The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-01-27

from the inside history OF country
weekly, which convulsed bis hear.
era with laughter. At the call OF
Douglas Taylor, three cheers were
given for the speaker when he sat
down.
Boston was the birthplace and
boyhood- place of franklin" said
President Martin in continuing,
"The man who knows nothing about
Boston is ignorant indeed. but we
do not know all about it, and | call
upon Ex-Governor Rice, OF Massa-
chusetts, to reply to the toast to
Boston Governor Rice said:
Nr. President: Living, as | do,
in that somewhat remote suburb oi
New York, and having only the dis
tinction of a private citizen. l
feel the honor ofthis reception deep
ly. However doubtful OF your Greek
title | NAV have been when | star
ted to come here,the warmth OF your
hospitality has removed my
bashfulness and uncertainty.
The printers form no insig-
nificant portion of civilization.
No stretch of imagination will ena-
BILE us to comprehend what the
world might be without printers. l
had always supposed them, before
this exhibition of their epicurean
tendencies, to be a tireless lot OF
men setting forth the news OF the
world as regularly and as tirelessly
as the morning and evening stars
hang over the horizon. Gentlemen,
your work Is a noble one. Litera-
ture is the Immortality of speech.
You have asked me to say some
thing about Boston as the birthplace
of Franklin. He was the greatest
man that Boston ever gave birth to.
There is something about the ma
ture of franklin that comes to us
differently than the awe with which
we regard other great geniuses.
There was a touch of human nature
in his placid features that endears
him TO us. We know that if to-day
he passed along the street he would
chuck the children under the chin
and have a pleasant word for all OF
US.
His genius has left its impress on
that part of Boston which he fire.
quented. 1t is now the centre of
the newspaper industry of the city.
Even at the early day when he was
a citizen of Boston he exhibited
traits of shrewdness. 1t is related
that be wanted his father to ask a
blessing once for all over the pork
barrel and thus save time at meals.
Boston has a history too long for me
to recite tonight. She stands to-
day, as in the past, identified with
many Of the country's great reforms.
She never flinched in revolution or
rebellion. A great misfortune over
took her and laid her homes in aches,
but she rose again ahd assumed the
burden alone, Notwithstanding the
generous offers of assistance from all
over the country. She clings to the
old traditions of liberty. She still
has the town hall that rang to the
voice of Otis, and the Old South
Church and Bunker Hill. But Bos
ton has no particle of envy at the
giant stride her sister cities are max
ing in power and prosperity. The
message of Boston to you tonight,
Mr.. Chairman, is that your prosper
ity may be boundless that we NAV
be one people 10 hope and aspiration.
Great applause, with three cheers
for Massachusetts, and Governor
Rice.
"We never tire gentlemen, of lis
tening TO the spokesman from the
Hub of the Universe" said the
"but we will now hear
Colonel John K. Fellow on Our En-
tire Union.'" Colonel Fellows ex-
cused himself from speaking on the
score of severe cold. George S.
Sturgis sang song and the next
toast, to The Instructor" was call
ed for, the Rev. DR.. Paxton rising to
reply;
This is about the hardest crowd
TO speak to that | ever met" said
ne. "Who can stand up and reel
off quotations and platitudes to a
lot OF printers who are familiar with
everything that has ever heen print
ed? This is the celebration of Mr..
Franklin's birthday. lam
proud of him because | am fellow
citizen of his. Pennsylvania has
produced two great men. Benjamin
Franklin, of Massachusetts, and Al
bert Gallatin, of Switzerland.
Laughter My fellow citizen, Ben
lamin Franklin, came from the peo-
pie. like all great men. 1t makes
no difference whether you are tan
ming leather in Galena, forgotten of
mankind [great laughter or boiling
soap in Boston-when the hour
strikes the man comes. To come to
my topic, gentlemen, the day when
the priests held all the learning to
themselves is past. Poor Richards
Almanac and Webster's Spelling
Book have spoiled all that. The
monopoly of learning is past. We
preachers must step down and out
to q certain extent before you pub
fishers. When Cromwell lived, the
pulpit alone could bend that arm of
iron. Now all that the clergy can
do is to kill off one of his candidates
with the three, Rs Now the press
has usurped our Sunday. The press
is over the pulpit. You new teach
ers have swept US aside. This is the
age of the newspaper and the peri
odieal. The bookmaker forms opin-
ions. The modern Old Man of the
Mountains on the shoulders of man
is the press. No man is ever the
wiser for reading the newspapers
No one would be more ignorant for
never reading them; but you want
news. Reading cannot make any
man wise-if the gentleman wants
to maks my speech | will sit down. +"
Here DR.. Paxton did sit down
with considerable emphasis while
everybody stared in the direction
fran which several half-uttered re-
marks had come There was a pro-
longed clapping of hands. and