The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-27

they took hold of 1t after it had started
 and when it had got well under way and
 they controlled and conquered it without
 waiting for the frost to come. Great
 applause) The highest gratitude Is due
 to the officials of the state, to the of-
 ficials of the city, and to the private indi-
 viduals, clergymen, educators and busi-
 ness men, who spent their time and
 money and risked their lives freely in
 that work, and who achieved such sue
 cess In that work. It was the greatest
 privilege to me to contribute what l was
 able to the work.
 Mir. Mayor, govrnor, you can hardly
 realize the pleasure 1 felt when a re-
 quest was made upon me that gave me
 the chance to do something for you ana
 I am glad to find how well you think
 of the work that was done by the United
 States public health and marine hos
 pital service under Dr. White (great ap-
 plause). And 1t gives me pleasure now
 to announce that in response to the re-
 quest of the governor and mayor. I have
 told them that Dr. White shall be de-
 tailed down here just as long his
 services are needed Tremendous applause
 and cheerng). And just give one word
 of warning to Dr. White. We have ex-
 cellent scriptural authority for the state
 ment that its well to beware when all
 men speak well of you, because its an
 unfortunate feature of human nature,
 that when they begin to appreciate man
 up to the very last limit to go a little
 bit the other way, and after while, and
 the time when one Is praised very much
 is the time one wishes to talk guardedly
 and carefully, and do all that in one
 lies. Gentlemen that applies to Presi-
 dents quite much as to other of fcials (appause). Now just a word, for it
 is getting late Ca voice, "Keep 1t up. Keep
 it up. There is planty of water in jetties'D.
 I'm making this speech. Just a word on
 a couple of subjects. The governor spoke
 of the Panama canal. It's a very big
 work. and it's a very big nation that can do that kind of work. expect soon to have report from the engineers as to the exact shape the work will take. I will then be able to make more definite forecasts as to the time. but of this l can assure you. the work will be done we'll 1t will he done as speedily as pos sble. and 1t will absolutely and sure be done.
 Interestedin Levee System.
 "One more point. New Orleans and Louisiana are vitally interested in the , levee system. The Mississippi, which flows through this state drains portions of twenty odd other states, and the control of that river must. in my opinion be In good part, a national object. The na- tional government now does something toward the erection and care of the levees In my judgment it should do not only more, but very much more. (Great applause).
 And finally, my friends let me say word of special duty to some of those who have greeted me today, because of what their greeting symbolzed. I was greeted by your school children. cluster ed around the monument erected to that pure and upright man, and that mighty general. Robert E. Lee. Tremendous ap- plause). And, as we drove away from the square in which that statue stands. we passed by a house in this old Confeder- ate city. in which there was prominently displayed picture of Abraham Lincoln and underneath it. the words With malice towards none, with charity to- ward all" Tremendous applause) I was greeted by special guard of honor composed of men who, in the great war had worn the Confederate uniform. I was also greeted bv men. who in that war had worn the blue. saw before me many of nv comrades of the lesser war and I had in my own regiment from Louis jana as well as from many other states me nwhose fathers had worn the gray inst as had other men whose fathers he'd worn the blue. all united forever in loyalty to one ndissoluble union and sep arated only bv the rivalry or irving to see which could do the most fv the nag Of our common country. Tremendous arnlarse and cheerinel. Oh my fellow countrvinen think what fortune is ours that we belong to this nation which. hn vir~ eourht one of tho rlivhtiest ware of all sirres. is now rnited and cla'me' hv the whole neonlc as their own: ella iIn- cd as their heritage of hono-. and glo~,- aud evnlt in every deed of valor z. ~&o ~to over side in that contest. provided only that when the days came, which tried mems souls. he did all that was in him