Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-05-17
KICKS ABOUT THE BANQUET

SENATOR INGALLS, IS GREATLY DIsGRUN-
tiled BECAUSE HE WAS NOT CALLED IN.
We haven't heard the last of the Centen-
NAL chicks.
About the latest comes from Senator In
gals, who complains that the Entertain
ment Committee blundered in selecting
Senator Daniel of Virginia. to respond to
the toast, "The United States Senate,
at the centennial banquet. The fiery
ingalls, says that the idea of confer
ring such distinguished honor upon Mr..
Daniel, a new and inexperienced man in
the Senate, and putting him forward to
represent the highest body in the country,
passing over the heads of the most eminent
leaders in the Senate, men of national rep
utation Gngalls, for instance), was most
preposterous piece of business.
seWhy was this done?" he asks in large
type.
THE WHENCENESS OF THE WHY.
In order to find out, if possible, the
whenceness of this why, 1 called upon Mr.
Elbridge 7. Gerry yesterday and fired this
interrogatory at him:
"Iam very glad" he promptly replied,
''to have an oppunity to explain this mat
tor, as have seen this same criticism made
in some of the press. Furthermore, the
answer to this criticism, will dispose of
another aspersion-that political partisan
ship controlled the selections.
''There was nothing in the whole cen
tennial celebration to which more careful
thought and discussion were given than
the selection of toastS and speakers for the
banquet. Every name was carefully cam
vassed, and there are good reasons for
every choice made.
"First, as to the subjects chosen for
toasts, and the order in which they came,
if you will look at the toast list and COM
pare it with the Constitution of the United
States, you will find that the various
branches of the government are mentioned
in precisely the order in which they follow
in the several articles of the Constitution
THE HoNORs DIVIDED.
Gas to the distinguished speakers who
responded, you will find that the honors
were equally divided between the Republi-
can and Democratic parties. Omitting the
gentlemen who were of necessity chosen
because of their official position-the Pres
ident of the United States, the Governor
of the State Of New York and the Mayor
of the city-if you examine the list of re-
naming speakers you will find four Dem
ocrats, four Republicans and two supposed
mugWumps. The Democrats were ex-
President Cleveland, Governor Fitzhugh
Lee, Chief Justice Fuller and Senator
Daniel. The Republicans were Secretary
Blaine-who did not appear, however, be-
cause of illness-eX-Pesident Hayes, Sena-
tor Evarts and General Sherman. [ class
the General as Republican, but [ think
he is about as much of Democrat as a
Republican. The two supposed mug
wumps were President Eliot, of Harvard
College, and James Russell Lowell.
''That certainly disposes of the assertion
which has been publicly made from a GER
tain source" MI. Gerry undoubtedly re-
quet was to be Republican partisan jul
bilee in honor Of President Harrison-con-
corning whom, by the way, the committee
is catching bally-hoo because they put the
President last in the list of speeches.
''In regard to Senator Daniel, he was Sc
lected to respond for the Senate for two
reasons-namely because he is a Democrat,
and because he is from Virginia. AS l have
said, we wanted to divide the honor equally
between the two parties, studiously to avoid
the very partnership of which we have
been unjustly accused, and we wanted the
Senator from Virginia because he is from
Washington's State. We thought it eminent
ly appropriate, as in the case of Governor
Lee, that the State which had the honor of
having been Washington's home should re-
ceive especial prominence