The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-05-11
We are proudly mindful of the

greatness of your own country, boil
past and present. We are Mindful
that in that olden time all roads
whether of material grandeur ant
splendor, or intellectual culture o.
enlightenment, lead to Rome. Italy
then was Rome; and Rome was mis-
tress of the world. In the sad de
cadence of your great empire-wher
your country was divided into petty
principalities and kingdoms we are
still remindful that all roads in the
arts and sciences-in sculpture in
literature-in architecture-in music
lin painting, and in religious fervoI
lead to, and from. Italy. She was still
mistress of the mind and of the soul
We are remindful that the greatest
individual mental force, that God has
ever permitted to live upon the earth,
came from the blood of Italian ances.
tors. And we joyfully remember one
still greater in his benefactiOns and
his achievements-One whose uner-
ring prescience and keen precision
penetrated the mists of the illfmitable
distance, and perceived a virgin
world lying beyond the sunset seas.
Columbus, the italian dreamer, was
indeed the greatest victor the world
has ever known. His genius, pluck,
and energy opened the broad and
mighty way for the coming of the
splendid Western civilization, which
we enjoy to-day. Since then all roads
of the liberty.loving and oppressed
lead to Columbia.
1.-The land of the free,
And the home of the brave"
And at the end of the truest and
fairest road of them all stands "Our
State" with reckoning hand-stands
Louisiana in the beauty of her
strength-with her fair feet laved by
the warming surges of the Mexican
Sea-her tawney river forming the
gateway for the commerce and
wealth of the world-with her
luxuriant fields producing an hun
dred-fold-her great industries team
ing with wealth, energy and
power-while her arching skies.
as blue and as radiantly lovely as
Italy's historic sky, bending over all
like benediction of peace, good will
and welcome-aye welcome, glad well
come to her lap of plenty-welcome
W yOu, VI Souo VI 0uAAy AI0Ay, oAu W
all the peoples of the earth, who love
liberty and peace-who believe in
justice, in social order, and the
supremacy of the law, and who have
an abiding faith in the heavenly
Master of us all, from whom all earth
ly blessings flow.
M. T. j. Shaffer was called up
on to respond to the toast, "The
Parish of St. Mary" and in glow
ing words he dwelt upon his SUBJ
ject. Mr.. Skaters speech:
MIR. Toastmaster, Mr.. Consul, Gentle
men and My Italian Friends:
l feel highly honored at being
called on to respond to the toast, "St
Mary" You could not have selected
any subject for me that would have
met with more responsive cord In
my heart. But, Mr.. POSTMASTER
after listening to all the splendid and
eloquent oratory, hope you will not
view me with a critics eye, but pass
my imperfections by" l suppose on an
occasion like this may be permitted
wide latitude. Nearly forty years
ago, I cast my lot in st. Mary, one of
the most beautiful spots in all Louisi-
ana. have spent the best part of
my life here. l have reared my
children here, and all l hold dear in
this world is most sincerely identi-
fed with St. Mary, and I glory in her
people and her possibilities. l have
spent the best years of my life In
assisting to develop the agricultural
interest of st. Mary, and l speak now
especially as representative OF that
interest.
To you Mr.. Consul, desire to say
that, l have had splendid opportuni'
ties to be fully acquainted with your
people, as plantation laborers; have
worked more or less of them for the
past twenty years. l can candidly
and gladly say, that I fully appreciate
them as good laborers; indefatigable
and untiring when working as ten
ants. I have seen their wives and
daughters working in the fields, load
ing and planting cane, toiling In the
hot summer days, and have seen
them cut cane by moonlight, in the
harvesting season. We cannot but
help admire such laborers, and am
satisfied that II the fields of st. Mary
and the State of Louisiana, are green
and flourfshing to-day. with beauti-
full crops of cane and corn, It is
materially due to the Italian laborers.
l, for one, am glad to see steamers
blowing across the ocean, bringing
to our shores these hardy people.
They will be the salvation of the
sugar industry of our State and for
one, am willing to encourage these
people even to the extent of selling
them our lands; taking the cane pro-
duced by them in payment of these
lands. Let us encourage these and
any other good laborers who come to
us, because they are to take the place
of the negro, who will soon be a