The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-01-18
Brilliant Address is Delivered
by Stuart F. Reed at
Banquet at Pittsburg.
OVATION IS GIVEN HIM.
West Virginia University Club
Listens to an Eloquent Story
of Its Own Great State.

PITTsBURG. Pa, Jan. 1s-Ex-
State Senator Stuart F. Reed, of
ciarksburg. w. va, candidate for
the Republican nomination for sec
retary of state Of West Virginia, was
the orator of the evening and the
guest Of honor of the West Virginia
University Club of Western Penn
sylyania banquet at the Hotel Schen-
ley here last night.
Senator Reed spoke without manu-
script and after some complimentary
Introductory remarks spoke in part
as follows. and was accorded an ova-
ton and vote of thanks:
In travelling about the country a
few years ago found that strangers
had rather vague ideas about West
Virginia. Classed as a mining state
we we're accredited with an atmos-
phere that was not conducive to the
highest moral intellectual and social
development. This was not pleasing
to me, and that l might be able to
better defend the reputation of my
state and her people against such
imputations / have found delight in
delving into the history of a people
who rose up, in the midst OF their
war-wasted homes and proclaimed
themselves advocates of freedom.
Their defiant call for statehood
reached the ears of the immortal
Lincoln, and West Virginia, the
'.yar-born state" the last and bright
est gem that was plucked from vir-
ginia's crown. was given new set
ting in the royal diadem OF Column
bia."
Much is being said and written
about West Virginia today, and she
Is rapidly gaining prominent place
in. the galaxy of States. 1t seems to
be generally understood that our
state is great because of her untold
mineral resources. But, my friends,
1t takes more than these to make a
great state. Some one has said that
an essential element of greatness is
patriotism. II this be true, let 1t
be not forgotten that upon the soil
OF West Virginia was struck the carl
lest blow for freedom. She gave the
first soldier of the Union to orler 4
libation of his life blood upon the
altar OF his country. The first Lat
tie of the Civil war and tie last CT
the Revolution were fought within
her borders, and soldiers from her
territory were upon almost every
battlefield of liberty. 1t is a well
authenticated story that when Wash
iugton was asked what would have
been the consequences had the
Patriots failed at Yorktown, he re-
! piled that with but banner left and
the means to reach West Augusta he
would have rallied round him the
men who would lift their bleeding
country from the dust and set her
free"
Notable Achievements.
A West virginian took the native
ore from our mountains and made
the cannon balls with which Com
modore Perry smashed the British
fleet on Lake Erie, and in that same
battle. Captain Elliott. former
Wheeling boy, commanded the
Niagara. to which Perry trans
ferred his flag when his own vessel,
the Lawrence, was wrecked and at
the mercy of the waves. Captain
Chadwick, a Morgantown boy, com
manded the flagship New York,
when the Spanish fleet went down at
Santiago. 1t was West virginian
in command of an American war yes
sci, cruising in Chinese waters, dur
Ing the late conflict between Russia
and Japan. who stood sentinel at his
guns, under the flag OF the Union
and compelled the belligerants to
respect the law OF nations and the
rights OF neutrals.
Again. it has been held that a
great people must be propagandists.
dinusing the blessings OF Christian
ity and the light OF knowledge. Let
the roll of West virginians lie called.
a minister from Pocahontas county
preached the first Protestant sermon
beyond the sierres, and the Rever-
end Andrew Monroe, who went from
Hampshire county is called the
Father of Methodism beyond the
Rockies" Alexander Campbell. who
established Bethany College, was the
leader Of a successful religious refor-
nation and the founder of the