Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-11-22
PINE TREE STATE CLUB,
a Brilliant Gathering of the Sons of
"alne at the fremont House, Boston
Addresses by Hon. John ID. Long
and General Connor.

Gnu "cnStaI tOnHOT.
BosToN, Nov. 20.
The Pine Tree State Club held its second
regular meeting dinner at the fremont House
yesterday afternoon, nearly 200 of the rep
resentative sons being present. Hon. John
d. Long. president of the club, occupied the
chair. on his right being seat+d d ex-Goy Con
nor OF Maine, Gen. A. p. Martin, Rev. C. A.
Bartol, Stillman b. Allen, DIR. Wm A Rust,
and on his left Mr.. Dana Estes, S. X. Hamil-
ton, Col Smith, d. c. Robinson aud
Col. +. 5. Hssseltine. Ii WAS about O'Clock
when the company sat down to an excellent
dinner, which lasted until 4 80 o'clock.
Ex Governor Long on rising TO begin the
postprandial exercises, was greeted wit.
very torrent of applause. He said; Gen
tlemen of the Pine Tree State Club: We
meet today in honor OF the State of Maine,
whose sons We are. Applause This dis
tlnguished gathering of her sons is the most
eloquent speech that can be made to her trlb-
ute. As see you gathered here, you who
represent so many OF the walks of life, who
preach in our churches, you (if any there be-
who pray laughter you who are disting
ulshed in our courts, who are leading mer
chants and manufacturers, / can well under
stand how 1t happens that the State of Maine
exerci es such an influence in this common.
wealth, and sends her children here tc
discharge her great functions and tC
| hi most of its Offices. Laughter aud ap-
plause- | ought to thank you and | certainly
do so from full heart, first of all for the
very great honor you have done me in max
ing me your president. In every pulse of
my heart, | am, a. 10 each of you, a loyal son
of Maine. 1 look back to it, as you do. AS
the traveller recalls the blush of the early
dawn which rose on the beginning of hi,
journey. To me It is the sunrise State.
never can forget and you can never forget
that | was born in one of its nesting villages,
that my boyhOod was spent there, and that
was taught in one of its common schools. and
that | had that inestimable prize of associa-
tion with its democracy, the people who have
and always have had. that singular proficiency
in everything that relates to American life.
We are country boys here tonight. APP
plause and laughter and cries of good In
American life and society, | believe that
there is no such education az that which
comes from \ country boys contact with
others, whether in school or anywhere else in
the world, with the social democracy such as
you and | remember in the various counties
and towns of Maine, a democracy which abb
solutelv met the idea of popular govern.
ment, entirely free from anything like elias.
or caste. Now, when you had such democ
racy as that the elements of the common
school education, the unrestricted and unli-
censed freedom of religion and
OF popular discussion that used tc
take place in the schools. the common know
ledge of men and of things, the splendid in.
grained inheritance of English common law
ripened into the very habits, and system and
conversation of the people the entire absence
in my day, on the one had of anything like
arrogance of wealth, and on the other haud,
of anything like the deprivatioDs of extreme
poverty; the unconscious, unreserved inter
couse which made the laborer the free and
easy disputant, and sometimes the conqueror
of the employer in argument Add all these
elements and you have what we remember
an atmosphere such as no metropolis, TO col
lege ever had-a homely familiarity with the
public mind, not artificial, not assumed but
a part of character, fitting men for the proper
fulhllment of duties in private or in public
lite. The fruits of such system you have
seen in the elements which the State of Maine
has sent into the busy avenues of our national
life. In just such a company as this, with
representatives of the foremost industries OF
this great and distinguished commonwealth
you see it in the spirit, enterprise and growth
which those elements have given to the pro-
gress of the whole country.
The speaker thus proceeded to eulogize hi.
native State for her noble qualities and hel
splendid products of men, and read a humor-
Gus poem that had been written by his father
in lS4l.
Ex-Gov. Conner of Maine on being intro
duced was received with great applause, fol-
lowed by three cheers. He said: That dis.
tnguished philosopher, Uncle Remus. tell:
us that There is tribulation waiting round
the corner for us all laughter and the in
nocent sometimes gets overlook and that
saving applies with special force just now.
Think Of the compliment which was once
paid to us by some time senator from New
York, who said that all Maine men were
bora orators. This Boston Club is now
recognized institution throughout the coun
try. We Maine people are justly proud of 8
great many things, but of nothing are We
progder than of the sons she has sent fortt
to seek their fortunes in other states anC
countries, and, generally, to make them. Ii
is sometimes said that Maine is a good State
to go from. | think it is in the very bes
sense of the word. That msu who has had
training in Maine, who has known Maine
! home and all the influences of that Commu
nifty, goes forth well armed for the battle o.
| life and for the success which they generally
attain. The Maine man is not usually
formed of plastic material, but of sternel
stuff-he is more prone 70 make impressions
than to receive them. And every true sor
of Maine Will to his dying day cherish fonC
Regard for the state OF his birth. (Applause
! Camp Meeting" John Allen and SONS
gentlemen made pIeasanl speeches and ther
the company separated, after having had {
most enjoyable reunion of the sons of Maine