The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-03-01
GORDOKS FAREWELL
STIRS THE SENATE
Confederate Veteran OhIiteTates
Mason and DixOn'S Line.
HIS LIES DESIRE REALIZED
Glad His Wealth Has Vanished
Loves Negro and is Kindly To-
ward RockefeIler-He is Good
Man Unhappily Rich.

Washington, D. Can unprece-
denied scene. occurred in the Senate
when Senator James Gordon, of Mis-
sissippi, who retires to give place to
Leroy Percy, made his farewell adj
dress to his colleagues. The aged sol
der and statesman, who is seventy
six years old, told how his life's ambi-
ton to sit in the Senate had been ac-
complished in the last few months.
His tribute to the courtesy of his coll
leagues and his plea that Mason and
Dixon's line be obliterated drew
rounds of applause from the galleries,
in which, contrary to all known rec
ords of the Senate, members on the
floor Joined heartily.
Not once did ce-President Sher-
man call for order When the touch
ing. though humorous, speech was
ended Mr.. Gordon presented to the
Vice President a volume of his poems,
and Senator Depew, in the name of
the Senate, expressed his roget at the
departure of the Mississippi veteran.
Mr.. Gordon declared he had not
thought of making a speech until he
ed to deliver a farewell address. He
wanted to deny he said, that he had
prepared a speech or that he had writ
ten the verses lampooning Senator
Brown, which amused the Senate af-
ter Mr.. Gordon had presided over
proceedings during Mr.. Brown s
speech His own works, he said, were
in little volume he had secreted in
his desk. He read passages several
times to show that the sentiments he
expressed had not suffered change
since coming to the Senate.
Mr.. Gordon said:
Ever since l was five years old
have wanted to come to the Senate.
/ have been a long time coming and
the road was rough travelling, but at
last / have got here. Now, before ]
leave, l want to say something about
the courtesy have received.
What first turned his mind to the
Senate, he said, was game he had
played at his mothers knee, in which
by spinning a top on a map one could
tell to what heights one would rise.
The goal was a picture of the Capitol
at Washington, D. c., with big man
occupying the seat of the President of
81 asked mamma who he was and
she told me. Then l told her that as
my top had gone to the right place in
the game l. too, wanted to sit in the
seat of the Vice-President of the Uni
ted States. She told me that if 1 were
a good boy and did nothing wrong l
should surely sit there. She had new
er told me a story in her life and all
these years / have believed her So
help me God, yesterday nay wish
came true"
The Senator, who dresses in the
careless black garments of the old
| fashioned Southerners, told his col
leagues that his greatest misfortune
had been that he had been born a
multi-millionaire. He had never been
happy, he said, until he spent his
money. Then he smiled cheerily and
added:
Most of it went to feed some hun
dreds of slaves was also unfortunate
enough to inherit. The rest I spent
on my friends, as gentleman should,
and so got rid of the incumbrance.
"The Senator from Arkansas (Mr.
Davis) has spoken against Mr.. Rookie
Teller and his pipe lines that run
through his State. 1 think Rockefel-
Ter is a good man, though unhappily
rich His employees speak well of him,
and ! was glad to vote for his pipe
lines and l would be glad to do it
again. If anybody in the United
States dislikes that he can put it in
his pipe and smoke it."
He described himself as a nlain.