Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-05
LIFE IN THE SOUTH
Theme of Address by Former
Senator Gordon.
RELATES HIS EXPERIENCE
Was Guest of Honor at Commercial
Club Dinner-Speech by
Col. Randle.
RELATES HIS EXPERIENCE

Former Senator James Gordon OF Mis-
sissippi recently retired from the upper
house. was the guest of honor at din
ner given by the Commercial Club last
evening at it's clubhouse. A large num-
Der of members gathered about the board
to welcome Col. Gordon and to listen
later to his "reminiscences of life in the
south and the struggle for existence
through which many southerners passed
after the civil war.
But Senator Gordon did not confine his
remarks to the long ago. He gave a
vivid account of his career in the SEN
ate and of his impressions of that body.
He said lie had become convinced that
the United States Senate was the finest
body of men in the world.
Down in Mississippi / have had the
pleasure of associating with a pretty
high class of gentlemen. but | take my
hat off to the Senate he declared. feel
ingly He said that when he first reach
ed here he had decided to live over near
the Capitol so that he could keep his eye
on what was going on there
Votes for Republican Measure.
81 thought it would be an easy matter
to learn the ms and outs Of the Senate
but I was sadly mistaken. They work too
ast for me. The very first time l voted
1t was for a republican measure. When
nv colleagues on the democratic side told
me what I had done / told them was
sorry to have made such blunder. but |
had listened to the speeches. ana ,ouhu
that the republican side had sounded best
to me. and had voted accordingly. |
added that If they wanted me to vote the
other way in future they would have to
find some better speakers.
..The best part of my education | have
received since I have been here in Wash
ington | was so amused at the ways OF
legislation that when they gave me a
frank the very first thing did was to use
it on A private letter, and that to an eX-
convict. l have learned since that II Was
only for public business.
Senator Gordon said that down at his
home in Mississippi the people had grown
to believe that the Senate was composed
of a lot of bloated bondholders. who stood
for the big interests and trusts instead Of
for the peoples interests. He said he
was going back to his state and tell them
the truth.
Not Able to Find Grafters.
"If there are any grafters in the Senate.
| wasn't able to find them,' he said. The
senators are an honest and hardworking
set. They work SO hard that it's no place
for an old fellow like me-"
Col. Gordon said that he was by de-
scent Scotchman and Presbyterian.
He loved the truth and felt bound to tell
it everywhere. he said. Speaking of his
life in Mississippi the colonel gave a
graphic description of how he passed
from inherited millions to poverty, back
again into comfortable affluence. into pol
tiles and then into the United States Sen
ate The kindly and humorous speech of
the Mssissippian held the attention of
full of pathos, giving an account of the
struggles and problems of the south after
1T had been devastated by war. The pic
tIlre he drew of man who in advanced
life had lost all and who, despite his
losses, had succeeded again in building
up a fortune although he had never been
accustomed to work. was dramatic.
The great need of Mississippi, said Col
Gordon. was capital to start big cotton
goods manufactures there. Mississippi
he declared. was an agricultural state,
raising ringers and cotton" What the
state needed now was an opportunity to
turn the raw material into manufactured
cotton goods.
Col. Gordon bitterly denounced the poll
tician and praised the plain people, who
work and. bring out of the soil the wealth
of the country. He said it was high time
that the common people reaped some of
the benefits of their labor.
Col. Handles Speech.
Col. Arthur +. Randle made speech in
which he discussed the corporations. He
said that corporations were the axles upon
f@l, -