FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTIONS! 61 



in Harrisburg, I would like to say I was born here and I 

 have enjoyed living here. I am as happy as a man can be 

 because when I go down in town and I meet my friends I 

 can say *'hello Bill." I want to tell you what our old friend 

 Marion Whitley said to the Chamber of Commerce of St. 

 Louis when they came down to Harrisburg on one of their 

 good fellowship trips. They came down and had their 

 speakers and we thought we would have Marion Whitley 

 reply to them. He said if you gentlemen are looking for 

 a good town and you want to get out of St. Louis where 

 you can make a good living easily come to Harrisburg. I 

 want to say something you see some uncomplimentary re- 

 marks about Southern Hlinois in which the good citizens 

 of this part of the State have no part. If a lot of fellows 

 want to get out to have a gang warfare and kill each other 

 off I am willing to let them fight it out. If you asked me 

 what faction I belonged to in Harrisburg, I would say I do 

 not know I did not know there were any factions. I thank 

 you folks for your help. Three weeks ago Mr. O'Hair said 

 to me do you know that the first evening of the convention 

 has to be turned over to the entertainment committee, and 

 I said I did not know that and I went to the churches to 

 my friends and I asked my wife and we got the folks to 

 put on the entertainment we had last night and I hope you 

 enjoyed it just as much as our folks enjoyed putting it on. 

 I want to clear up things in my household as I have been 

 asked who was that big black greasy woman. I want you 

 to see her with the war paint off — get up here, Mrs. Taylor, 

 so they can see you. (Laughter.) We are both mighty happy 

 to have you come to my town. I love this community bet- 

 ter than any place I have ever lived — and truth to tell it is 

 the only place I have ever lived, and I have been here 

 from the time they had two teachers in the school until 

 now they have over thirty teachers. I have enjoyed all 

 these changes and I hope you have enjoyed coming to us 

 and that you have enjoyed the hospitality of our folks. I 

 hope when you leave you will not say that when Charley 

 Taylor came to Galesburg he promised to do certain things 

 but they have not been carried out. We have an interest 



