The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-05-13
GOV. CHECKLISTS ADDRESS.
On the Launching of the BattieshiP
Florida, at the New York Navy
Yard, May II

L
ing of the monster battleship Flor
ida, Governor Albert W. Gilchrist of
Florida spoke af follows:
Mr.. Toastmaster, Ladies and Fellow
Citizens:
| am here to make a speech on the
great state of Florida. The greatest
part of this great state now is the
great battleship Florida. The battle
ship Florida is the greatest ship ever
launched from the governmental navy
yard; and we Floridians think the
greatest battIeship ever launched by
any nation in the world. The success
full launching. the character of the
work. the cost. and the time consumed
proves concIusiveIy the error in the
statement that the government could
not do work as successfully as private
You gentlemen connect
ed with the building and with the
OF this great ship fully re-
alize the labors incident thereto.
None of you realize that the labors of
a governor incident to the launching
of the battleship Florida are far great
er than the labor incident to the
the ship of state of Florida.
The affairs of the ship OF state of
Florida rest just on common sense.
The state of affairs due to the launch
ing of the battleship Florida rest upon
uuIerous little details-hundreds of
letters OF inquiry involving every
3rol ,sition this side of the tail of Hal
- comet | have fairly well battled
with the most of them. To an old
bachelor one of the hardest questions
to answer was: What should a wo-
man wear" felt like replying in
the language of a married gentleman
who is presenting the present, a
kimona. at card party. said it was
the most becoming garment a woman
could wear, save one.
1t is best for the best and one of
the largest battleships of the best and
one of the largest nations on earth to
beat the name of the best and one of
the largest states-Florida. Few peo-
pie realize that our $3.50 square
miles is second to but one in area Of
all the states east of the Mississippi.
On the day OF which this is the ami
Soto set sail for the western coast Of
Florida. Finally discovering the Miss
issippi river, the great father of
waters. This was most formidable
expedition, consisting ~ nine vessels
and $40 men. Formidable as it was in
those days, the entire feet would be
to this one battleship which these
workmen are building, as the dugout
canoes, of our Florida Indians was to
this fleet.
The power anG strength or our great
nation and the courage and loyalty of
our men and women to the flag, has
been SO thoroughly established that
there is no nation or combination of
nations on earth who would dare to
invade our borders. There may be
some, who if we were unprepared.
might be foolhardy enough to try con
all occasions. even when our navy
was so small as to be insignificant In
its armament and the number of its
ships, the navy has ever upheld the
honor and glory of our flag. Such re
suits could not have been accomplish
ed but for the men like yourselves
who built our vessels strong and true
and but for the officers and but for
the men behind the guns. In our in
fancy, twice have we successfully
arbitrated with the foremost nava
power of the world. using the pursua
sive argument of shot and shell. In
our own titanic struggle among our
selves. we showed the world thai
there could be no such heroes as they
who wore the blue and the gray. ane
no such heroines as their mothers
wives, daughters, sisters and swee
hearts. 1t was in this war tha
armOred vessels were first used. IL
| our recent contest with the old mis-
tress of the western hemisphere, W.
showed how results could be accom-
plished. as Admiral Dewey wired
without casualties" and how sailor:
could be thoughtful as we'll as brave
1t was Captain Cook, of the navy. wh'
| at the battle of Santiago said, Don
cheer. boys, the poor fellows ar
dying" Brave and noble men ar
ever generous. 1t was the same cap
tain to whom a wire was sent, eau
tioning him to look out for the vessel
of a certain fleet. He replied: W.
are looking out for them" A few
such vessels of the type of the battle
ship Florida will ever carry through
their. portfolios the sweet message o
sweet. sweet peace.
Her name Florida will ever sue
gest to her officers and to her me-
the scent of the roses. of the orang
blossoms. of the honey suckle and O
the magnolia, and the sunbeams O
our own beloved state.
On Easter Sunday, 391 years age
Ponce De Leon landed in Florida i
lsearch of the far-famed Fountain c