Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-12-11
THE GOVERNOR TO
1.-THE VIRGINIANS." !"
Chief Executive in Happy Vein
Before the New York Society.

0VNSIhOT SiduOS n. SWANSON, OF VIZ
ginia, was the principal speaker in New
York on November 23rd at the annual
banquet of ''The Virginians," members
of which are native Virginians residing
In New York. Sharing the honors of
the evening with Governor Swan
son were former Judge d. Cady
Herrick, Lewis Nixon, Evan Shelby,
of ''The Kentuckians, Thomas ].
Mcclure, president of the Georgia
Society; President Bruce L. Rice, of
the Tennessee Society; DR.. John A.
Wyeth, of the Southern Society; Major
Edward Owen, commander of the Con-
federate Veteran Camp; John J. De-
laney, of the South Carolinians, and
President John S. Crosby, of the Mis-
souri, Society.
DR.. George Tucker Harrison, COVER
nor of the society, acted as toast
master. After speaking of the glories
OF the old Dominion, of which, he said,
all Virginians were reasonably proud, he
introduced Governor Swanson.
In opening his address, the Governor
declared that the sentiment, "Once
Roman, always a Roman" very fitly
applied to Virginians, whose sons and
daughters had converted the saying into
"Once Virginian, always Virginian. -
The Governor paid his respects to
the women of Virginia, whose charms
were today as great and as potent, he
declared, as in the days of the old Com
monwealth. He was glad, he said, that
the ancient punishment of ducking,
with which in the early days of Vir-
ginia the heinous offence of flirting was
punishable, had been repealed before
his election to the governorship, be-
cause If it had not, he feared very
much he would have ended his term
through impeachment brought against
him for failure to enforce the laws.
Long before his election, however, the
lawmakers of Virginia had come to a
realization that flirting was indigenous
10 the soil of Virginia, and that the
daughters of the State could no more
be prevented from indulging in the
practice than they could be prevented
from being beautiful and lovable.
ITO have enforced the ducking or
dinance," said he, would have depopu-
lated the State"
Governor Swanson congratulated his
fellow-Virginians in the splendid heri-
tage they possessed from their cavalier
ancestors.
The spirit of patriotism and liberty,
the sense of chivalry that flowed in
the blood of the Virginians of today
had been infused, he said, in the days
of the settlement of jamestown. That
date marked the beginning of new
civilization.
The Governor found much promise in
the fact that the descendants of the
Old Dominion had increased from 100, 600
to 5000, 600, distributed all over the
United States.
1--WE of Virginia cherish no grudges,
but l would be untrue to Virginia if l
did not declare that we love the Con-
federacy and its noble defenders with
an unfading and everlasting love.
1--WE glory in the history of Virginia
from Bethel: to Appomattox. Memo
rials may fade and monuments decay,
but Pickett and the Virginians will
charge the heights of Gettysburg in
Yalor and glory forever.
Il am here 10 say that those who
surrendered at Appomattox with bank
rnpt homes, destroyed farms and broken
fortunes have built in Virginia Com
monwealth greater than it ever was
before. In the last fifteen years we
have increased 3l6 per cent in wealth.
In every line of progress Virginia is
astride of the times. And l believe
that the strength and sentiment in the
State Is destined to make her again
the leader in political thought and
national achievement.