Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-11
TALKING FOR THE DISTRICT.

TALKING FOR THE DISTRICT.
Tho Business Mems Club Eat a Good
Dinner and Listen to Good Speeches.
A NOTABLE GATHERING LAST MIGHT AND SOME
SPIRITED sPEEcHEs-MEMBERs OF CONGRESS
SPEAK OF THE INTERESTS OF THE crrY-soME
STRONG UrrEBANCEs ON THE QUESTION CT THE
EXPOSITION SITE.
One hundred and sixty men ate q good din
ner last night and listened to good speeches in
good cause. These men were the members of
the Business mems club and their guests. The
occasion was the regular monthly dinner of
the club. The question to which the speakers
addressed themselves was: How can We best
aid in the development of the national capital?"
The guests included members of the Senate
and House District committees and other dis
tinguished gentlemen who have secured warm
place in the hearts of citizens of the District by
the friendly and active interest they have taken
In the welfare and growth of the capital The
banquet was in the large dining hall of the Ar
hngton, which was handsomely decorated for
the occasion. The principal guests of the
evening were seated with the members of the
club who performed the active duties Of hosts
at banquet table in an alcove at one side of
the hall. The others present sat at tables
ranged about the hall.
Music delighted the ear. an excellent menu
tempted the palate. and altogether the service
was such as to put the company into the best of
humor, when the chairman of the evening, Mr..
Theodore W. Noyes, rose to open the after
dinner proceedings.
THE CHAIRMAN's ADDRESS
Mr.. Noyes in his opening briefly summed up
the needs of the District as indicating the broad
field of discussion which the question opened
and the almost unlimited room given for sug-
gestion in aid of the capitals devel-
opment. For antiquated laws modern
legislation suited to a nineteenth GEN.
fury, community is to be substituted.
to be extended in harmonious plan over the
whole District: communication between all
parts OF the expanded capital is to be furnished
by electric cars running swiftly over grooved
rails; the long bridge is to disappear and the
finished flats, with a sea wall are to guard the
lower part of the city from the flood: the side
walks are to be rendered as admirable in their
way as the improved pavements, which are to
extend over the whole city. leaving no neg
lected section to grumble; the streets are to
be cleaned; the District is to be relieved of the
tunnel debt of a million dollars, which it is
called upon to pay for water supply that it
has not received and that it never will receive
through this tunnel. and for which it never
contracted to pay; freight blockades are to be
rendered improbable in the near future; the
railroads are to be granted additional freight
faciiltles and to be made at the same time to
obey tho laws and to provide additional and eff
fectlve provision for protecting the lives and
property rights of individuals; a new post office
is to be secured and park In the picturesque
ROCK creek region; an underground Washing
ton Is to be planned and constructed for sewers,
telephone, telegraph and electric light wires;
long rows OF handsome business blocks are to
spring up; the introduction of light and
clean manufactures is to be encouraged:
Washington Is to be made secure in its position
as the recognized gathering place of the peo-
pie of the republic, and in this
connection the worlds fair is to be
won, ii that celebration is to be national,
and not merely commercial, sectional and spec
ulative. As the show city of the nation, as a
residence and convention city, and as the po-
litical, educational, literary and scientific CEN
ter OF the republic, Washington is to be made
to outshine all other capitals in the world.
All these things are to be accomplished through
local legislature which is also a national
legislature, largely engrossed in national af-
fairs, and through a community rendered some
what inharmonious by local jealousies and dis
sensions. He expressed the opinion that with
the removal of the obstacle to the highest de-
yelopment OF the capital which the differences
OF its people supplied, congressional inertia
might be overcome and the Districts legisla-
ture caused to perform faithfully its constitu-
tional functions. He expressed a hopeful view
of what can be accomplished for the city when
strong public spirit prevails and the citizens
stand together shoulder to shoulder for the
common good. Many references in the chair
mans speech were received with much ap-
plause.
SENATOR HARRIS.
Senator Harris, who was the first of the
guests to be called to his feet raised the
enthusiasm Of the gathering to still higher
pitch by spirited speech. After few pleas
antries, by way OF introduction, he spoke
earnestly on the topic of the evening.
"As an American CITIZEN" he said, .'and as
an American Congressman. take the greatest
pride in the beauties and PROJECTIONS of this
capital city. For twelve years have served in
humble way on the District committee.
was on the subcommittee that gave form and
shape to what is known as the organic law
which first settled the principle that one-half
OF the expenses of the District should be paid
out of the Unied States Treasury. L will not 60
into details, but will say broadly and generally
that during the twelve years of my service on
the District committee have felt, as hope l
shall always feel, a proper pride in the capital
OF the greatest of all countries. have sus-
tanned and favored by my vote and by what
ever argument that could make every measure
that could with reason and justice be claimed
by the people of the District of Columbia to
capital city Of the nation.
And in respect to the worlds fair of '92, if we
are to have one, and am not quite sure that
we will or ought to. But If We have one can
only say that it should be purely national
affair 1t is in no sense q matter of trade and
commerce. We are inviting the nations of the
earth: to come and exhibit here and to see our
country and what we have to show them. 1t
should be purely national in all of its elements,
and in view OF this there is no place for it
except Washington. l am for Washington as
the site of the fair.
SENATOR VANCE.
Senator Vance, who followed his colleague
from Tennessee, made speech whose witty
salles contributed greatly to the good humor
of the occasion and at the same time spoke sim
ceTely and hopefully of the future of Washing
ton. He laughingly remarked that he had con-
cluded that he had been invited as a business
man because he thought he did more business
than any man in Washington" In this con
nection he enumerated in a humorous way,
many of the calls made upon Senator by per-
sons who came to his house before he had fin
ished his breakfast. He shared, he said,
with Senator Harris and every other
patriotic citizen the love that should
animate every American citizen-a
love for this national capital. He was told
by those who Travelled abroad, he said, that
already there is no city in the world more
beautiful. "And before We get done with it," he
said IF the great and liberal plans which have
been formed for its improvement, and the mag
nificent conceptions which have been laid out
for its growth and adornment are carried out