Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-12
GORDON IN ADIEU
Valedictory of Former Mississ-
ippi Senator Takes Place
in History.
BoYHooD DREAM REALIZED
Tells How He Was Guided to Senate
by Children's Game His Mother
Taught Him.

| the United States senate the other day
| when Senator James Gordon Of Mis-
sissippi. who recently retired to give
place to Leroy Percy, the newly elect
ed senator from that state, made his
farewell address to his colleagues. The
aged soldier and statesman. who is
past seventy-six years old, told how
his LIES ambition to sit in the senate
had been realized In the past few
months and added tribute to the cour-
tesy of his colleagues and plea that
| Mason and Dixon's line be obliterated.
which drew rounds Of applause from
! the galleries.
Colonel Gordon began by saying that
he had not thought Of making speech
until he read in the papers that he was
expected to deliver a farewell address.
An Ambition of Childhood.
Ever since 1 was FIVE years cid"
said the old senator, 81 have wanted
to come to the senate. 1 have been a
long time coming. and the road was
rough travelling. but at last 1 have got
here Now before / leave l want to
say something about the courtesy 1
have received"
SOiOAcl SdlQ ludL WHdL
turned his mind to the senate was a
game he had played at his mothers
knee. One spun top to see to what
heights one was afterward to rise.
The goal, he said, was picture of the
capitol at Washington, with big man
occupying the seat Of the president OF
the senate.
''I asked my mother who he was" he
said, land she told me. Then l told
her that as my top had gone to the
right place in the game 1, too, wanted
to sit in the seat of the president of
the senate of the United States. She
told me that If 1 were q good boy and
did not hang around 1 should surely
sit there. She had never told me a
story in her life, and all these years
have believed her, so help me GOdI
Yesterday my wish came true"
His Greatest Misfortune Wealth.
Colonel Gordon, who wears the care
less black garments of the old fash
toned southerners, told his colleagues
that his greatest misfortune had been
that he was born a multimillionaire.
He had never been happy, he said, IN
til he spent his money.
Most of it, he said, smiling hap
PLY, went to feed some hundreds of
slaves 1 was also unfortunate enough
to inherit. The rest 1 spent on my
friends, as a gentleman should, and so
got rid of the incumbrance. The sen:
ator from Arkansas (Afr. Davis has
spoken against Mr.. Rockefeller and
his pipe line that runs through his
state.
''I think Mr.. Rockefeller is a good
man, though unhappily rich. He can't
go on the street with one of his grand
children without the fear that some
one may kill him. And l know that he
loves one of those children better than
he loves all his money"
Throughout the earlier part Of the
speech Senator Hepburn, who recent
~ detained against admitting Lees
statute to the hall of fame, sat con-
sciously reading a book. When Colo
mel Gordon was done, however, Mr..
Hepburn was among the first to shake
him by the hand.
Senator Gordon said that the prob
lem of the negro had yet to be solved
and he wanted the aid of his colleagues
in solving it.
Tribute to Grant and Lee.
"I am an old Confederate he said.
looking at Mr.. Hepburn, land you per-
haps an old Union veteran. We disa-
greed. You are the victor. But we
each still think our own generals good
people. That is all that there is to
1t, though we have with us yet some
blab mouthed fellows who aren't worth
cussing
I'VE were conquered and took the
oath Of allegiance. L can raise my
hand and say that 1 have never VIC
lated that oath. and 1 never saw an
old Confederate who had violated il.
There is no north or south. stand
here in my fathers house, and l am
proud to be in it. AS for our generals, |
you may as we'll try to storm the
heights of heaven and pluck the dia-
dem from Jehovah's crown as to take
away from either Of them any of the |
glory OF the records of the two men |
who stood under the tree at Appomat- |
tox and brought the war to close"
Returning to the negro question, the
Mississippian read a poem to his old |
nanny to show his sentiments. He
told Mr.. Hepburn that he would like
to take him south to his own home. |
show him the life there and then re-
turn him to the hall Of fame.
Then Will stand before the statue |
OF General Grant and YOU before Gen /,
eral Lee" he continued. And 1 will
take of my hat and yell for Grant, and |
think you will admit that Lee was a
pretty good fellow. AS for General |
Grant, love him. / love everybody. l |
am a happy man. But am old, and,
though my hair is still on. it is a-fall-
ting. / leave here before it drops out. |
I shall be succeeded by a legal genius,
Mr. LEROY Percy"