The Portland daily press., 1885-12-24
SONS OF NEW ENGLAND.
Hon. T. 3. Reeds Speech at the
Dinner of the New York Society.


Dinner Of the New York Society.
AS was briefly reported in our telegraphic
columns. Hon. T. B. Reed of this city was
present at the eightieth annual dinner of the
New England Society of the city OF New
York, on Forefathers' Day. During the de-
livery of the toasts, the president, Gen. 5. L.
Woodford, said, "Permit me to give you, as
the next regular toast, "The Congress Of the
United States, and to present, in response,
Thomas b. Reed of Name" [Applause.I
Mr.. Reed responded as follows:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen:
thank you for your cordial greeting; but am
BILE me successfully to face this brilliant and ia
nous audience. You must all OF you realize now
difficult It is for me now, after that superb trl9ate
bring back your thoughts to earthly things. The
Congress OF the United States Is lofty body,
whose usefulness would gladly celebrate; but II
seems to me little in comparison with the memory
of the glorious dead. confess TO you that l teei
that have not been quite talrly tieatea Dy J4aee
know that ought not to be here and after the
eloquent speech which has Just been made by
fore He was kind enough (Judge Russell was)
to give me choice OF subjects. He sald that
could address you upon the New England states
or upon the Congress OF the United states.
found myself, upon the receipt OF his letter, IN the
historical position which is described in many IAN
glages-that of the old gentleman between TWO
bundles of hay. But / very speedily dismissed
the New England States. l knew that could
speak tenderly Of Rhode Island and appreelatiye.
~ of Connecticut that might possibly DO 0ik
Of picturesque landscape scenery, Win anuslohS
to liberty with regard to Vermont and New
Hampshire; that / could diSpOrt my free limbs
upon the prairies of the State of Maine; that
could say few words OF eulogy OF ner superb
cmate9f egnt VnLs cSo oi weather Indeed
everybody visits Name, excepting those VINO are
trying to practice beforehand 10 aeeoIaEooate lt LATE
themselves to q Puritan hereafter | might, per
haps, have made very fair efI0fs ~ description
of the outlying portions OF Massachusetts, Wnlcn
I love and admire but knew that 1t was imfos-
sbe for me TO do justice to the modest and peren-
NAL glories of Boston. Only Boston man can
rise 70 those heights Of story ana OF song a Post
Boston. Applause.] He cannot be MADE OUT Oh
PnI And So Tou see me herewith the Congress of
the United States upon my hands. Like the people
of the United States don't exactly know what TO
do with it. | know good deal about ID but most
OF the things know are strictly confidential lAP-
plausei Now let me start with little bit OF de-
scrption-for really you do not know anything
aboutit. Congress is composed OF two houses:
a large one and little one belong TO the large
one. Now you would never know what that large
one is until you get there yourself And LEI me
tell YOU that it is pretty hard work to get there;
and it is a good deal harder work TO stay.
[Laughterl Ateast that has been my expert
ence.
Aud when you get there, during your first six
months you will fell like fly in bowl OF mOlas-
there and sit in the gallery, the hrst impression
that will strike you Is that you do not know what
is going on; and that impression viii deepen with
you the longer you stay. lApplause.l In the
first place. they transact business in the most nD-
surd place that ever men transacted business IN
since our ancestors transacted business on morse
back in ten acre lot There you must roar ike
a bull of Bashan, or you cannot be heard; and
that becomes monotonous. And every now and
then. of a sudden, YOU will see those men lashed
into state of fury over political conflict. III
you are there you had better not let your loot slip
charge, or Slip your stirrup at Balaklava- Ii your
enemies do not trample you down your friends
will That is all have got TO say about the House.
The Senate approach with less difficulty, be-
cause do not know anything about 1t.
must be understood as speaking respeetiully
of the Senate. The Senate is the Paris OF Ameri-
can politics. 1t is the place where all good Amer
lean statesmen expect to go after-before they
first expression that tumbled to my tongue, be-
cause like and admire Senator Hawley too
much and am too much afraid OF Senator Eyarts
and the rest of themtO tell such an awfm story
as that is. Now the Senate OF the United States
has only seventy-sx members, or thereabouts-l
can not be accurate on fgures-and the result Is
that it only takes them one quarter OF the time 70
dc the business that it takes 1926 men to do So so
they have plenty Of leisure, and after ter DONG tne
opportunity to become school OF oratory and
depository of the wisdom of this world. Laugh
teri So great is the reverence which Is enter
tanned there for the utterances OF a Senator that
when any one of Them by piling up books around
him or by clearing ms throat exnlDlss symptoms
motion, the business of the country stops, and he
goes on until muscular paralysis sets in. (Laugh-
ter.) And Senator Hawley reminds me that there
is another provision made in favor Of life-that
whenever that scene starts in every other Senator
has permission to leave the chamber. [Laughter.]
remember going in there once and seeinga distin-
guished mani knew he was distinguished man
because he was Senator; don't know his name
standing and deliberately turning his BACK upon
the only two other men that could, by any POSSIBLE
ity, be his audience, and make corner vocal with
his wisdom. came back there an hour afterwards
fharp he W in the attitude. inviting his
own solitary soul. LLaughterl Now yea can per-
ceive from my description how very sour the Sena-
toral grapes are for me. [Laughterl Now sup
pose that ought to do as is the custom of orators
who care for their reputation as Such-I suppose
that ought 70 make m VERY serious sur n that
cave, in that region where you see so much noise
and confusion, in that Senate the people OF the
United States are governed" but my friends.
should sacrifice truth to rhetoric If | should.
[Laughter] Those are all able men that you see
before you in the Senate. They represent great
States and are the picked men Of great States. In
the House, with a few exceptions lin which for
freedom of discourse l will include myself they
are men who have run the gauntlet of at least
10000 voters They may not be the best men of
their region, but they are somebody. Now, so far
care very little about, those men can do things;
but II you take any matter that concerns this
whole country, the governing of the country Is
not done there. The recording of the votes and
wishes of the sovereign people Is done there: Now
where is the lesson? You are all practical men.
You are interested i'll the government of she coun-
try. If you desire great measures to be passed,
in which you believe, what is your duty? Make
the people of the United States believe as you do
Judgment of the people of the United States lAs1R
plausel Don't send us pamphlets on MS silver; We
to look at it. Educate the people OF the United
States on that subject | might as well take
have no doubt am addressing an audience,
large portion of which will agree with me, that
silver coinage ought to be stopped Cgreat ap-
pIause1; but if any one differs he shall find no
fault with me, for | am using it only as an illus
tration. Now there Is only one power that can
control that subject, and tnat power IS the people
of the United States. That bill was passed not at
the dictates of demagogues but because the peo-
pie of the United States thought so-righf or
wrong they thought so. Make them think other
wise If you want other results. [Applause.l Now
let me tell you why. Congress IS representative
body. Your President has alluded in terms of
praise-from which / detract no word-tO the
President of the United States in regard to the
silver question. But must say that witnessed,
although it was against my views, with some
slight admiration the attitude Of the House OF
Representatives upon that suDJect. II dla not
hind them had not received that light Let me
tell you this thing, in homely language, perhaps
little uniting these splendid surroundings. Every
sensible man, like every sensible army, has an
eye to its baggage; not you and |, because we are
the martyrs, who are the seed of the Church.
Now, every man, every representative man, mas
more baggage lying around his district than he
has in all the Administrations between now and
same thing with regard to the Bankruptcy act. II
your business men want il, make the people of the
UnlIeu states see as you ana III any ulSdSttI
comes from the non-adoption of your views ON the
silver question, or ON the bankruptcy queS-
tion, whenever that disaster becomes imminent,
especially on the silver question, it will become
visible like an eclipse over whole continent and
the people of the United States will rouse them
selves ard the edict win be recorded by the Con
gress of the United States
Now let me close with single word OF general
remark. If you want New England actions in
this country, spread New England IDEAS. Ap-
plause.]
THE STATE.