Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-11-24
A GREAT DINNER.

4
| Commerce at Which Were Many Poll
ticians But No Politics-Mr. Cleveland
| and Others Speak.
| NEW YORK, Nov. 16.-The annual dim
ner of the chamber of commerce was
+ held at Delmonico's last night.
The toast card provided for but five
! speeches: 1.-THE Treasury Department"
| by Secretary Foster; 1.-The President Of
| the United States. OF America" by At
| torney General Miller; s'The House of
Representatives" by Hon W. C. P.
Breckenridge, of Kentucky; Commerce
and Civilization" by DR.. John Hall;
Commerce and Education" by Presi-
dent Shufman, of Cornell university
After the dinner Mr.. Orr made short
address and was followed by Secretary
Foster, who, in response to the toast.
THE Treasury Department" spoke in
part as follows:
1--WE have by the use of gold and sill
yer certificates as circulating medium
illustrated the superiority of paper
money over metal to such an extent as
to create in the minds of thoughtful
men the inquiry as to the utility OF
coinage. The fact is establ ished that
the paper representative is preferred
by our people. My successor, with the
help of the president, will make many
changes of the heads of bureaus and
the chiefs of divisions, and as a conse-
quence, at least for the time being,
the business of the department will
suffer. But beyond the heads are a
trained people in whom the utmost con-
fidence can be placed. have no doubt
that the treasury will maintain its hon.
ora BILE record
10 IL
sponded to Fresident-elect Cleveland
was introduced and spoke as follows:
..Mr. President and Gentlemen: am
exceedingly gratifed by the kindness
and warmth of your greeting. 1t does
not surprise me, however, for I have
seen and felt on more than one occasion
the cordial hospitality and heartiness
of those who assem- bic at the annual
dinner of our chamber of commerce.
1--WE all have noticed that many men,
when they seek to appear especially
wise and impressive. speak of 'O1r
business interests as something aw-
full and mysterious; and quite
often when a proposition is I'M
der discussion its merits are no
longer apparent to those whose hair is
on end at the solemn suggestion that
our business interests are lying in
wait with numerous walls Of wrath in
readiness for those who arrive at an
unaccepted conclusion. am fortunate
in being able to state that my relation
to the chamber of commerce of the state
of New York, though merely of COM
plimentary kind arising from honorary
membership, has so familiarized me
with business interests that I no
longer regard those words as meaning
a bloodthirsty beast, nor do l have con-
stantly before my mind those children
in the Biblical story who were torn in
pieces by bears for discussing too much
at random the badness of an ancient
prophet.
1T is entirely natural that my famil-
iarity with business interests, arising
from the relation to which / have re-
ferred. should be Of a very pleasant sort
and free from fear and trepidation, for
the only meetings l have ever attended
of the chamber of commerce have been
precisely such as this. when the very
best things to eat and drink have been
exhaustively discussed. L am bound to
say that on these occasions the dread
full beings representing business inter-
ests have been very human indeed
Il know you will not do me the great
least underrate the Importance of the
commercial and financial interests here
represented. On the contrary, no one
appreciates more fully than /, that
while a proper adjustment of all inter-
ests should be maintained, you repre-
sent those which are wholly indispen-
sable to our national growth and pros
perity. do not believe that any other
interests should be obliged to feed from
the crumbs which fall from the able
of business, nor do I believe that the
ia bic should be robbed of the good
things which are honestly and fairly
there, merely because some other tables
are not well provided.
SIT comes to this: We are all interest
ed as Americans in a common pursuit.
Our purpose is, or ought to be- in our
several spheres, to add to the general
fund of national prosperity. From this
fund we are all entitled to draw, per-
haps not equally, but justly, each re-
ceiving a fair proportion Of individual
prosperity Let US avoid trampling on
each other in our anxiety to be first in
the distribution of shares, and let us
not attempt to appropriate the share of
others.
''As 1 close I cannot refra in from ex-
pressing my thanks for the cOurteSieS
often extended to me by the organiza-
ton at whose hospitable board I have
sat this evening. l beg to assure you
that though I may not soon meet you
again on an occasion like this, 1 shall
remember with peculiar pleasure the
friends made among your membership"
Mr.. Cleveland was followed by Mr..
Whitelaw Reid, who introduced him
self by saying that the speechmaking
ought to be left to the other side.
81 have made a great many speeches."
he said. within the last three or !
four weeks and I am bound to say
that am not pleased at all with the
result The other side will ask many i
questions, and it will consider very |
wisely what is said We will put no /
obstacles in their way. 1 will pay my !
respects as a loyal American citizen to !
the elect Of 65, OO0, 600 of American peo-
pie"