Daily Kennebec journal., 1883-12-24
ANNUAL DINNERS


new York. Dec. %.
Two hundred and fifty members of the
New England Society of New YORK sat down
to the annual dinner this evening at Delmon-
ico's. Narville s. Cooper, president OF the
society, occupied the chair. At his right
sat VIM. Evarts and on his left Gen. Grant
Among others at the table we're Geo. VIM.
Curtis. Mayors Low of Brooklyn and Edison
of New York. Rev. Henry Ward Beechsr.
Chauncy NJ. Depew, Commodore Upher OF
the United States navy, and representatives
| of the Sister Society. Among others we're
Judge Russell, Chief Justice Noah Davis,
ex-Judge Arnoux, Judges Faucher and hswes
and Russell Sage.
After a brief address of welcome by Presi-
dent Cooper, Lord Calls made an address for
ex- President Grant, who finally rose and
| said good hamordly that he had only accepted
the invitation on condition that he would NOT
| be called upon to make speech. and ex-
cused himself in his usual graceful manner.
The first regular toast was "Forefaihers'
Day." which was responded to by Evarts In
the course of his remarks the speaker advo-
Gated the suppression of the Norman religion
by strong arm of the law; as an institution
| which had for its object the enslavement OF
women and the subsection of suffrage to an
ecclestical monarchy, which. in country
of liberty and freedom like America. no man
could afford to look upon with Indifference,
but must Weld to the power of the govern
ment He closed with some remarks on tenn
perance, and pointed out the influence in New
England of the doctrines and teachings of
the forefathers.
Geo. VIM. Curtis responded to the toast
.New England Principles and Pluck, and
pointed out the results of these two forces,
which, working in combination since the
founding of the nation, had produced in shap-
ing the condition of the government.
Gen Horace Porter responded to the toast
'.Woman." He said that according to the
popular ideas this should have been respond
ed to by bachelor; but at the present day
of female proprietorship and female emanci-
patton, it was only married man who would
have the courage to speak in public on the
subject. 1t was not strange that the first
meeting of man and woman in the Garden of
Eden suggested to Milton the idea of para
disc LOST" for mans first sleep in that case
became his last repose. According 10 the
theory of the Jews, woman was created from
the crookedest part of man, which explained
Perhaps some of her idiOsynerasies; but
the Brahumis had a different theory; they
said that man as originated was like monkey,
and had sort of Darwinian tail. 1t was
here at his caudal appendage they said woman
was created. This theory was worthy of con-
sideration, since it explains the long question
of the origin of the caudal lectures, and also
furnishes solution of the question as to why
man when he went anywhere was in the
habit of leaving his wife behind. At the
present day women are more cultured than
in the days of our first parents, but although
woman, if she were given ten minutes she
might calculate the most obtuse astronomical
problem, it would take her half an hour to
find the pocket in her dress. To the allusion
made to the sad load of Utah. where one
death might make dozen widows, New Eng
land also, he said, frequently married more
wives than one, but he took that in their legal
order. In other words the New Englander
drove them tandem, while the Norman drove
them abreast. "Woman," he said, latter all
is conundrum of the 10Th century; but if
we can't guess her, we will give her up
In responding to the toast New England
Clergy" Rev. Henry Ward Beecher gave
some incidents of his early days, when he
listened to the discussion of his father and
other clergymen of the Othordox school upon
various doctrinal points, and assured his
hearers that the statement that q minister 8
SON is the Devils grandson was not true in
his case, for his ancestors have been clergy
men for generations.
The other toasts responded to were "New
England Townships" by Mayor Low, New
Amsterdam" by Mayor Edison, and "Bene-
dicte," by Chauncey M. Depew.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. %.
The annual dinner of the New England
| Society of Pennsylvania was held this even
ing at the Continental Hotel, President
Arthur, VIM. E. Chandler. secretary of the
| navy, Hon. Thos Reed of Maine, Hon. Jos.
X. Hawley of Connecticut and Rev. d..
| Leonard Woolscy Bacon being among the
guests who sat about the festive board.
| In response to the toast The President OF
the United States,' President Arthur said
81 confess, Mr.. Chairman, that my enjoy
ment of this dinner has been somewhat
marred by the knowledge that should be at
this moment dining with my own chapter OF
this New England society and that it has
boen an act of abandoning my brethren of
the New York branch of the society which
has brought me within reach of your gener-
Gus hospitality, but what difference can j;
make whether dine in Philadelphia or in
New York. The President cannot be in both
cities at once. Indeed, l have Heard it said
it is only a relic that can be in more than one
place at the same time. Certainly no Presi.
dent should be classed as a relic until he has
given the place to his successor. Last even
ing dined with the New England Society of
BROOKLYN and the hearty welcome which they
extended to me so completely bereft me OF
thanks and expressions of pleasures that thi.
fresh draft upon my powers binds me utterly
bankrupt. ! thank you very much for the
welcome you have given me and can only
say that wish long life to your society and
its promoters. Applause.].
In response to the toast of the sArmy and
Navy" Hon. VIM. f. Chandler paid trib.
utes to Generals Grant, Sherman and Sheri.
dan and expressed the hope that "a grateful
Congress and willing President would re-
store the former soldier to the rolls of the
! army. In reference to the navy he spoke
strongly in favor Of what he termed a CON-
plete restoration with doing away with all
old wooden ships and smooth bore guns and
substitute of steel ships and high power can
non of which we have not one single speci-
men to show. In the course of his remarks
he spoke in praise of the steamers of the
American Steamship Co. as being the only
line of foreign going steamers flying the
American flag, whereupon Mr. N. Parker
Shortridge, director of American Steam.
ship Co.. arose and said that the company
was negotiating for the sale of the ships as