Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-25
GORDON LEAVING
U.S.SENATE, BIDS
FOND FAREWELL
ADIEU TO MEMBERS UNIQUE IN
NATIONS HISTORY
VENERABLE SOLON TELLS STORY
OF MOTHERS PREDICTION
Praises Rockefeller and Remlnisces
on Slavery and Civil War Days.
Was a Confederate Sol
dier Under Gen. Lee
Associated Press1

lAAo9NS'eAsSN AS7SS
M ASHINGFON, Feb. 24.-What
w Senator Depew characterized
~ as a farewell, unique in the SEN
ate's history, was delivered today by
James Gordon, senator from Missis-
sippi, who said goodby to the senator's
with whom he had served sixty days.
Practically the entire senate listened
with rapt attention to the address of
the venerable Mississippian.
Beginning with the statement that
the deadlock in Mississippi had been
broken and that Mr.. Percy had been
chosen to take his place, Colonel Cor
don said he had felt desire to express
his feelings toward the senate before
returning to his home in Mississippi.
He then told how, when 8 years old,
he had been presented with a toy
board checkered over with different
objects, some good and some bad. One
of these objects was the capitol of the
United States and his mother had told
him, he said, that if he would be good
and would live a correct life, he might
some day sit in the seat of the big
man who was pictured there.
"She had never told lie, and l
knew that what she said was true
knew that [ would some day occupy
the seat of that big man, and, God
helping me, l got there yesterday,
referring to the fact that for time
yesterday he had occupied the seat
of the presiding officer.
Spent Money on Slaves
"I was born a ti-millionaire,"
said Colonel Gordon, but / never was
happy until 1 got rid of my surplus
money. / spent much of it on my
slaves and the rest of my funds l spent
like a gentleman and got rid of the
entire encumbrance.
Il have listened with intrest to the
speeches here, and the more l hear or
them the sorrier 1 am for the million
aires Why, if there is a fellow in the
United States that l am sorry for, it
is Rockefeller. He can't go on the
street with one of his grandchildren
unless he is afraid that someone might
kill him. Why, know that he loves
one of those children much better
than he loves all his money.
II think Mr.. Rockefeller is good
man. I see his employees speak well OF
him, and l am told that he never mad
a strike. l am told also that he has
given much money to churches and
educational institutions.
Now, 1 don't suppose that every
body will like that but those VINO
don't like it can put it in their pipe
and smoke it.
"I'd like to have Mr.. Rockefeller
come down to Mississippi and run his
pipe lines through my land He could
have right of way for all the lines
he wanted, for l know that since my
time coal oil has been reduced from
40 cents a gallon to 10 cents"
Referring to the fact that he had
been a Confederate soldier, Mr.. Cor
don said: Il fought and bled, but
did not die. However, l skedaddled fire.
guently.'
Told War Stories
He then told of some of his exploits
in the war and how he had captured
General Coburn of Indiana, and Gen
eral Shafter. Shafter, he said had
fired at him five times in the Confed-
crate charge without hitting him. He
said that whenever the Union and
Confederate soldiers met they were al
ways good friends.
Asserting that he loved the negro,
he declared that he wanted Mason and
Dixon's line obliterated from the map
of the United States, because he did
not want any more strife.
"a few blab-mouthed people down
our way talk differently, he said, but
they are so insignificant that they are
not worth cussing, they are not worthy
wasting inVectiVes on"
Paving a tribute to soldiers of both
the north and the south, Colonel Cor
don said: you may as well try to
storm the heights of Heaven and pluck
the diadem 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 APP
pomattox and brought the war to a
close.
Praised Senate
"This is the finest body of men that
ever associated with" he continued,
speaking to the senate itself, and he
beamed upon his colleagues. Again re-
turning to the negro question, he said:
1--WE don't want to hurt the negro.
Why, I love him, and to convince you
that 1 do, 1 will quote from my own
poetry concerning him. He then read
two of his poems in which strong per-
sonal sentiment for the negroes of the
south was expressed.
Referring to Senator Heyburn's re-
cent protest against General Lee