St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-31
The Merchants Association of the Hub
Gives a Dinner to Several Dis
tinguished Gentlemen,
Among Them Senators Edmunds and Evarts
and Congressman Tucker, Long
and Collins.
Gov. Robinson Speaks on silver and
Senator Ednunds Tackles the
Bankrupt Law.
senator Evarts Asserts That the Ma
tion,s Lawmakers Must be Cau-
tious on Coinage Matters.
Great Men Eat Together.

5ional symposium was neld IO-ngnt at the
Hotel Vendome, when the Boston Mer-
chants association entertained at an elabo-
rate dinner Senators Allison, Evarts,
Edmunds, Frye and Dawes, and Repre-
sentatives Tucker Of Virginia, Find
ley of Maryland, ButterwOrth Of Ohio,
and Collins, Long and others or this
state. The visiting statesmen were
taken in charge by a committee of the club
in Washington Yesterday and a special con-
veys them both ways. Senator Beck,
Speaker Carlisle Congressman Randall,
Reagan, McKinlay and others were in
vited, but for various reasons did not come.
Plates were laid for 304 persons, and the
company included the representatives of
mercantile and professional Boston
II distinguished degree. The
gentlemen were invited to come prepared to
speak OH either the silver question, the
tariff or the bankruptcy law, and the papers
tomorrow will contain half dozen col
umns of wisdom on these topics. The ban
quet was in every way a success.
MORE IN DETAIL.
Boston, Dec. 30.-The banquet given by
the Boston Merchants association, at which
several distinguished senators and repre-
sentatives of the United States were the
honored guests, was notable event in the
club history of Boston. 1t was held in the
spacious banquet hall of the Hotel Ven
dome, which was beautifully decorated
with bunting and flowers. Plates were
laid for over 800, and all places were filled.
At the head of the table sat President Wood
of the Merchants association, who acted as
chairman. At his right were, in the order
named: Gov. Robinson, Senator Edmunds
Senator Allison, Senator Dawes,
ex-Gov Rice of Massachusetts,,
and Congressman j. r. Tucker Of
Virginia. On his left were Mayor
O'Brien of Boston, Senators Evarts, HOar
and Frye, Johnathan Chace, Congressman
Ben Butterworth of Ohio, Hon. Oliver
Ames and Hon. John D. Long. The other
two tables were filed with Boston's repre-
sentative business men, with a copious
sprinkling of professional gentlemen and
Others well known in national and state
politics and journalism, among whom were
Hon. Henry CADET Lodge, Oakes Ames,
Hon. P. A. Collins, Hon. Leopold Morse,
Il. NJ. Pulsifer, Col. G. II. Taylor and r.
w. Emerspn. The dinner itself occupied
some four hours in discussion and the post
prandial exercises four hours more
The invitations issued to the guests, who
were expected to speak, nomInally confined
them to the leading national issues of the
day." but as the night wore on there was
more or less struggling from the main
points. A vein of humor ran through all
of the speeches, and it was evident that
most of the distinguished orators did not
consider the occasion one upon which to
put forward decisive measures.
THE POST-PRANDIAL EXERCISES
were opened by the president, W. B.
Wood. who made brief address,, and in
trOduced Gov. Robinson, who was greeted
with three cheers and tiger, as. indeed,
were all the succeeding speeches. The
governor welcomed the guests of the evening,
referring to the existing difference in value
between the gold and the silver dollars, and
said that upon one thing the merchants of
national bankrupt law. Senator Ed
munds was the next speaker on the subject
of bankruptcy bill. He said:
! rather suppose that among the gentlemen
present there is not one who does not believe
such law essential to the business welfare
of the nation. The fundamental idea of the
bankrupt law is = fair division of the assets.
''The citizen of one state,' he said. was a
citizen of them ALL and added: ''Out
of it comes the necessity of UNI
formity. Everywhere in the republic
there should be the same relations,
the creditor and the debtor. There is one
thing rather wider and more worth thinking
of. When We look At the iealousieS and dis
cords that seem to be threatening society in
all parts OF the globe we may rest assured
that it grows out of a fundamental sentiment
OF intrinsic discomfort. There is no genuine
diScordance in any considerable part of the
body OF society that does not have some small
origin of justice and truth to stand upon''
and the speaker urged the capitalists among
his hearers to closely investigate these
SIGNS OF DISSATISFACTION,
with the end that the causes therefor may be
removed, and that the relations between en-
ployer and employed be strengthened upon a
basis of justice and right. He also urged
honesty among manufacturers and square
dealing in all trades, and said if it be a crime
Tor man to get possession of another mans
money or goods by any kind of concealment
or misrepresentation, is it another thing for
man TO sell his neghbor. as some of our
British friends very often do, q piece of cot
ton cloth that IS represented to have so many
ounces in yard, but about half of which is
made of chalk or glue. Now, if we could
provide bankruptcy system that should en-
ter into the morals of trade for cash and
should be inspired with the principle that what
Is good between the borrower aud the lender,
is good between the buyer and the seller, the
thing that you sell having TO be tn thing
that you say yourself and the thing YOU buy
having to be always the thing that you ex-
pect TO buy, then it would be q good thing
for the country. 1t might be a good thing.
but then it would not quite do for the sort of
people here among US to mix up the question
of bankruptcy with the mere relations of
buyer and borrower and lender. The prin-
ciple Is one that enters into every business
relation, and that principle is square dealing
end when you have got tn at principle carried
into effect you will have made q great ad-
vance Ill the progress and order of society
n -,l,N,
usual when L get up to say anything go into
bankruptcy at once. Laughter and ap-
plauSe, after which the speaker took his
seat.
MAYOR o'BRIEN
welcomed the banqueters on behalf of the
eity, and said that if a vote were taken TO-
day in this city, Boston would unanimously
favor the repeal of the silver coinage law.
and would be just as unanimous in favor OF
national bankruptcy law. On the tariff
there was great diversity of opinion. His
OWN opinion was that carefully digested
tariff law should be passed to remain I'M
changed for twenty-five years.
Senator EyartS was the next speaker. He
spoke in humorous strain for time.
referring to the statement that $50, 600. 600
were represented at the banquet, and say
ing that since this great aggregation of capt.
tai was divided on the tariff question, it
was rather unreasonable to expect congress
to be agreed on it, and then added:
a great mass of our population agree with
you. You viii ind that upon this question
of silver and gold great masses of men, great
neighborhoods, great interests, take an oppo-
site view on this question of silver. 1t has
been suggested that this question is mainly
or largely concerned with and influenced by
what may be called protection or patronage
of the production of our silver. Well,
gentlemen, no doubt those inter
ested in silver mines feel a
pressing and immediate pressure of that kind.