The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-08-08
KENTUCKY WELCOMES
HER SONS HOME
Henry Watterson Leads in GIori'
flying Sons of the Soil.
NATIVES GATHER AT LOUISVILLE
dwelling of Statue of Author Of "My
Old kentucky Home" Feature
of the Oecasion--Speeehes by
Distinguished Visitors.


Louisville, Ky.-Kentucky welcomed
back to their native soil many thou
sands of sons and daughters invited
from their homes elsewhere to week
of festival and reunion. More than
ten thousand persons gathered at the
armory, which was beautifully decor
ated with flowers, plants, flags, bunt-
ing, streamers and electric lights. Be-
fore the speaking bands played South
ern airs, concluding with ~AIy Old
Kentucky Home" which was received
with thunders Of applause.
Governor Beckham and Mayor Barth
welcomed the visitors for State and
city, while "Marse" Henry Watterson
delivered the chief address Of greeting.
The famous journalist and orator
struck a chord responsive to his elo-
quence. There was also an address
by David R. Francis, Kentuckian and
former Governor of Missouri.
In illustrating the solidarity of ken-
tuckians, Mr.. Watterson said, that af-
ter the Civil War, when the precept,
Once q Kentuckian, always a ken-
tucIian,' was met by the answering
voice, blood is thicker than water,
and the Goodies, the Ballards and the
Speeds, the Harlan, the Frys and the
Murrays clasped their hands across the
breach and made short shrift of the
work of reconstruction with the Buck.
ners, the Prestons and the Dukes.
Thus is it that here at least the per.
picked grandchild cannot distinguish
between the grizzled grandfather who
wore the blue and the grlzzled grand
father who wore the gray.
"Kentucky, which gave Abraham
Lincoln to the North and Jefferson Da.
Wis to the South. contributing a very
nearly equal quota Of soldiers to each
of the contending armies of that great
conflict - in point of fact, as many
fighting men as had ever voted in any
election-a larger percentum of the
population than had ever been fur.
nished in time of war by any modern
State-Kentucky, thus rent by civil
fued was first to know the battle was
ended and to draw together in reunited
brotherhood.
Kentucky struck the earliest blow
for freedom, furnished the first mar.
tyrs to liberty in Cuba. 1t was O
Crittenden, smiling before file OF
Spanish musketry, refusing to be blind
folded or to bend the knee for the ia.
tai volley, who uttered the keynote OF
his race: "A Kentuckian always faces
his enemy, and knees only to his
Cod It was another Kentuckian, the
gallant Holman, who, undaunted by
the dread determination, the cruel
death-by-lot, having drawn q white
bean for himself, brushed his friend
aside and drew another in his stead.
All, yes; we have our honors along
with our heroics, and laugh anon at
ourselves and our mishaps and our
Jokes, but we are nowise a bloody
minded people; the rather, a sentiment
al, hospitable, kindly people, caring
perhaps too much for the picturesque
and too little for consequences.
General Grant once said to me:
You Kentuckians are clannish set.
Whilst I was in the White House, If n
Kentuckian happened to get in harms
way, or wanted an Office, the Kentucky
contingent began to pout in; In case
he was a Republican, the Democrats
said he was q perfect gentleman, IN
case a Democrat the Republicans said
the same thing; can it be that you are
all perfect gentlemen? With unblush-
ing candor 1 told him that we were,
that we tough: our battles as we
washed our linen, at home, but that
outside, when trouble came, it was
Kentucky against the universe"
Among the other speakers were for
mer Vice-President Adlai e. Steven
son, Ex-Governor James B. McCreary
and T. C. Crittenden.
Miss Louise Lee Hardin, of Denver,
who conceived the idea Of the Home
Coming" was escorted to the rostrum,
where Governor Beckham presented a
gold medal to her in behalf of the State.
The Abraham Lincoln Cabin is set
I'D in a conspicuous site in Central
Park under the constant guard of a
detail of militia.
One day was given to the memory of
the man who, although not a native
Kentuckian, has perhaps by his gilt
of song done as much to make the
State known among the men as any
who ever lived within its borders-Ste-
phen G. Foster, the author of My Ola
Kentucky Home" The model of his
statue, to stand in the Capitol. was un-
yelled. and the songs Of the composer
were sung by a chorus of 1000 school
children.