National Republican., 1883-01-19
TRADERS AT TABLE.
Mighty Merchants and Great Statesmen 0link
Glasses and Make Merry.
A Banquet by the Members OF the National
Board OF Trade.

The national board of trade gave dinner
last night at Willard's to members of congress
and other distinguished citizens The ban
quot was spread in the ladies' dining room,
and it proved to be an elegant affair. There
were between sixty and seventy guests includ-
ing the delegates to the national body. Among
the invited guests were Senators Hoar, Nor
rill, Miller, of New York, and Sawyer Re.
prcscntatives Randall Anderson, Horr, Kelly,
Page, Jones, of New jersey, and Aldrich, of
Chicago; ex-Gov. W. L. Smith, of Wisconsin /;
ox-Gov. Rice, of Massachusetts, ex-senator
Edward ID. lIolten, Of Wisconsin David A.
Wells
Among the members of the board who have
national regulations in their liucs of busi-
ness aro Francis B. ThurbcT, of New York,
head of the largest wholesale grocery house in
the world w. II. Lincoln, wealthy and
progressive shipowner Of Boston; John Price
Wetherill, of Philadelphia, director of the
Pennsylvania railway, and man of large
wealth and influence; ID. &. McRuer, of san
Francisco, president of the chamber of COM
merce and ex-member of congress; X. w. Dun
ham, ex-president of the Chicago board of
trade and mcmber-eloct of the forty eighth
congress; John A. Cans and $. +. COvington,
well-known citizens of Cincinnati; George
a. Miner aud Rufus s. Frost, large manu-
faCturers of Boston, Hamilton \. Hill, of the
same Hub; Simon Sterns, one of the very few
lawyers on the New York board of trade and
transportation, II brilliant lawyer and politi-
cal writer Capt. Ambrose Snow, one of the
largest shipownors of New York; w. s.
Young and S. p. Thompson, of Baltimore W.
j. Pope and Murry Nelson, Of Chicago John
| j.. Henry, the New York anti-mOnopolist
and many others
Hon. Frederick Fraley, president of the ma
tional board of trade, wonderful old man,
presided; at his right and left were seated
senators and governors of states. The com
pany sat down to dinner about 1880 aud
shortly before 10 o'clock the talking began
The chairman started the flow of words in n
neat little speech, in which he spoke of the
objects and purposes of the national board.
lie called on Judge Kelley, who responded in
u ten minutes talk. The judge dropped n
| few casual remarks on tho subject of the tariff
tending to show that tho country had devel-
oped and grown rich under the benehcent
| protection of a tariff on foreign wares and
| foreign products.
Mr.. Horr, of Michigan, waxed funny, and
closed by declaring himself in favor of giving
subsidies for the building up of an American
merchant marine.
| Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania, wanted to
see u revival of the American shipping, but
he wanted more light on the subject before he
could see his way clear to bestowal of sub
sides to aid in the accomplishment of that
end
Mr.. Holten, of Wisconsin, was proud to be
| in the midst of such distinguished people, and
| Pretended to feel greatly embarrassed, For n
difldent man, he succeeded in discoursng
with great volubility for free-trade and free
ships.
Senator Miller, of New York, addressed
himself eloquently to the pleasing duty of tell
ing what great country this is; how badly
the people wan interstate commerce regula-
ton; what great benefit to commerce the
| Erie canal had been, and was to this day and
| how easy il was for the people to get what
legislation they wanted by asking for it, and
| turning congress inside out If they didn't
get it,
Mr.. Anderson, Of Kansas, wanted interstate
commerce legislation, postal telegraph, and
laws for tho repression Of monopolistic
growth.
Mr.. Murry Nelson, of Chicago; Mr.. McRuer,
of San Francisco; Mr.. Young, of Baltimore,
and eX-Gov. Rice, of Massachusetts,, spoke
briefly. Each and every one of the gentle-
men had deep-seated conviction that there
was an urgent need of the encouragement of
the shipping interest and the fostering of
other interests,
Mr.. Thurber gave the company plain
talk. He spoke in behalf of the average
rights of the average citizen, warned those
around him that the people We're determined
to have laws to protect themselves against
tho oppression of corporations and mOnopo-
lies; that if the democratic party would not
give them what they want they would turn
the democrats out, as they had served the re-
publican party last fall, and put in new men
Of new party, who would do their duty.
lie addressed an italic paragraph to the New
York Tribune, styling it subsidized
class newspaper, and ridiouling it for pre-
suming to speak for the public on important
questions. Ho denounced congress for failing
for so long in the performance of n duty to-
ward the people in the enactment of just and
equitable laws for the proper regulation of
interstate commerce, and said boldly and
fearlessly that the committees of congress had
been packed for years to prevent such legis-
lation. Mr.. Thurber's remarks were exceed
| ingly pointed and commanded attention.
The company broke up at midnight