The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-06-07
ARMSTEAD
ON BAXTER
Knoxville Sentinel-)

II any doubt had been left, after the
brilliant speech delivered by George H
Armistead. OF Franklin, at the Car
mack loving cup presentation, OF the
ability OF the Middle Tennessee editor
as an orator. il was entirely dispelled
by his address incident to the unveil-
ing OF the monument OF Jere Baxter
in Nashville.
His address was brilliant and elo-
quent It showed proper appreciation
of the life of Colonel Baxter, and HIS
great work for the state. while it in
dicated to the men of the state the out
lines of it's future political struggles.
Speaking of the obstacles which Co
lionel Baxter fought and overcame, ne
told of his eight campaigns in the
mountains, at the capital city and in
adjacent counties, without losing bat
tle. How he faced panic which
paralyzed his plans and then renewed
them under the very guns of his enc
miles, that for months and months he
struggled with poverty while clinging
to frail hopes, and that he pledged
even his family jewels to prosecute
the enterprise; that he endured un-
fiinching every form of personal pri-
walton, and that he bore with pa
thence that tried a proud spirit an I'M
sparing criticism that stopped nothing
short of persecution; that he chal-
lenged to open combat the entrenched
powers of the most resourceful and
desperate corporate monopoly that
ever ruled the destiny of free, south
ern people-with its record of two
decades of selfish and reckless arrog-
ance grown at last so defiant that 1T
had become both, public menace and
public shame-a record which spread
from open manipulation of the general
assembly Of a proud state to brazen
debauchery of the ballot box, and
which had witnessed the intimidation
and pollution of the political currents
of the section and even of the COM
monwealth until it had made political
parties the mere puppets of it's poll
cies."
The speaker related how he was
bombarded in press and pamphlet,
tn
man of iron will and dauntless heart
rode mistaken that storm-swept front,
and cheered and charged with the
swelling army of an at last aroused
and determined manhood following his
flag, until in that great battle of bal
lots victory was won which meant
naught less than peaceful revolution
these memories are written in letters
of fire in the hearts and homes and
along the expanding horizon of this
people, and will not pass away"
He called Jere Baxter "a captain OF
commerce. but he was never captive
to the spirit of sordid commercialism."
He might have been a millionaire IL
he had sought to barter for mere
wealth public pledge and private
faith"
mo: it was a nobler aim that 1pur- |
ished that lion heart-and scarcely
had it ceased to beat than the world |
that world that cavils even when ,
convinced-came to know it as 1t was
and to proclaim it as it lived-the
abode of kingly spirit, human in its
infirmities, but SPLENDID in its aspira-
lions and lofty in its loyalty and la
bors."
Indicating the lesson of Bakers life,
and it's inspiration for the future, the
speaker in eloquent words said:
AN inspiration this monument shall
be. and, too, summons, clarion
.ongued though silent. to the manhood
Of Tennessee's capital and of Tonnes
see. as in coming years it traverses
his spacious avenue, to stand, like
his man stood, for popular rights
against the avarice and aggressions
If corporate power, in the momentous
struggles whose shadow already falls
10 heavy along the nations path that
10 man may hide it If he would.
And, too prophecy it shall be that
n that great measurement of strength
which lies close ahead the manhood
# Tennessee whose political life, so
closely interviewer with the welfare
# it's citizenship and It's own destiny
till feels the depressing and democrat
zing hand of the same sullen, intrigu-
ng and selfish power which this man
TUNED but did not destroy, and which {
Inwisely will not heed the warning OF
lis life-Tennessee will declare In I
hunder tones for the protection Of her c