Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-31
CONGRESSIONAL VISITORS.
The Genilcmen Who Dine at the Boston
Merchants' Banquet-Eloqnent Ad.
dresses by the Distinguished Guests.


BosToN. Dec. 80.
The congressional party TO attend the Mer-
chants's Association dinner, Wednesday af-
ternoon. arrived on special train over the
New York New England railroad about 8
O'Clock "Wednesday morning. The members
OF the party are Senators Edmunds, Allison
and Frye, Representatives Tucker of Virginia.
Buiterworth of Ohio, and Collins of Boston.
They were received at the station bv COM
mittee of the Association and driven to Hotel
Vendome, where the party breakfasted. Af-
ter breakfast the distinguished guests entered
the carriage and proceeded to the State
House, where at III o'clock they were received
IN the executive chamber by Gov Robinson.
Senator Dawes, ex-Congressman Morse, Con-
gressmen Hayden and Ely Secretary of State
Pierce, Treasurer Gleason and Auditor Ladd
After inspecting the State House, the party
with the exception of Messrs. Tucker and
ButterwOrth, took its leave. They were driven
about the city in the afternoon.
The banquet given by the Boston Mer-
chants Association, at which several distin
guished senators and representatives of the
United. States were honored guests. was a
notable event in the club history of Boston.
1t was held in the spacious banquet hall of
Hotel Vendome, which was beautifully decor
laid for over 300, and all the places were
filled. AT the head of the tables sat Pres-
dent WOOD of the Merchants Association,
who acted as chairman. At his right were. in
the order named, Gov. Robinson, Senators
Edmunds, Allison and Dawes, ex Gov. Rice
OF Mass, and Congressman j. Randolph
Tucker of Va. On his left, Mayor O'Brien
Of Boston. Senators Evarts, Hoar and FRYE,
Jonathan Chase, Congressman Benz. Butter
worth of Ohio, and Hon. John J. Long The
other tables were filed with Boston's repre-
sentative business men, with cOpious sprink-
ling of professional gentlemen and others
well known in national and state politics and
journalism.
The dinner, which was masterpiece of the
culinary art. occupied some four hours in
discussion, and the post prandial exercises
occupied four hours more. The invitations
issued to the guests who were expected to
speak, nominally confined them to ''leadlng
national issues of the day." but as the night
wore on there was more or less struggling
from the main points, until near the end some
of the speakers ignored one or more of the
''vitaf' issues and confined themselves to
what is evidently their strongest point. Those
who expected from the most distinguishes
gentlemen present, Straightforward express
sions of the remedies to be applied to the ex-
listing disorder of things, were somewhat dis
appointed The discussion partook some
what of the nature of a congressional debate
each man presenting his own opinions forci-
bly, enough. but without a common agreement
Oh the measures for the amelioration of the
evils inveighed against. A vein of humor
ran through all of the speeches. and it was
evident that most of the distinguished orarors
did not consider the occasion as one upon
which decisive measures could be agreed on
The post prandial exercises were opened by
President W. b Wood. who made a brief
address eulogstic of the integrity and charity
of the Boston business men. He then intro
duced Gov. Robinson, who was greeted with
three cheers and tiger, las indeed were all the
succeeding speakers. He accepted the en-
thusiastic greeting as rendered the Common
wealth and not to himself. and extended
cordial greeting to the distinguished visitors
present who. though they may not have been
favored by birth within the borders of Massa-
chusetts, yet they cannot have lived in the
United States of America and not have known
of Massachusetts and of Boston and her
merhants. There are times even in Boston
when governor counts for something, but
not on this occasion, and it would be gratify-
ing to hear from these gentlemen. For me
it might be said ''silence is golden and speech
is silver" as the discussion Is to turn some.
what on questions of currency, and as we
still have the old fashioned idear that gold
dollar for 100 cents is better than silver worth
only S5 cents. We shall of course follow out
the description and set great deal more by
silence than by speech from the governor.
There is one subject on which Boston mer-
chants have agreed, and that is the prompt
passage of the national bankrupt law. Now
that flags float over every part of our terri
tory. now that in every part loyalty to the
union is recognized, never before has this
great nation, disregarding little the limits of
boundaries of our states for this purpose,
shall have the benefit of a broad enactment
that shall touch great and almost unlimited
extent of trade.
He began by facetious reference to New
England weather Unexpectedly propitious on
this occasion. We are expected to say some
thing, he said, on the questions which are
agitating the minds of members of Congress
Tariff was mentioned, the bankruptcy bill
was mentioned and currency and silver coin
age mentioned as subjects which your repres-
eptative men would like to hear from them
Yet it rather struck me that it would be car
rying Goals to Newcastle to talk to the mer-
chants of Boston of the benefits of the ua-
tional bankrupt law. You understand it as
well as we and | rather suppose among the
gentlemen present that there is not one who
does not believe such a law essential to the
business welfare of the nation. The funda-
mental idea of the bankrupt law is fair di
vision of the assets. The constitution Of the
United States made US all citizens; every
State in which we chose to take up an abode
has given every citizen a positive position as
of the right wherever he places his domicile
so as it respects his relations of citizen to
man, of social institution to social institu-
tions. There is no such thing as separation
of interests There is one unity of Ameri-
can citizenship, of American industries, Amer
ican rights and interests that belong to us all.
He also urged honesty among the manufac-
turers and square dealing in all trades, and
said if it became for man to get possession
of an another mans money or goods, is it
another thing for man to sell to his neigh
Dor as some Of our British friends very often
do piece OF cotton cloth that is repre-
sented to have so many ounces in yard, bu,
about half of which is made OF chalk or glue?
Now if we could provide bankruptcy sys-
tenn that should enter into the morals Of trade
for cash and should be inspired with the
principle that what is good between the bor-
rover and lender is good between the buyer
and seller, the thing that you sell having to be
the thing you say yourself, and the thing you
buy having to be always the thing you expect
to buy. then it would be good thing for the
1t might be good, but it would not
do for the sort of people here among US to
mix up the question of bankruptcy with the