The sun., 1910-02-25
GEN. GORDON SAYS GOOD-BY


, am sorry for man in his condition
when a msn cannot go out on the street
end have even his little grandchildren
walk in sight OF him without threats that
they will be killed 1 know the old fellow
loves those children better than all the
gold in his vaults, and he wouln not be
q human being il he did not.
Il am going to say something that is
unpopular in my section OF the country
and IL l we're an oficeseeker might be
tempted 10 go wrong. but l always did
say before my people what l thought
was right. think that Mr.. Rockefeller
is a good man. and I am going TO think
so until somebody shows me thst he has
done wrong. l see his employees very
often and I never saw one who did not
speak we'll OF him. am told that he never
had strike smong his employees
en- told also that he has given IL many
millions-I do not think much of him for
that because he had more than he had
any use for-but he has given to the
poor. to charity. to the churches. for
education. Gnd to build hospitals all over
the country; and il the people don't like
that in the United States, then they can
put it in their pipes and smoke it. l have
said it.
IF my friend from Arkansas is opposed
to what ] call prosperity would like Mr.
Rockefeller to come down and run his
pipes through Mississippi. He can 20
over all my land. We shall be glad to
have him. / used to pay 10 cents a gallon
for oil TO be burned in my lamps. Now
no% Sa~ sSi swhether her \ Mr. en RoekefeiIer % the
cause OF the price coming down to 10
cents, but think it will remain that way
in Mississippi u we get the conven'<nces
that this pipe business proposes TO give
US. In intended to vote for those pipes
and did. That's all there is to it, a
Senator La Toilette was busy taking
notes and occasionally laughing behind
his hand. Gen. Gordon turned then TO
| wanted the Senators TO understand that
he was just plain. blunt old Confed-
crate who wore the gray and fought and
bled
daddled frequently: You understand
that word. at least those old soldiers here
| will understand It,.
Gen. Gordon said that he had had the
honor OF capturing some prominent
one man. a great big man named Shafter,
then Major in the Ninth Michigan and
| later Gen. Shafter.
He was a very poor shot" said Gen.
Gordon. for advanced at him with my
never touched me. -.-
And now l will tell you another truth.
That fellow Shafter gave me an awful
scare anyhow. When I approached him
he handed me his pistol and said: You
are welcome to it. but il will do you no
good. Ihaveshot all the cartridges away,
but over at the stockade near Franklin
/ have a valise that contains a thousand
cartridges and you are welcome to them
II you will go and get them 1 said.
Thank you for the pistol. will go after
them We captured the fort and got the
cartridges, but l never used them.
never fired a shot during the war. That
10 a fact. had enough to do to look after
ives. l told the other fellows to do the
fighting. A great many Of them, though, |
stayed at home. IT had been as smart |
as they were might have done the same"
Senator Gordon said he hadn't got up |
to make the Senate laugh; that he had a |
serious mission. Down in Mississippi, /" |
he continued. where l live, when I 60 |
home and go to my bed to sleep aud dream |
sweet dreams Of the hours have seen |
here in the Senats will sleep with the |
sword OF Damocles hanging over my !
head. We have a problem there that |
l want you to help me 70 settle, do not |
ask you to disagree with me. but to talk |
with me and listen to what 1 have TO say
in kindness end friendship. I want to |
see Mason and Dixon's line obliterated |
from the map OF the United States and on |
IL written the words Our Country"
1t was here that the Senators ap-
plauded for the first time. And the ap- |
plause was taken up by the crowded gal |
ieries.
Il am tired Of sectionalism," the Sena- |
tor went on. God knows I have seen !
I do not want to hear any speech in the |
Senate or anywhere else that stirs up any |
strife between the old soldiers or citizens. |
I am an old Confederate. You are old |
Union men perhaps. We disagreed And |
you are the victors. But our people were |
good people, and we do not dispute that |
yours were just as good, not at all. Our
people are not Quarrelling over these |
things down South. We have a few blab- \
mouth fellows that always want to make |
a fuss, but they are not even worth cuss-
ing: tLaughter.l
I'VE want you to think well OF US and |
there Is no Use in calling us traitors. No |
body can take away the glories OF either |
side. A man might as well attempt to !
scale the ramparts OF Jehovah and pluck |
from heavens diadem Gods brightest !
star as to snatch the laurel from the brow |
Of the conqueror or the conquered that |
stood under that apple tree at Appomst- !
tox. They were all good men and ia
nous They disagreed and they fought. !
but when conquered we took our oaths
of allegiance. and can hold up my hand
before high heavOn and before the Senate
to-day and say have never violated that
COnfederacy who has violated the obi
CATION.
This is my fathers house. am
proud to be in il and proud TO be asso-
ciated to-day with the men whom l see
around me. ! have read the papers and
have heard you all abused and censured.
but l find that this is the finest working
body Of mon i was ever associated with
The Senator went on to say that his
relig gion was the commandment that ye
love one another ".-
That. is what l want TO bring about
here. That is my object in standing here
to-day TO talk to you as do. I want to
implant in you. just as it Is in my heart.
a growing love FOR the country live in
and the people I live with. l want TO
wipe out all lines. want to see you join
with me in taking away those bayonots
that are on those guns you sent down
there 20 a race Of people who came out
OF the jungle ard are only partially
civilized.
We do not want to hurt the Niger
We all love the nigger. ! love the nigger,
want to read you here little sentiment
Of mine. / have got a little book here.
Il want To show YOU lust how we feel