Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-24
DEMOCRATS AT DINNER.
Last Nights banquet of the Reform Club I'm
New York.

| Ex-PREsrDENT CLEVELAND DISCUSSES ''rHE CAM
PAIaN OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CARLISLE,
GOVERNORS BoIEs AND RUSSELL, coyGREssMEN
JOHNSON AND WILSON AMONG THE SPEAKERS.
| The long-awaited dinner of the Reform Club
took place last night in the new concert hall
Of the Madison Square Garden in New York
| and was attended wi tn all the dignity and i'm
| portance which months Of careful arrange
ment on the part Of the club could effect. There
| were about five hundred diners in the hall.
The speakers table was on the raised dais at
the western end Of the hall. Directly over the
head Of the chairman were six American flags
gracefully grouped with the flag Of the state Of
New York in the center. At $50 Mrs. Cleve-
land and party entered one of the boxes Her
| appearance was the signal for every man at tho
tables to rise to his feet and, amid waving of
handkerchief. Mrs. Cleveland was given three
| cheers. The lady rose and bowed, looking az
pretty as ever IN her figured satin gown of light
scene at clock when the chairman intro
duced ex-Presideht Grover, Cleveland rs the
first speaker Of the evening.
Ex-President Cleveland responded to the
toast, The campaign of education; its result is
q signal tribute to the Judgment OF the Amer
lean people," In discussing his subject he said:
II suppose / have correct understanding of
what ls meant by The campaign of education
Assuming this TO be so. / desire, before going
further. to acknowledge the valiant services in
TINS campaign OF the organization whose invi-
tation brings us together tonight
The grand and ultimate object of tho cam
palgn OF education was the promotion of the
welfare Of the country and the relief of the peo-
pie from unjust burdens. In aid Of this pur
pose II became necessary first of all to arouse
dpnlOcratIc 10 ahap
sion OF the fact that the campaign involved \
democratic principle. in the advocacy of which
the party should be active and aggressive. Let
1t be here confessed that we as a party had in
these latter days been tempted by the successes
our opponents had gained. solely by temporary
SHIFTS and by appeals 10 prejudices and selfish
interests, into paths which avoided too much
the honest msistence upon dc finite aud clearly
defined principle and fundamental democratic
doctrine.
when the time came and the cries of a suf-
ferlnS people We're heard. and when. for their
rene1, genuine democratic remedy was pro-
posed. the party easily recognized its duty. and
gave proof of its uncOnquerabic democratic in
stincts. As soon as the campaign of education
was inaugurated the party was quickly mar
sLaled rs of the ol,ien time aggressive.
courageous. devoted to its cause and needless
OF encouragement or defeat. Day by day and
hour by hour eXpediency and time-serving
were thrown to the winds. Traitors were 81
scurvy band of f1oaters, while the sturdy demo-
cratic host confidently pressed on. bearing
aloft the banner of tariff reform. Thus the
education OF the campaign meant as related to
the democracy. its awakening III response to
the signal for it's return to the propagandism
of democratic doctrine.
The thoroughly aroused enthusiasm and de-
termination OF the party. and its allied thou
sands of good and earnest men drawn from
the non-partisan intelligence and honesty of
the land. saw TO obstacle too formidable for at
tack. and no end which was not within their
reach. In a sublime confidence, almost amount
Ing to audaclty. they were willing to attempt
the education Of those high in the counsels of
the republican party and those who fornu-
lated that party s policy, so far as such thing
existed.
MR.. CLEVELAND SARCASTIC.
IF a Senator from Wisconsin, referring to
tariff reform, gleefully said he was glad to see
rs show our hand he cannot fail to be con-
Hlnced, when he soon gives place to real good.
sc;ind democrat that there was. after all. more
II the hand than he cared to see. Ii the pres
ent Speaker OF the House sarcastically said. 1t
only shows what fools all the other Presidents
have been, he may well be excused since he
has lately so thoroughly learned that in the
sight of the people infallibility is not an atNf
butte always to be found in the Speakers
chair
After paying his respects in a sarcastic
manner to various republican Congressman
who were not reelected, Mr. Cleveland con-
tinued.
AS our campaign has proceeded other un1-
sual symptoms have been apparent among those
prominent In directing the opposition. Some
OF them have become insubordinate and dscon-
tented and at times actually disobedicnt to
party orders. Some have left the ship. One
shrewd and weather-wise navigator has clam
btred of. and III frail bark. with the word
.Re"iprocity' painted on its stern, was last seen
hnv9rInD 70, IL; ,,J
again or sail away, as wind and wave would APP
pear to make most safe. At the present stage
OF the campaign the unwieldy party hulk of
bourbon republicanism is still afioat, but dam
aged and badly leaking
Mr.. Cleveland said in conclusion: LET us not
fail to realize the fact that our work il not
done. Our enemies are still alive and have
grown desperate. Human selfshness is not
easily overcome, and the hope of private gain
at the expense of the masses of our people is
not Yet abandoned. The result of our labor
thus far is indeed, "a signal tribute to the judg-
ment OF the American people. In full faith in
this Judgment, our work should continue upon
the lines thus far followed until the enemies of
tariff reform driven from their last intrench-
ment. As the people have trusted U.S. let us,
above all things, be true to them. Let the
light OF our campaign be carried into every part
Of the land where il has not been SEEN and
where it has been kndled let it be kept brightly
burning. still showing the way to better days
for the people, and disclosing the plans of in
sldlOus foes.
CONGRESSMAN WILSON.
Hon. William l.. Wilson Of West Virginia re-
spOnded to the toast: ''The Fifty-second Con-
gress; may it be temperate, Just and farseeing."
MIR. Wilson said The democratic party, re-
joicing over the most notable victory OF its
many political contests, finds itself confronted
by the SOLDERING truth that it is one thing to win
a battle and another-and often a more difficult
thing-to make sure and permanent the fruits
of victory. The greatness Of it's triumphs in
the recent elections was not due to the skill of
its leaders or the popularity of its candidates.
1t was the spontaneous, unheralded uprising of
the people against the methods and policies of
its opponents and the Fifty-second Congress
will be judged in history by its success in di-
recting that uprising to the final overthrow of
those policies and methods"
He continued: 'The recent campaign was
not fought on any obscure or minor issue, but
upon the question, on which, as Mr. Burke
truly said, all the great contests of freedom
have been fought-the question of taxing.
History is in the main q record of the success
full attempts of a class among every people to
get control of the government that they may
use the taxing power for their own aggrandize-
ment."
Mr.. Wilson then reviewed what he termed
the mistakes OF the last Congress, and in con-
Guiding said:
THE Fifty-second Congress will enter upon
its labors with one lesson that none of its
members can mistake, and that lesson ia that