The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-04-27

Following is the full text of the
remarks of Congressman S. A. Rod
denbery on the occasion of the me-
mortal exercises held in the house OF
representatives in honor of his late
predecessor, James NJ. Griggs. Mr..
Roddenbery said:
"Mr. Speaker: During the short
period of my official association in
Washington nothing has so impressed
me with the fickleness of life's tenure
and the certainty of death as the fire.
quently recurring occasions that
command the accustomed routine OF
national legislation to cease its func-
lions that reverence may be done the
memory of those who but yesterday,
in the vigor of life, standing in these
aisles. gave utterances from vibrant
hearts to patriotic speech.
1--WE have now come to record the
final mark of official respect to the
life and character of my distinguished
predecessor, Hon James Mathews
Griggs, late of the state Of Georgia.
so far as l may, Mr.. Speaker
without disregarding the demands of
duty and hitherto UNMARRIED customs,
l desire to yield the time of the house
absolutely to my colleagues, the hon
orable members who served in con-
gress with Mr.. Griggs, that they may
speak of his public services and avail
themselves of this opportunity fifty
to honor his memory.
mo resume of the many notable
qualities appertaining to the life and
career of Mr. Griggs would do JUS
tice to either that omitted to en-
phasize the intimate relation which
for thirteen years existed between
him as a representative and his i'm
mediate constituency as the repre-
scented; and it is equally imperative
that note should be made of the feel
ing of proprietary interest which the
masses of the people of his district
felt that they had in his public ca
reer. Hence the house will indulge
me, in speaking of Mr.. Griggs, to di-
rect my remarks to personal observa-
lions on his relation to his people at
home; and the expression at home
must be interpreted to comprehend
the total area of the eighteen cOun-
ties comprising the district whose Cit
liens for many years yielded to him
political fealty and official trust.
The life of Mr.. Griggs at home was
marked for it's frankness and sim
plicity. His greatness in office erect
ed no barrier between him and the
humblest citizen; while, under our
theory of government he was a repre-
sentative of the whole people, in
point of actual fact, he enjoyed
throughout his public career the
unique characteristic of being re-
garded by each one of the whole peo-
pie as an individual representative.
His intimate personal acquaintance
at home was restricted to no certain
portions of the district; he knew the
people not casually, but his individ-
ual knowledge of them was marvel
Gus. He seldom met a citizen of the
district whose business, whose lin
cage and whose name he did not
know. The people did not know OF
him'-they knew him; he did not only
have a general familiarity with his
district-he knew it and personally
recognized his constituency, man tc
man. His faculty of recognition was
naturally acute, and by cultivation OF
it had attained almost to perfection
1t may be doubted if any member OF
the house more nearly apprOXimateS
a personal acquaintance with the in
dividual person or constituent thar
did the lamented member whose life
and character we now review.
His friendships were fast-not {
mere political friendship-but tht
ideal and genuine attachment which
we encounter more often in pretenst
than we perceive in fact. The mar
who was once drawn to Mr.. GriggI
never found an abatement of friend
ship; he attracted men to him by his
marked personality and held them al
ways by the magnetism of the man
1t is no marvel among the citi
zenry at home that thousands stood
aghast at the announcement of hi!
death, which, like the shadow of al
unheralded eclipse, darkened the
d&wning of a newborn year.
Il have known him in both distrc
and state political contests to enter
into vigorous struggles, always con
tending aggressively for his opinions
and insistently for his views, an(
nevertheless, unlike most men, ht
would emerge from the conflict t.
find his opponents none the less hi
personal friends, and oftentimes al
Every man in the lanC