Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-07-12
DIR. DENNY TO EDITORS
Welcome Address to the Virginia
Press Association

EASoS hoooNA0eAVh
President Denny OF Washington
and Lee. in welcoming the Virginia
newspaper association to Rock
bridge yesterday at Natural Bridge,
said, in part:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen:
A great preacher recently refer
red, in reminiscent vein, to the
sapphire hills" OF Rockbridge.
He used this expression to en-
phasize the peculiar charm and
beauty OF this region, and especially
OF this county, to which bid you
welcome today. can think OF no
class of men in whose honour our |
gates would be more gladly thrown
open. L can think Of no class OF
men who are more honorably serv-
ing our commonwealth than the men
who are day by day producing the
grist that goes to make the finished
product of the newspapers of Vir-
GINA.
We are glad to welcome you to
Rockbridge, which is not merely a
region of sapphire hills" but the
home OF great memories, of high
traditions, and of heroic associations
with the things which, in the past
history of the commonwealth, have
most signally illustrated the courage,
the fidelity and the integrity of our
Southern civilization and Southern
faith.
[ do not underestimate the value
OF this opportunity to speak word
to the newspaper men of Virginia
l feel that 1 could have no finer
!, audience than this group of mer
= whose daily duty it is to mould ant
to fashion the thought aud the destiny
OF our rapidly developing democ
. racy. 1 do not intend TO speal
, words OF fattery VIXEN l express
= myself in this way. | seek merel J
" to state what is true. Nor do l in
tend TO fatter you when l say that
believe that the uen who are con
Quoting the newspaper business o
. this common wealth are, in th
. main, true to their high and hol!
trust. My whole life has been live
. in Virginia. 1 have not PERSONAL.
!, known a single man engaged in thi
- high work who has lacked in cour
u age, or in probity Of life, or in
IL right conception Of public and pri
vate duty. Many time l have seel
their manhood and their metal tested
and in not a single instance within
'' the range OF my personal knowledg
, has there been a conscious turning
aside from the path of honorable ant
= just dealing. AS Virginian, l re
- sent the recent imputation, attri
~ buted to a college professor, tina
. our press is largely corrupt, ant
our editors are to a degree the mer
hirelings of Thomas f. Ryan.
There are some things that
O. would like to say, if may be per
IN mitted to do so in this presence. a
to a college president. it has often oC
N Cured to me that, in the last analysis
I'M there are many points OF essentif
d unity in the mission of the high
err minded newspaper, and that of tn
nm college. It has seemed to me tn;
,et each is engaged in supplementary
IL re. enforcing. and strengthening tn
be work of the other. There are.
be course, points of difference, i
10 method. in form, in contact. in pu
n pose, and in the end attained. Thi
"a however, is a time when l shoul
ice like to put the emphasis on tt
he points of agreement rather than {
his POINTS of difference.
at 1. You are engaged in ascertai
NO ing and reporting facts; SO are W
su- You are engaged in educating {
tlv MANY along a few lines. We a
nat engaged in eating tt
ion few along many lines. You are e
lite gagged directly in creating al
fashioning public sentiment,
Ag- are engaged indirectly in doing pl
for cisely the same thing by sendi
nts out trained men who are to becol
on the leaders of public sentiment
ON the various communities to viii