Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-13


scription, not even a souvenir spoon, to be
found to do honor to the brave sagactous
man whose services were of such value on
behalf of the infant colony that was the
foundation of the grand Old Dominion!
NO babies, cities, towns or counties have
been named for him, perhaps because he
bore the commonplace, unpoetic, monosyl-
liable name of Smith, which would not fit in
we'll with the aristocratic euphonious names
of the Washingtons. Jeffersons, Mad!sons.
Monroes, Berkeleys, Masons, Randolphs
and Pendletons.
Discreditable Neglect to Honor Smith.
Doubtless this discreditable neglect of the
state to do honor to Capt. John Smith will
be remedied by the patriotic and energetic
ladies of the Association for the Preserva-
ton of Virginia Antiquities, who have al
ready accomplished a great work in that
line at jamestown Island and other historic
places.
AS has already been said the failure Of
John Smith to obtain proper support in his
contentious with the disorderly colonists
was because he had no vigorous press to
back him up, scourge his enemies and fight
his battles.
The first newspaper published in England
the Weekly News, was started in 1922,
thirteen years after John Smith had left
Virginia for home, broken in health and for
tune.
The first newspaper published in America
(Publlck Occurrences) was started in Bos-
ton in 1889.
The first in Virginia, the Virginia Ga
zette, in 1875; the second, the Richmond
Enquirer, in 1904
Though late in arriving, the press of Vir-
ginia, from the date of the establishment
of the Richmond Enquirer has been one Of
the ablest and most influential in the coun
try; certainly in the southern half.
Had the wishes Of Sir William Berkeley.
the old reactionary royalist governor of
Virginia, been realized. that state would
have waited long time for a newspaper
Thank Cod said the governor in 1871,
I'VE have neither free schools nor printing
press, and hope may not have for hun
dred years to come"
No Reporters.
But the title of newspaper was a mis-
homer, for the journals published anywhere
In Europe or America in those days. 1t was
long time before the collection and pub
LEGATION Of news events came to be promi-
nent feature of the so-called newspapers.
The press reporter had not yet appeared:
There not a solitary reporter official
or otherwise, at the meeting OF the constltu-
tional convention in 1877, and had 1t not
been for James Madison. who undertook
the arduous labor of keeping a record of
what was said and done, the important de-
hates on the federal Constitution would not
have been preserved.
The reporter had not yet arrived thirty
seven years later when, in 1924, Daniel Web
ing of the corner stone of the Bunker Hill
monument. Gen. Lafayette, who was then
making tour of the country and was well
coined everywhere with unprecedented en-
thusiasm was present; and this fact, to-
gether with the fame of the orator, drew
an immense throng of people from all parts
Of the country. This Bunker Hill celebra-
ton with the speech of Webster and the
presence Of Gen. Lafayette, was the great
event of the period yet there was no re-
porter present to note the proceedings Mr..
Webster wrote out his address and placed
1t at the disposition Of the Bunker Hill
Monument Association, who sou the copy
right for $500.
ONLY one report was made OF Webster's
great speech in reply to Hayne, and that
was by Joseph Gales, the senior editor OF
the National Intelligencer, who, in the null
tiplicity Of his duties, was unable to write
out his stenographic notes, and but for the
aid of Mrs Gales, who volunteered to do
| the work, this mastery speech might have
| been lost to the world.
On the 2Sth Of September, 1887, Mr.. Web
ster made a very able speech on the cur
| rency question in reply to Mr.. Calhoun.
! Mr.. Webster was then at the height OF his
fame as an orator-a fame that has never
| been reached by any other man In this
| country. Vast crowds assembled whenever
| there was opportunity to hear him
| was not reporter present on this occasion
| to make a record Of this notable speech.
| Mr.. Webster, writing to q friend, says:
| IF you can believe 1t, no reporter took
| down a single word of 1t. / had to gather
| 1t together from my own notes, my own
| recollectons, other friends recollections,
| and the letters Of the letter writer's