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GENS OT ‘BANQUET ELOQUENCE
LaGrange, Georgia, Does Her Surpassing Vest in a Citizens’Reception to Gobemor-elect Joseph H. Vrolpn—"LittleJoe"
Soloing Seeds of Good Fellolvship and Good Citizenship,
T was a banquet that was a banquet!
And LaGrange knows how. Ruby Beryl
Kyle said: “Surprises are the sparkle
of existence.” And that banquet was a
“sparkle” in mine. I went down to La-
Grange last Friday night on the invita
tion of the queenly alumnae of that his
toric institution, the 'Southern Female
College, and in my whirling, busy life
I
I 'had overlooked the announcement of Governor
elect Jos. M. Brown’s visit, and did not know until
I reached the Park Hotel that I would have the priv
ilege of sitting at a banquet board where the Gov
ernor-elect would be the guest of honor.
To begin with, it was a ‘ 1 wineless banquet” —not
a drop of anything to drink except water, coffee and
tea. The Governor-elect don’t drink himself, and
besides, those sterling business and professional men
of LaGrange don’t believe in serving ‘‘booze” at a
banquet any more than Waycross and Ocilla do.
Never mind about the eating—that’s common —that’s
epicurean, but it was cooked just right and the
courses were sensible enough not to kill you.
But the speeches —they were the “real article.”
Some banquet speeches give me the ennui, and make
me want to go off to a summer resort. These didn’t.
There was not a dull moment in a single one of them.
They were not too long and they were not too many..
They did not wear out the banqueters by keeping
them there until 14 o’clock. When the Governor
elect finished his, the last speech on the program, it
was only 11 o’clock. Sensible banquet that! Col.
Arthur H. Thompson, a brilliant young member of
the LaGrange bar, who acted as toastmaster, said it
was bis “first offense” in that capacity, but he did
the thing like a veteran. His ready wit and de
lightful versatility in presenting each speaker was
simply refreshing. The first toast on “Mind vs.
Money” was given by President R. W. Smith, of
LaGrange Female College. “Uncle Rufus,” as he
is affectionately called, was there with “the goods.”
With his native wit he blended that sound philoso
phy which has characterized one of the grandest
lives in Southern Methodism and a priceless contri
bution to the Christian education of woman.
“Our City,” by Mayor J. D. Edmunson, was so
brief and bright it might be called a gem-let (not a
gimlet, but a gem-let) of a speech. He said he was
a plain business man, laying no claim to eloquence,
but he was a good “short stop.” I considered that
“real bright,” and expect to use it all over this
country.
Hon. R. D. Render, on “Economy and Lower Tax
es,” showed that he was a lineal descendant of John
Hampden. He was in favor of biennial sessions of
the Legislature, “agin” extending the State road to
the sea, and believed a monument ought to be built
to “Uncle Rufus” Smith. His peroration to Geor
gia was a burst of native oratory.
SIEND FOR THE MISSION£GIRL—ONLY SI.OO
ATLANTA. GA.. MARCH 25. 1909.
Then came a flood of “Moonlight,” when Col.
E. T. Moon spoke on “Due Process of Law.” With
out a single reference to the humorous introduction
of Toastmaster Thompson, with the solemn serious
ness of a judge passing sentence on the condemned,
Col. Moon made a speech that was polished after
the similitude of a palace. We give it to our readers
in this issue.
“After the Battle, What?” was the significant
tji|i
MK . 4z?k
MMIIpiMMB F
SAM W. WILKES,
The Boyhood Friend of Georgia’s Next Governor.
toast responded to by Mr. W. A. Reeves, the hand
somest man at the banquet, and he showed that a
“pretty man” can sometimes make a pretty speech,
as he called for the union of factions and Georgia s
going “all one way,” as Grady said of the nation.
No disparagement concerning anybody else when
I say that the wittiest speech on the program came
from Col. J. E. Dunson, who was a staunch supporter
of Gov. Hoke Smith, and whose very subject ‘ 1 tick
led the crowd ”—“ While the lamp holds out to
burn, the vilest sinner may return.” But there vas
more than wit in it—there was wisdom, patriotism
and loyalty.
“The Rank and File” was the subject of a fine,
strong speech by Judge J. B. Strong.
Dr. A. B. Vaughan, the scholarly pastor of the
First Baptist church, being kept away by illness,
his place was taken by Col. Sam W. Wilkes, the
boyhood friend of Georgia’s next Governor, paid a
beautiful tribute to the life and character of his old
schoolmate and then delivered a classic speech on
“The Rebuilding of the South.” It is such a gem
that we give it here for scrap-book preservation.
And then came the last number by “Little Joe” —
“Georgia, Not as She Lies on the Map, but as She
is in the Minds and the Hearts of Her Countrymen. ”
Frankly, it was the surprise of the banquet board.
The Governor-elect never made a speech during the
seventy odd days of his breezy campaign. He just
took it out in writing cards, lie said, to more people
than lie could possibly reach with his presence and
his longue. It was known that speech-making was
not his “long suit.” But who said Little Joe Brown
couldn’t speak? His wit was ready and spontaneous,
his words dropped from his Ijps like new-coined
money from the mint, and as the forerunner of his
speech at court house next day he k”ew how to quit
at the psychological moment. A “know-how” critic
was heard to say: “For meeting the situation that
banquet speech of Governor Brown could not have
been surpassed.” After the Governor’s splendid
toast there came a speech that was not on the menu
card. 'Some banqueters who were more generous
than “judgmatic,” as the old darky said, made
calls for Che editor of this paper, and he submitted
“a few feeble scattering remarks.”
“Little Joe” and Roddenberry.
One of the stories told was the following, told at
Dawson by me when Judge Anderson Roddenberry,
of Thomasville, and I were in a prohibition com
paign. Roddenberry, who is just about the lit ties),
ugliest, smartest scrap of a man in public life in
America, had preceded me in a speech that took the
shine off of anything I could hope to do. 1 was de
termined to get even with him to begin on. I told
the crowd he reminded me of the old darky, the
only Christian on the hill at a sawmill town. The
old negro didn’t like the looks of the new preacher
who was sent on that mission. He was too little
and ugly—didn’t believe he could preach at all. But
the little preacher did preach. He startled the na
tives and left the old darky shouting.
“How do you like the new preacher, Uncle Tony?”
some mischievous fellow asked him. Uncle Tony
rubbed his eyes, grinned all over his face, and said:
“Ugh, ugh, Boss! dey ain’t no dependence to be
put in the looks of a man!”
And Che great crowd that went through the rain
and packed the court house next day thought the
same. For nearly an hour Georgia’s next Governor
held them charmed, preaching the gospel of good
fellowship and good citizenship.
Judge F. M. Longley, who presided at the meet
ing, declared that Governor Brown had done a great
(Continued on Page 5.)
TWO DOLL AUS A TEAK.
lIVE CENTS A COTT.
