Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-13
0DELL' TRIBUTE
TO GEORGE GRAY
Says He Has Outgrown All Titles,
Prcfxes and
Suffixcs.

Or. Joseph II. Odell writes In the
Morning News today. under the cap
ton. George Gray of Delaware, as
follows
While IL is our glory. the title is a
limitation The most ardent Della
warcan would not contend that Della
ware is greater than the United States
~ the world. ! Euclid had to admit
that "a part of a part is n part of the
whole" So George Gray. while he be-
longs Ivy birth. training. affection and
residence TO Delaware. is nevertheless
"A distinguished character I'm the United
states and an honored parsonage In
the civilized world beyond. Why do !
use the naked name. George GrayY
Simply because no has outgrown all
titles. prenYes or sutIixes. Do you
speak Of Mr. Shakespeare. or Cen
erai' Washington, or President" Lin
coln7 When a man reaches the heigth
of unerudgable greatness we drop all
contcmporaneous frIlls and bark back
instinctively TO the baptismal font.
There are millions of Mr.. John Smiths
and Mr.. william Joneses and Mr..
Thomas Robinsons. but there is only
one George Gray.
What inspired me to write thusr
bert Hoover came to speak in Will
minKton. When he was presented TO
the audience everyone arose and
cheered Scores of Delawareans spoke
at the same gathering and were heart
iiv clapped. Then George Gray slowly
lifted his so years erect---a noble cpeci
men OF a man, but as humble In spirit
as he was splendid In character-and
stood instantly and cheered without re-
straint. II was ribut, TO George
Gray. but II also was a measure OF
the intelligence and chivalry OF the
seven hundred assembled guests.
When you meet a man who has
served three terms In the United States
Senate tthe most revealing and exact
iug elective body In the world1: who
hss been long upon the bench and has
never stained the judicial ermiue. who
has presided over the board Of arhi-
0Aficn which composed the fierceet I'm
Austriaj conflict ever known in Amer
kan history: who, has served as
member and as the president of the
Court ~ Universal Appeal: who has
efssn held In his hand the integrity
and spirit Of equity of this nation In
H. Relationship with other nations. Of
the world: when you meet such a man
JVN uCDN UNAUbhuu ntkll 1lt
honor and r~ver~nce which your soul
holds.
Delaware may produce rich crops
from its fertile coil, IL may develop In
dustriee that dominate the commercial
world, IL may accumulate financial re-
sources which dazzle the nation and
determine the trend of the money mar
kef. but II Will never do anything more
notable than II has already done-rear
great men such as Caesar Rodney,
clayton. Baynrd and Gray. Call IL
small state if you will. limited in
acreage and scant Of population. but
II the United States as a whole had
done as well in the calibcr of its man
hnod as Delaware has. this would have
been a nation Of giants. of supermen.
Has the breed died out7 i do not
know. Let us give our Children an
equal chance with other children and
see. I cannot believe that all of the
strength has slipped out Of the stock.
The very best of the old Anrlc-Saxon
deposit must be in the Drawn and
blood and brain OF our people. Let us
give IL every opportunity In home and
church and school and college In the
days to come, throughout the long an
nal. of history. we shall not be Judged
by the wealth we have piled up. or
the comforts we have enjoyed, or the
fertility of our coil, but by the number
Of genuine men we have produced. In
the past Delaware has done well, in
credibly well; how about the future2