and dating from that IS the be,
ginning of the conclusion of this well
come address, l cannot proceed with
out recalling the fact that all are not
here today who answered roll call as
members of the press, OF as our
guests sixteen years ago. Among the
missing are several distinguished
| Mississippians. The FIRST to whom
. shall refer was that great commoner
distinguished jurist, and interchangeable
:. representative of his people-Senator
]. 9. George, whom Mississippi de-
lighted to honor and who always hop
ored Mississippi The second was
the Nestor of the Press, the genial
earnest, faithful, honest, kind, John
! Logan Power, who never fled from
danger, never deserted his post, and
never turned deaf ear to human dis
tress.it was in the evenin gtime, just
as the last rays of bright and beau
tiful autumn day was passing away
that we laid him to rest Every phase
of the State citizenship was repre-
scented there. An aged and distin-
guished divine, a companion of his
young manhood, stood before the
casket, which contained so much thai
was dear to us, and, pausing as he
, told the story of his long and usefu
life, said: Is Colonel Power dead
: No, No. He is immortal; he canno
: die; he will live forever in the heart,
!, Of the widows and orphans of Mis-
E sissippi.' feel that / had rather pos
!. sess such immortality than Rookie
$ feller's millions There was another
{ Governor John Marshall Stone. TIL
5 best representative of the sublimes
: ideal of American citizenship, true
7 honest, faithful. courageous. He di
t not go to the United States Senat.
g but he stood by his convictions; h
a told the truth and thus exemplife
It to the youth of the State the blessed
- ness Of the God Of Truth. There
7. still one other whom shall rnentiol
= A confrsre Of Colonel Power. Prol
d ably not 50 well known, as he and,
Q the eyes Of the World. probably nj
n regarded DISTINGUISHED. but If goot
e ness IS greatness, he was exceeding