The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1905-07-29
ADDRESS OF WELCOME
Delivered BY Hon. E. N. Thomas to the FOrtieth
Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Press
Association
Mr.. President and Members of the
Mississippi Press Association
Ladies and Gentlemen

LtdSltty ana on sDCHdiT OF the CITIZENS
of Greenville, it becomes my pleasing
duty to welcome you to this city
Sixteen years ago we had the honoi
of entertaining your Association, ano
today we recall with pleasant recol
lection the joy, the profit and the de
light of that charming visitation. We
are confident that Greenville appre.
ciates the influence, the power and
the possibilities of the press. I an
sure | state truth attested by the
best thought of the best type of the
civilization of the ages when / de
clare that where the press is free and
every citizen able to read, all is safe
When | say free press, however, | dc
not mean to suggest press simply
unrestrained by legal or constitution
al restriction. In America, freedom
of the press means more than this
The press to be free must be unin-
huenced by the seductive plea of cor
porate greed and avarice, uncontam-
mated by the debauching influence OF
corruption and uncontrolled by the
bllghting effect of ignorance. To fill
the mission assigned it in a govern
ment of the people and by the people
the press must be unpurchased and
unpurchaseable, honest, courageous,
intelligent, and its only censor must
be the people for whom it speaks. As
loyal citizens of Mississippi, we de-
sire to extend to the representatives
of such a press a cordial and hearty
welcome
In order to conform to the eternal
frness of things, and thereby not be
guilty of breach of modern orator
icai etiquette, as I interpret it, it be-
comes obligatory on me to tell you
something of the city in which you
have kindly consented to hold your
fortieth annual session. Much that |
will say about the early history of
Greenyille is. traditional. It is a mat
ter of universal regret, alike degrad-
ing to our ciyie pride, and commend
able to that spirit of patriotism
which recognizes the great and ire
parable INJURY done this city, by the
historians, who in their eagerness
enther to gather data eaisly accessi-
bic at small expense, orsin their Gag
erness to commend themselves to the
crowned heads of earth, be recording
certain historical events, have al
most entirely neglected Greenville.
but with grateful hearts we recognize
the fact that we can rely on tradition
and according to tradition, centuries
ago, when the Mississippi leaped
forth with glad acclaim from the
beautiful, quiet little Lake Itasca and
began its downward course, it was
hunting Greenville. 1t moved along
with gurgling, ripping gladness
through the hill and over the valleys
of the great northwest rejoicing II
its clear crystal water, until it collid-
ed with the muddy waves of the Mis-
souri,; undismayed and undaunted by
such slothful contamination, it KEEP
its journey onward until it reached
the southern edge of Illinois, when i
moved around the bend at Cairo tc
unite with the beautiful blue water:
Of the Ohio; to its modification I
discovered that such delightful asso
citation could not rid it of the muddy
influence of its first companionship
still undaunted and undismayed i
kept its way southwark looking fol
Greenville. As it moved still on
ward searching ITS western shore i
gathered to its embrace the red wat
ers OF the Arkansas; not needing this
new companion it kept on in its de
termination to find Greenville, bend
ing, twisting, winding, turning, i
stopped not until its energy was re.
warded, its goal reached, its iabol
accomplished Greenville was found
AS a matter of history, it has beer
finding Greenville ever since. 1t ha:
not left it, nor forsalIen it nor ceased
from following after it. 1t has gone
over it and under it and around it anc
about it. When Greenvilfe has moved
| the river has also moved. About til,
time of the close of the civil war
when all of the Delta was moving
Greenville moved northward, and TIL
river immediately followed 1t is alto
getner anwiling to leave Greenvills
and GreenviIle never, of its own FIRE
will and accord. will leave it. Green
vile has long since learned lis trick
and its maners When, With terrtbi
/ earnestness, If comes down with ii
miles of waters and gorgeous white
caps, we know that it is not reall
4 angry; that after awhile it will roper
/ itself Of its rudeness and glide alon
i by us as gently and as quietly as
day dream. After all. no matter VIII
il may do. and No mater what is u
price may be. we know intuitivei
without tradition and without hi
tory that It IS the grar
, old Mississippi. and we 1--we it
. dearly that nothing can part Us fro
it In discussing the river obser.