Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-30
Tennessee Senator Makes an Unusual Speech
WEBB A UNIQUE FIGURE

NASHVILLE. TENN, Jan. 30.-Sen-
ator elect W. r. Webb. of Belbuckle,
aged principal of the famous Webb
school for boys. who goes tonight TO
Washington to succeed Senator Newell
Sanders for the remainder of the pres
ent session Of congress. made one of
the most unusual political speeches
ever heard in Tennessee when he ad-
dressed the general assembly. acknowl-
edging his election, which took place
last week
He was introduced by Speaker New
ton II. White. an old Webb school boy,
as "the man who never did anything
on the sly-'Old Sawney''
Senator Webb appeared before the
assembly almost overcome, apparently,
with the honor that had been conferred
upon him, and was greeted with enthu-
/ siastic applause. With his spectacles
on his nose, three little scraps Of pa
per constituting the notes in his hand,
and a smile Of genuine good feeling on
his face, he began to express his thanks
to the legislature in this manner:
IF, instead Of the plain man that |
am ! were gifted genius in the use Of
/ language, l could not express to you
i my gratitude for singing me out for
this great honor. l can simply thank
1 you, sincerely.
Can Lean Both Ways.
Il don't think that any senator ever
elected from any state had q finer OPP
portunitv to defend his record than your
! Junior senator If / should happen
to lean toward the Republicans too
much and my Democratic friends should
protest, l can justify my course by tell
; ing them that they could not elect me
and that it required Republican help.
and that / must represent the Repub-
81 Leans some. on the other hand, if
should lean too much toward the Dem
ocrats. could tell the Republicans that
it required Democratic votes to elect
me, and l must represent the Democrats
also. And if both should protest, l
can assure you that l also represent
I Memphis.
81 have a magnificent latitude as
senator. My senatorial toga is GER
: tainly broad enough, if it is not long
s enough But it will be long enough
before | get another.
RI There has been but one greater hon
R or or greater surprise in my life, and
that was nearly 40 years ago when |
B sat beside a young lady whom l re-
garded as the finest Of womankind, and,
with huttering heart, stammering
tongue and little hope of success, asked
her TO go the long road with me.
THAT was 40 years ago, and she has
been trying ever since that time to
civilize me. There is nothing about my
election that gives me half as much
pleasure as the fact that she may see
4 me enter my senatorial career and see
: what splendid success she has made
! of her work, in the estimate of Ten
I nessee's greatest legislature.
5 Political Record a Blank.
81 my record in politics is an abso-
s lutte blank. The paramount issue in
: state politics of late years began with
; me when l was quite a little kid, and
} my widowed mother, within the smoke
! of distilleries, took me on her knee and
{ told me that it was wrong to make
s whisky and wrong to sell it to men.
81 MY first place in the Confederate
: army was orderly sergeant | had to
give out rations, including a ration of
: whisky furnished by the government.
: declined to issue whisky rations. My
Z captain ordered me to do so, and when
4 l, a sixteen-y ear-old STRIPPING, weigh
8 ing los pounds, again refused. he took
the matter up with the colonel. The
s colonel kindly advised me that | had
s better give out the rations | told him
i that | could not, and that if it was
: necessary for me to do so | would pre-
; fer being reduced to the ranks.
4 THAT resulted, a few days later, in
I my unanimous election by the company
5 to higher place where l did not have
5 / to give out whisky rations. That con-
5 WINGED me. and | have always believed
i since that fighting whisky doesn't harm
3 any man. I've been in the battle all
; my life long, hypocrite as | am. in the
} estimation of some of my opponents.
u Il have belonged to the temperance
s wing Of the Democratic party, and have
! helped to make the platform before
81 Governor Hooper was born. Now he is
& on the platform, but Hooper and all the
I Republicans can't crowd me off. l well
! come them there, for that is what the
Is platform was made for I don't want
any misunderstanding about my posi-
: ton on the greatest evil that ever af-
{ feCted mankind.
: Made Senators and ConVicts
81 Il have seen my little hatchet-heeled
Il carrot headed boys go out. l have seen
z them 20 to the senate of the United
4 States, to honor places on the bench, to
s high positions in the business world, I
: have also seen them 60 to the peni-
: Tertiary. ana | have never seen one go
Z there that whisky did not put him
q there.
81 Il am indebted to those boys today
Y =. -