Ohio History Journal

424       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

pass through the Governor's office for he holds the veto power,

and we are equally indebted, therefore, to good Governor Jud-

son Harmon, who has long been a member of our Society and

taken a deep and active interest in its proceedings. We had a

very delightful and successful voyage through the Governor's

office. Governor Harmon is not able to be present in person, but

we are greatly favored in having with us his good Secretary,

Honorable George W. Long, who will speak for the Executive

Office.

ADDRESS OF HON. GEORGE W. LONG.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Governor's modest

part in signing the bill which makes provision for this magnifi-

cent building, I am sure will bring full satisfaction and compen-

sation to him for what he has missed in the inspiration of the pres-

ent hour, when the milestone marks the beginning of the above

ground growth of this building.

His interest in the project, his interest as a citizen of the

state, must be his satisfaction and answer for him that which he

loses by his enforced absence.

I count myself fortunate in being able to enter with you, and

those of the officers of this Society, for whose long and patient

work we owe what will soon be a permanent home for this

splendid association and its work as well as the legislature to

whose good sense and judgment and generosity we owe the pro-

vision which now gives us a home for the Archaeological and

Historical Society and enables it to carry its work forward with

that which it absolutely and essentially needed and without which

it could not well go forward. There is no one thing which en-

ters more into civic life-into our civic life as a state, or a nation,

so much as general information-the spread of knowledge, or

knowing what was accomplished in the past; what were the

deeds, what were the accomplishments and what were the forces?

By all those things we learn that knowledge is essential to con-

tinue successful progress. Therefore, this building, the work of

this Society, is a direct element of the strength of our state and

indirectly of our nation. Therefore, it is well to acknowledge

• 1
 

Laying Corner Stone of the Society's Building.  425

 

that no effort, no money which the state could spend, can be

more worthily spent than that which the legislature has appro-

priated for the purpose of this Society in this building.

An eminent French writer has said that time is blind but

men are stupid. What suggested that idea was the fact that

time is the ruthless destroyer and defacer of the marks which

mankind leave upon the face of the earth, and that when left

alone much that is of importance and of value becomes in the

course of time destroyed and lost so that they should only lose

that which was accomplished by those before them, and men are

stupid in that they often blindly, even through sheer stupidity

and carelessness, even through purposes which appeal only to

self, destroy that which would be a source of information, of

joy, of importance to succeeding generations. I am glad to say

now that in this latter day, since the day when this eminent

Frenchman wrote those words, we have awakened to the fact

that we must not let the facts be effaced, we must not let its mon-

uments be destroyed, we must not let the story of the people and

their work be lost, not because it would be a matter of informa-

tion, but for the teaching, for the benefit of the knowledge that

may flow to us and to succeeding generations. This tells me how

important has been the work of these gentlemen who have so

steadfastly held to their purpose through all these years, and on

behalf of the Executive Department I doff the Executive hat to

these gentlemen who have labored and made possible that which

shall be such an important element to the people of the State, to

the youth and generation that shall come in the future.

MR. RANDALL: The Archaeological and Historical Society

is deeply indebted to the firm, constant and generous friendship

of the Ohio State University, and the fact that we are located

upon this campus at the entrance to this splendid institution is

evidence of the friendship and purpose and desire of the insti-

tution to father and further our interests and now Dr. W. O.

Thompson, one of the Trustees of our Society and President of

the University will address you.

• 2