Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-02

COMPLIMENTARY WORDS SPOKEN.
The Presidcnt's Address as the San rrancisro
Banquet Last Night.
SAN Francisco. CAL, May AT the banquet
given in his honor at the Palace Hotel last night
President Harrison delivered The following
speech: IN.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen: When the
Queen Of sheba visited court of Solo
mon and saw its splen i. she WAS com
PEELED to testify that half had not been
told her. Undoubtedly the ennissaries Of
Soiomons court who had penetrated the
distant territory found themselves in Q like
situation to that which attends Caiifornisns
wnen they travel east: they are afraid too
much to put to test the credulity of their hear
ers and, as gentlemen of your state said to me,
II mas resulted in a prevailing indisposition
among Caiifornians to tell the truth outside Of
California Laughter Not At all because Cali
fornnns are unfriendly to the truth, but solely
out OF compassion to their hearers. (Laughter.1
"Iney address themselves to the capacity Of
those who hear them, and taking warning by
the fate OF the man who told the sovereign of
the Indies that he had seen the water 30 solid
that Il could be walked upon, they do not carry
their best stories away from home. (Langhter.]
1t has been, much as have heard Of California
brilliant disillusion to mo and to those
who have journeyed with me, half had
not been told of the produetiyeuess
Of your valleys Of blossoming orchards, Of gar
dens laden with flowers we have seen and been
entranced. Our pathway has been strewn with
howtrs We have been surprised, whom we
were in the region of the orchards and roses. to
be suddenly pulled up at the station and asked
| to address some remarks to pyramid OF pig
tin. Laughter and applause.l =.
products Of the mines, rare and exceptional,
have been added to the products OF tho field
until the impression has been made upon my
mind that II any new wants should be developed
In the arts, possibly II any want should he de-
Office llaughterl, we have safe reservoir that
can be drawn upon ad Hbitum.
Laughter and applause But. my friends,
sweeter than all the incense Of flowers, richer
than all the products Of the mine. has been the
gracious, unaffected hearty kindness with
which the people Of California has everywhere
received us. Without division, without dissent,
simple, yet magnif cent American welcome.
Great applause.l 1t is gratifying that
1t should be SO. We may carry
and congresses, discussions and divisions but
now grand IT Is that We are people who bow
reverently to decision when it is rendered
and who will follow the flag always-every-
where--wlth absolute devotion Of heart, with
out asking what party may have given the
leadership, or in whose hands it has
been placed. [Great applause.l believe
that we have come to a new epoch as a nation.
There are opening portals before us inviting
us to enter, opening portals to trade and inau-
ence and prestige. Applause. I'VE will pursue the
paths OF peace; We are not warlike nation;
all our instincts, all our history is in the lines
OF peace. Only intolerable aggression, only
the peril OF our institutions or the flag, can
thoroughly arouse us. [Applause.l
LOVE OF PEACE.
"With capabilities for war on land and sea un-
excelled by any nation in the world We are
smitten with love of peace We would promote
the peace of this hemisphere by placing
judiciously some large guns about the Golden
Gate tgreat cheeringl. simply for saluting pur-
poses laughter and cheers) and yet they should
be OF the best modern type [cheers]. We
should have on sea some good vessels. we
don't need a navy as great as some other
nations, but we do need a sufficient navy of
first class ships, simply to make sure that the
peace OF the hemisphere is preserved, simply
that we may not leave great distant marts and
harbors OF commerce and our few citizens who
may be domiciled there to feel lonesome for the
sight OF the American flag. [Cheersl
THE NEW NAVY.
1--WE are making fine progress in the con-
struction Of navy. The best English con-
structors have testified to the completeness and
perfection of some of our latest ships. 1t is o
source of great satisfaction to me that here in
San Francisco the energy. enterprise and
courage Of some Of your citizens have con-
structed plant capable Of building the best
modern ships. [Cries of Good Good, and
cheers
II saw with great delight the magnificent
launch Of one Of these Lew vessels. hope that
you may 80 enlarge your capacities for con-
struction that it will not be necessary to send
any naval vessels around the Horn
lCheers.l We want merchant shipa [Oheers.l
Il believe that We have come to a time when
We should choose whether we will continue to
be non-participaRts in the commerce Of the
world or will now vigorously, with the push
and energy which our people have shown in
other lines Of enterprise, claim our share OF
the worlds commerce. ID.
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
81 will not enter into the discussion of the
methods of which the postal bill Of tie last
session Of Congress marks the beginning. Here
in California, where for SO long time postal
service that did not pay its own way was main
tanned by the government, where for other
years the government has maintained mail
lines into your valleys reaching out
to every remote community and paying
out yearly a hundred times the revenue
that was deprived from it, it ought not to be diff
fcult to persuade you that our ocean mail
should not longer be the only service for which
we even refuse to expend the revenues de-
rived"
The President closed by expressing the hope
that the Nicaragua canal would be completed
in good aeason