Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-02-29
THOMAS AIVA EDISON

The following is speech O1
Hon. John E. Rankin, of Mississip-
pi, delivered in the National House
of Representatives Feb. %, 1910
and printed in the Congressional
Record
Yesterday was the ninety-third
anniversary of the birth of Thomas
Alva Edison, our country's greatest
contribution to the worlds list OF
scientific men.
genius of the age and one of the
leading benefactors of mankind.
He was the greatest liberator the
world has ever known. BY the
force of his matchless genius, aided
by his tireless energy, he struck the
shackles of drudgery from untold
millions of human beings and lifted
the world into the light of a new
civilization the like of which hu-
manity had scarcely dreamed.
He stands in history among the
leaders of the men of genius of all
time-Homer, Calico, Mcclellan
gelo, Rembrandt, Mozart, Cervantes,
Shakespeare, Columbus, Jefferson
Newton and Marconi. Towering
amid that great galaxy rises the i'm
mortal figure of Edison, in glorified
silhouette against the horizon of
the ages, sending glow of radi-
ance down the centuries to come,
to stir the hopes and fire the imagi-
nations of toilers of the future who
struggle for the betterment of
mankind.
&c IN n
magnify his virtues, to minimize his
vices, or to clothe him with quail
ties he did not have. All that is
necessary to commend him to the
minds and hearts of peoples of all
climes is the simple story of this
earnest, patient man, toillng
through the silent hours of the
night to make the world a better
place in which to live.
He was the greatest public ser
want of his day; yet he held no po-
litical office, he founded no political
party, he advanced no new political
creeds. Therefore no array of IL
lustrious speakers volunteer to sing
his praise or use his name as a
sounding board to further selfish
ends.
He was one of the mightiest con-
querors this world has ever seem
yet he waged no wars of human
destruction, he fought no bloody
battles, he stirred no fires of human
hate or pandered to the baser pas
sions of the race. But he conquer
ed the elements, as it were and
gave to humanity the greatest as
cendancy over the forces of nature
the world has ever known. He
brought the dawn of a new civiliza-
tiOn-the electric age.
He never Intentionally hurt a hui
man being. Therefore no memorial
has been erected to him in his
country's capital, no monument ded-
icated to his name, no blazing cpl
taph upon these historic walls pro-
claim his services to the world.
/ sometimes wonder if we really
appreciate the services of men OF
genius. They scale the heights and
blaze the way to those sublime
achievements that mark the mile
stones in the progress of the race
while men of talent dig in, solidify
and hold the gains and enjoy the
progress that genius makes.
Have you ever thought what
would happen if we should lose all
that men and people Of genius have
accomplished for the world? What
this land would be like? 1t would
be a different world-cold, pulse
less, monotonous, and silent. Our
transportation system wou d
come to standstill, the telephone
and telegraph wires would become
useless instructions, the lights