broad, for along this pathway, with the rolling centuries, will
come, as pilgrims to a shrine, the myriads of all lands to behold this
statue of Columbus, this enduring monument of the gratitude of a
great city, of a great nation."

As the last words were spoken, I leaned over and grasped the
rope fastened to the flag that enveloped the statue. The flag
parted on either side and was removed by the attendants. The statue
stood revealed in all its beauty under the shade of the great elms
of the Mall.

Mr. Depew concluded his eloquent oration with the following words:

"We are here to erect this statue to his memory because of the
unnumbered blessings to America and to the people of every race
and clime which have followed his discovery. His genius and faith
gave succeeding generations the opportunity for life and liberty.
We, the heirs of all the ages, in the plenitude of our enjoyments,
and the prodigality of the favors showered upon us, hail Columbus our
benefactor."

XXXVI
A PLATFORM NOT DANGEROUS TO STAND UPON

A CITIZEN WHO LONGED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE MISSOURI LEGISLATURE--A
COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY A MEETING OF HIS FRIENDS--DIFFICULTY IN
ARRANGING THE PLATFORM--THE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.

The builders of political platforms, which uniformly "point with
pride" and "view with alarm," may possibly glean a valuable suggestion
from the following incident related by Governor Knott. In the
county in the good State of Missouri in which his fortune was cast
for a while, there lived and flourished, in the ante-bellum days,
one Solomon P. Rodes, whose earnest and long-continued yearning
was to be a member of the State Legislature. So intense, indeed, had
this feeling become in the mind of Solomon, that he at length openly
declared that he "would rather go to the Missouri Legislater, than
to be the Czar of Roosky." And in passing, it may here be
safely admitted that even a wiser man than Solomon might make this
declaration in these early years of the twentieth century.

Following the example of greater men than himself when aspiring to
public office, Mr. Rodes called a meeting of his party friends
in his precinct, to the end that his modest "boom" might be
successfully launched. After the accustomed organization had been
effected, a committee of five, of which our aspirant was chairman,
was duly appointed to prepare and present appropriate resolutions.
The committee at once retired for consultation