Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-08
THE PRESS BANQUET.
Speech of Hon. Grove L. johnson on
that Occasion.

Grove L. Johnson, the publication of which
was postponed from theunusually crowded
condition of our columns by the report OF
the festival The speech was made in re-
spouse to the toast, The Sacramento
Board of Trade, and was rs follows:
Mr. President and Gentlemen: Before |
say anything in reference to the Board OF
Trade, a subject with which / am some
what familiar and of which | can speak as
citizen and q friend, permit me, on be-
half of the Board of Trade, to return TO
I YOU gentlemen representing the press OF
this State, and particularly the press OF
northern and central California, the thanks,
not merely of the Board of Trade, which
represents the business interests, the
! wealth, the energy, and, l might say
almost, the intellectual activity OF Sacra-
mento Clty-permit me, on behalf of the
people of this city, and of every one in it,
and on behalf Of the city of Sacramento
itself, represented here tonight by its
Mayor and the Board of Trade, to tender
to you all our thanks for coming TO the
City of the Plains TO unite with us, not in
doing honor 10 Il warrior, not III paying
tribute to one who has gained his laurels
by the destruction of human life, or by the
acquisition of national honor or the ag-
grandizement of national domain-but to
express our appreciation of a woman who
has earned the recognition of all good men,
| of all people interested in the city. by her
| words and her deeds OF charity to one and
| ALL The Board of Trade of this city takes
pride to itself--and the people of this city
take pride to themselves in the Board OF
Trade-in being able to have welcomed
| to-day fifteen on twenty thousand people
f,,r ~,
| second to none in the world. the idea OF
which originated in the Board of Trade,
| the successful accomplishment of which,
| through State aid, was through the Board
| of Trade, and the obtaining of the almost
unanimous vote from the city OF Sacramento
| to pay one-half of the expense of building,
| which Is due to the interests and energies
of the Board of Trade. And we feel that
you have been doubly our guests TO-DAY,
| doubly the guests of the Board of Trade in
| that noble Pavilion, which is an ornament
| TO the State; and YOU have witnessed to-day
| in that Pavilion, in which the Board of
| Trade claims a half interest-for if the
| State may be called its father, the Board of
| Trade certainly has d right TO claim to be
its mother, in that production of the union
OF the State of California and the city of
| Sacramento-you have witnessed what my
! friend Judge Curtis has called your atten-
| ton to- the procession of the lads and
! lassieS, the future men and women of this
| city; you have witnessed flower festival
| second to none that could be witnessed in
! the world. We take pride in il. We glory
| in 1t. We feel proud Of the occasion as
| representatives of Sacramento; as repre-
| sentatiyeS of the Board of Trade, because
| to the untiring efforts of majority of the
members of the Board of Trade is due the
successful result OF the festival held i'll the
Pavilion to-day.
In welcoming you To that, in bidding
| you here to witness it, we tell you not in
boastful spirit of what has been accom-
| piiShed i'll the past and what is to be done
| by this Board of Trade; and have, there
fore, right, 10 invite you to a newer and
Il better and grander festival. | have a
right and | do invite you to participate
with us i'll the future, not only in the noble
work of building up the State of California.
not merely in the noble work of doing
honor to the good and true in man and
woman alike, but to engage with us YOU
representatives of the country press. you
| representatives, of northern and of central
California, to unite with the Board of
Trade of this city in building up the coun-
try in peOpling the ravincs in filling up
the valleys and covering the hillsides and
the mountain tops of northern and central
California with happy homes and a con-
tented people, who may all unite in say
ing, . We are proud 10 be Californians "
] have that confidence in the public spirit
OF this State | have that confidence in the
Board of Trade, and of the City of Sacra-
mento ! have that faith in the merchants
of this city. who have been swept ont of
house and home, and out of stock and
storehouse 50 many times by flood. devas-
tated so many times by fire, yet have with
stood trouble inside and trouble outside
and have to-day made their names re-
spected for courage and fair dealing through
out the State-I have that faith in their en-
terprise, in their ability, in their generosity
and III their labor. to feel certain that in a
year from now we can welcome YOU all in
Sacramento to a building devoted perma-
nently to the exhibition Of the products of
Northern and Central California.
We have heard for the last twenty years
i'll California of the glorious climate of the
sOuth-thc portions of thi. State called
Southern California authors have des-
canted, editors have written. publishers
have printed and poets have sung over and
over again of the glories and beauties of
southern California. Ii is the land of the
olive and the land of the vine; the land of
the orange and the land of the lemon 1t
has been lauded to the skies. But not anv
too much, gentlemen. unite in and cordi-
ally indOrse every word that has been said
in praise Oft, bat under Gods bright prov
idence and by the efforts of the strong right
arm OF every man in Central and Northern
California, to-day this portion OF the State
throws down the gauntlet to the southern
part of California, and will match it fruit
for fruit, vine for vine, product for product
n hot II
ourselves here to-day; and know | speak
the sentiments of these merchants of our
city, and of this Board of Trade | know
voice the feelings of the people of this Dor
ton Of the State when | say that we will
have building here within year which
shall be devoted TO giving information, not
merely to the brains but to the eyes of the
immigrant coming to find a home in this
glorious State.
There we will show him the golden sheaf
of wheat; the yellow hills of corn; the
cherry-cheelled peach; the ripe and lus-
cious cherries, and the apples and the
vines, and all the fruits, and all the vegeta-
bles, and ell the grain that God grants to
grow upon His footstool, clustering in the
ravines and the valleys. upon the mountain
tops and around the hillsides of central and
northern California; and we will challenge
the world to find a parallel to our exhibit
ton.
And | ask you all to pardon me for
speaking as | do; but have that love for
Sacramento, that pride in California. that
makes me always willing to say something,
and to say it perhaps in the nature Of beg
ging Tor aid but not for our city. Thank
God, she needs none. She has built herself
up and has protected herself, by her own
energies, by paying out of her own pocket