The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-06
The Mayor Gives Them Hearty Welcome to
the City-RepOrts Showing the Benefits of
Fraternal Association and Assistance.
ATable at Which One Thousand Persons
Gathered from All Parts of Indiana.
Luxuries Of the Garden, Flowers, Music and
Speeches the Features of Brilliant Scene
at an Annual Social Meeting.
BUSINESS OF THE ASSOCIATION.


night spent at aballwherea all the enjoy
ment of such an occasion was at the COM
mand of the guests did not curb the spirits
of the Indiana commercial travellers. They
We're up bright and early yesterday morn
ing, and as clipper as though they were
starting on the irregular tours. By 10 O'Clock
300 of them had assembled in Masonic Hall
TO attend the annual business meeting of
their association. With promptness char
Rcteristic of the commercial traveller they
were called TO order at the appointed hour
by President w. ID. Cooper of this city ID.
w. Coffin acted secretary, and the fol-
lowing vice-presidents occupied seats on
the stage: w. j. Brown, Indianap-
oils; Moses n. Ross, Evansville; II.
T.. Harrison, Terre Haute; John G..
Brown, Lafayette; Frank J. Noel, Fort
Wayne; w. j. Robbie, Richmond; w. S.
StOddard, Vincennes; A. f. Neab, New Al
bany; George S. Harding, Madison; NJ.
Hennefn. Logansport; j. III. Chamberlain,
Frankfort, and Fred Smith, Charlottesville.
The meeting was opened with prayer by
the Rev. DR.. Ford. He asked the divine
blessing upon the commercial men of the
country, and prayed that God might pre-
serve the Nation, whose fOundatiOn-stOne
was commerce. Mayor Denny was then in
tIoduced and delivered ali address of well
come. He said it afforded him great pleas
ure to greet those who so perfectly
represented the mercantile and man.
ufacturing progress of the country.
OF the many associations that visited
the city from time to time there was none
he more gladly welcomed than that of the
commercial travellers. 1t, he thought, had
given to the world practical demOnStra-
ton of the cheapest and most economically
managed mutual insurance yet known. If
he had been correctly informed the assOci-
alton had paid out to the widows and or
phans of thirty-One deceased members,
S49,SOO, being an average of 81 ,542 on each
death, and yet had a reserve fund of $4,000
on hand. With such a record of
business management it was not
strange that the association had grown
Indiana, and with the people generally.
Continuing, the Mayor said;
The commercial traveller represents, in
public spirit of the age in which we live. Let
the drummers of the commercial world cease
their weekly rounds, without warning, and it
natural for the country store-keeper to expect
the commercial traveller TO make his appearance
when he needs his stock replenished as it is for
coffee and sugar are out. And the store
keeper is not often disappointed, either;
for sits a cold day" when the average com
mercial traveller fails to calculate the time when
his country customer is running short in his line
OF goods, and still colder one when he gets
there too late to sell him bill TO replenish with.
But this push on the part of the man with the
grip Is in every SENSE laudable and in no sense
so-called check exercised by the man with the
samples, but l like that. Business cheek is a
good thing. The day of the plodder has passed.
II was a wholesale merchant, would not en-
ploy salesman who had not enough
enterprise about him to be called cheeky"
by the SLOW coaches" and if / was
a man of that kind Of enterprise If the push of
the modern drummer was tinctured with the
character of deceptive thrift that Jacob employed
IN getting even with his uncle Laban, there
would be room the mOralist to criticse. But,
thanks to the business intelligence and business
Integrity of this age, the commercial traveller
", energetic and still be honest. Business in
tegrity Is one of the cardinal principles of the
modern commercial world Without honesty i'm
business affairs. what wonld society he fo.davi
Without that business confidence which exists
among manufacturers and merchants, what
would our civilization be worth! Indeed, with
out this business integrity and confidence, would
we have the advanced civilization of to-day at
ALI think not Commerce is itself great civ
jliZer; and nation becomes powerful in proper
ton to the extent of its trade and commercial
activity.
The world owes much to the modern CONNER
cial travellers, and many merchant prince owes
his all to the industry and integrity of his travel
Ing statesmen. On whom does the wholesale mer-
tail dealer, whom he has never seen, perhapsi
On his travelling salesman. And ON what traits
In the character OF his salesman does he rely to
retain his customersi On his push and business
integrity. The world has grown too enter
prising for the drone, and too smart for
the trckster; at least the commercial world
has. There is but one step between trick
cry and dishonesty in commercial dealing, and
the time has passed for dishonesty to succeed in
season, but the period of such success is usually
very short. The way of the transgressOr is hard,
no matter what law OF God or rule OF human So
ciety is violated
The increase in the number of commercial
travellers, and the rapid growth of their work in
the past twenty-five years, Is one OF the maryels
of the age. Men now sitting before me can re-
member when it unusual thing for the
seller to seek the buyer anywhere in this coun-
try and the youngest of us can remember when
IL was a thing almost unknown here in the West.
But what change has been wrought in this re
gard! The hum of the spindle in the factory is
not more regular and incessant than
the work of the commercial traveller, as
he goes up and down the avenues of trade dis
posing OF his wares. Almost any man of capital
can make a successful wholesale merchant III he
has Judgment enough TO select good travelling
statesmen, buS a man must be an expert in many
things TO make Sfrst-clasS drummer. He ought
TO be good judge If human nature, a glib talker,
possess lots of confideSce in his own superiority
as reasoner, have perfect fund Conformation
on every subject. particularly religion and poll
tics KNOW how To play the agreeable under all
circumstances. be able to quote all the markets
asked him with promptness-in fact, be "A kind OF
walking encyclopedia on every subject. That's
the kind we have in Indiana; and in addition to
these accomplishments, they have industry, per-
severance and integrity, also.
To such n body of gentlemen. my words of well
come are not mere formal expressions The PEG
pie of indianapolis feel a special interest in your
association. because its home is here; and they
proud of its record, because it has never done
anything To dishon0r the place of its birth. We
know that we owe much OF our growth and pros
perity as a city To our commercial travellers, and
we are always glad, therefore, To see them enjoy
"A day of rest and social intercourse together with
their friends of the other commercial centers of
the State. They are ut home where they know
they are always welcome. But You gentlemen
from our people. indianapolis has grown used
10 seeing strangers and entertaining public
semblages. but am glad 10 say. has never grown
tired OF them She Will never tire OF the presence
of the commercial travellers or Indiana You
were welcome when you came, you are welcome
now and you will always be welcome whenever
you come.
The Mayors address was heartily APP
plauded, and August Bretano, OF Evans
vile, who, on behalf of the visitors, re-
sponded to il, expressed in appreciation the
warm sentiment of the association. He,
continuing his speech, said no class OF men
enjoyed life better than the commercial
travellers. They claim first lien on all
that was good in the way of eatables and
drink, and for these things as well as for
others given with liberal hand, he desired
10 extend many thanks to the citizens of
Indianapolis The association he said, was
accomplishing some good in the world.
Thirty-one members had died since it was
hill I.l ~