The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-04
THE MASTER OF COMPLIMENT.

There have been days when The Her
ald-Republican has felt it could survive
even if Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew
should lose himself and never be found.
And then there are times when the old
courtier rises with an example of grace
full speech so compelling that we are
glad he is alive-no matter what New
York may think about it.
And one of the times when he wins
was recorded when old General Gordon,
the short-time Senator from Louisiana,
made his farewell talk TO Senators at
the close of a busy session on February
twenty-fourth. First let us repeat
few of the many unusual things the old
southerner said. Here is but a taste
of them:
Now. gentlemen of the Senate. I have
made these few remarks. ! hope you
will take them in, and hope you will
give consideration TO them. 1 hope you
will believe am telling nothing but the
truth; and L want to say in kindness
and with regard for the Senator from
Idaho IMr. Heyburnl that 1 want him
to come down south and come to my
cottage on the prairie and l viii show
him little of southern life. When we
get through we will come back here
and We viii walk into Statuary Hall,
and what will / say to him? 1 will say,
Help me persuade the Senator from
Indiana [Mr. Beveridgel TO take the
Lew Wallace statue out Of here and
hide il away in some river or pond
where it never can be seen any more.
and build him a high statue worthy of
so great a man as Lew Wallace"
GLaughter.] I have admired him ever
since 1 read Ben Hur and ever since !
heard of his getting a little out o. tenn
per at the battle of Shiloh [ reckon he
must have had a good deal of human
nature in him. He is a man that I was
very fond of, and l am fond of his
memory. l want to see him have a
grand statue, and 1 will come up here
and see them set it up. After they do
that-with the Senator from Idaho,
after he has seen the south through my
spectacIes, and 1 will lend them to him
on that occasion-T want TO come back
here and stand before Grants statue
and before Lees statue, and / will pull
off my hat and hurrah for Grant, and,
I think, he will hOller. Lee was a pref
ty good fellow" and he will say, "Hur-
rah for Lee" That is the kind Of feel
ing I want to cultivate with him.
[Laughter.l
I want you all to understand that
what / say to the Senator from Idaho
1 say with no feeling in my heart
against him. No: love him. I love
everybody. L am q happy man. I never
let hate get into my heart, so as to make
me unhappy. That Is rhe reason 1 have
lived and kept young, and retained my
L.r
ten old and ugly-some of you. Laugh
teri I have not lost my hair yet: but
il is falling out and l am gOin- to leave
here to keep from losing it altogether.
I am going TO leave here, for many of
you have got all the hair off your heads,
and 1 think I had better &c Hume.
ILaughter.[
The experience was an entirely novel
one to the Senators. 1t was out of the
usual And when they had applauded,
and sat there still bound by the spell
of voice from an age that is past and
gone, Senator Depew rose, and delivered
himself of the following:
Mr. President. ] have heard a great
many farewell addresses in my life; I
read the most famous of thea on Wasi.-
instOn's birthday, the 22d Of this month;
hut this is the most unique contribution
TO literature of this character which
any of US has ever heard. 1t will live
in the records Of the Senate as probably
the most remarkable add ,rSs either of
a new Senator coming in or Of an old
ole going cut lh2t has ever been Ge-
liVered. It's patriotism and gOcd-fellcw-
ship, broad mirdedness, charity, and
hunor WITH remain among the best rec
objections of those who hearl il. I be
lieve L express. the sentiment of every
one of The colleagues IF ,ur departing
friend when 1 say that We deeply re-
greet his going, and that no matter how
wonderful a genius or great a states
man succeeds him he can never be Sen
ator Gordon of Mississippi. Applause
Isn't it perfect? Doesn't one warm
to the old fellow for his quick recogni-
ton of the worth of the vanishing char
acter-and the perfectly charming man.
ner in which he expressed appreciation?
Just a little incident in a big day.
But it helps.