The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-02
Cssises, let out three cheers that
shcok the fAfters Governor Wilson

YOU Excellency, Mr.. Speaker. Your
Honor. Gentleman of the General
Assembly Of Virginia. and OF the
Council OF the City Of Richmona'
Laaies and Gentlemen:
1 face this great audience tonighl
with 4 mixture of emotions. am
glad to feel like boy vito has come
hCme 10 report In some desree ~
hin neightoss. not about nayseh. nut
about the things that l have seem
o. tried to see clearly, happening IN
the great communities of which we
constitute a part.
am not gong to hold the ais
tInxuished gentlemen who have In
trcuuced me responsible for the terms
in which they haze presented me TO
you. am ready TO believe. IL any
thing should happen to me that Is
untoward. that they have uttered not
q er1iXai Judgment, but have spoken
according TO the dictates OF their
hearts They have been welcoming me
home--they have not been telling you
exactly what | am.
Ana vet the voice OF a friend
meits the heart, and !, for my part
feel II very difficult here tonight
to make an address from which the
sentimental emotions that rise in me-
are left out. ] have on my lapel
badge which. II | followed the die
tstes OF good taste. perhaps | should
not wear. for II bears my own name:
but II Was pinned on my coat by
one of the delegation from stanton
my native place tapplause}- and
know that you will indulge me In The
sentiment which has led me to leave
II there. not as token of egotisin.
but as q token Of my appreciation
~ NIB M
tended me.
You have been told tonight that
the eyes of the nation were centered
upon me. / hope not That Is very
awkward. I do not like to believe that
the eyes Of the nation are centered
upon me. / do like to believe that
the thoughts Of the nation are GEN.
tered upon the great questions which
/, among many others, have tried
honestly and feariessly to exponnd.
because We are just now see King to
show our devotion. not to persons.
but to a cause---a fundamental cause.
a cause to which the whole history
OF America has been a comnenda-
terry example.
could not stand before this aud
fence Of my one time Deighhors-
fer there are a great many men be-
hinu me, al any rate. IL not in front
Of me, who have known me ever
since l was q hoy--and try to pose
myself as an important figure. They
would see through II. / remembe
the story of an innocent old woman
who went into the side show of a
circus and saw, or supposed that sh =
xaw. man read newspaper through
q two-inch board. She got mp In
great excitement and said: Here. let
me out OF here, this Ii no place for
me to be with these thin things on,
l fear that the disguise OF greatness
wouiS be too transpai ent. and yet
] do feel that every man should. who
believes in the great ideals OF this
country and in their translation into
action. stand up In every company
and proclaim the faith that is in him.
20 that by common counsel and by
common action we may achieve
something for this great nation.
| have heard men complain of the
changes Of the times. I have heard
men counsel that. we stand still and
do nothing. How futile the counsel
Is. DO You remember the quaint
story of the Scottish highlander who
went into tho market AT Edinbui gh,
followed ~ his dog? He went 10 "A
fishmongsr's stall and the dog incau-
tiously dropped his tail into a has
sters mined his tail Whsreupon the
dog -. yelping down the street.
with the lobster bouncing after. The
nsnnonger said: "Hooti mon whus-
sic to your dog" "Hooti" said the
Scotchman. ''whussle TO your lob
ster.'
Spirit of the Age.
Now If you think some of your
leaders are going too last a pace.
don't whistle to them. Whistle to
the spirit of tife age, Whistle to
The questions that haze whipped their
consc4ences and dominated their un-
derstandings. They can not stop ii
they are going To keep up with the
great trananutatinns IF affairs. For.
gt atlemen, whether we have realized
Il or not, we have entered n new age,
and | have comforted myself with
fhc thought as / inlrneyed towards
Virginia again, tat Virginia mad
never been daanted by a new age;
with. however, deaonair aud young
and confident genius Virginia ied
great nation and helped to create
great nation in q ne7v age.
have heard men say that IL war
rlnsTmerfcGn TO crfttc.S9 tho institu-
lions we are living under. i won
der Z they rememher the significant
OF the American fag~~the FIRST in
surgent flag that was flung TO the
hr6GzS~~-tiie flag that represented t1e
moot colossal kick inat was ever
taken in political transactions; a flag
that | cannot look al without imagin-
ing that II consists cf alternate strips
Of parchment upen which are writ
ten are fundamental rights OF man.
alternating with the streams OF blood
by which those rights had been VIM
1lcated and validated In the blue
sky Of the co; nsr there are swung
star after star OF IcnmonWealths of
ffee men who were setung Hp their
assa asfsa.ess .saao.l rho pri.acapleIx Of
those indicated tights.
9o you snppnse that viii believe.
or thai anX-nns -kno&-aS- taG has
tory OF America or the history OF
Virginia wall believe, that IL Is In
CONSISTENT with being an American
and a Nirg,nian to propose that YOU
construct liberty for each sues eSsiv 1
age. and that, If necessary, you re-
construct liberty for each successive
age II | had happened 10 get that
sefice from the ord dominion, ii
e@Ss1is enter them again as came
back to her. ! have not lost II else
whore. The handsome contagion mas
infected the whole OF the great nation,
Do not suppose that the people Of
New Jersey have not seen visions.
and dreamed dreams. Some gentle
men In some initial quarters wanted
to suppress the dreams. II made the
kieep Of some men, in some quarters.