Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-12-14
Cleveland's Speech at the Reform Clubs
Banquet


On last Saturday night, the Reform
Club of New York city gave banquet
in honor of Cleveland in the Concert
Hall of Madison Square Garden.
Tt was quarter past nine o'clock
when E. Ellery Anderson rose to call
the assemblage to order and to make
the introductory speech of the evening.
In concluding his remarks, he said F.:
Fellow democrats here assembled, it
is my high privilege and honor to ask
you to unite with ME in proposing the
health and prosperous administration
of our President-elect, Grover Cleve-
land.
Mr.. Cleveland was greeted with
hearty and long continued cheering
when he rose to respond. He was
listened to with attention and APP
plauded enthusiastically at the end of
almost every sentence. Mr.. Cleveland
BIKE with unusual earnestness and
.ss6rce. He seemed to be raised to more
than common enthusiasm by the
heartiness and generosity of the
plaudits of his hearers.
MIR. CLEvELAND'S SPEECH.
He spoke in full as follows =
| MR.. PRESIDENT AND LADIES AMI
lGENTLEMEN-I have nothing new OF
startling to say to you, and | hope to
do little more than remind you OF the
| meaning and the significance Of this
occasion.
AS we are here gathered together we
represent those who have been willing
| to risk all consequences in battle fol
principles which are grounded II
purest patriotism, because they &C
cord with the purposes and objects O
our free institutions.
A plain feature OF this gathering
which | am sure warns the hearts O
all of US, is our celebration of one o
the grandest and most complete victo
Tries ever achieved in the struggle TO
right and Justice and our glad greeting
of the brightest light of triumph GU
generation has seen, bursting from thu
clouds of defeat and encouragement.
Let me suggest to you, however, tina
we can contemplate nothing moi
Gratifying in connection with this as
ssemblage than the proof it affords tina
Il the American people can be trusted t.
manage the government which ha
been given into their keeping. If Their
are those who have been disappointed
and disheartened by the extent t.
!, which our people have been deceive1
/. and misled, or who, with fear, hav
seen heedlessness of the duty of citizen
ship open wide the door of corruptin!
influences, or who, with sad fore
bodings, have beheld popular rul
nearing the fatal rocks of debauchet
suffrage, or who have mouIned be
cause appeals to selfishness and prom
ises of unequal advantages were ap
parently undermining that patriotism
which alone justities our hope o
national perpetuity, let this occasion
tand the events which have led to i
jreinstate their faith and their conf
ldence in their countrymen.
+ If it has seemed TO those striving TO
better public sentiment that the dis
position was growing among our PEG
pie to regard their government as ;
depository of individual benefits, to b.
1importuned and threatened and de
lspoiled, let them take heart from tin
evidence now before our eyes that Their
is still abroad in the land controlling
belief that our government should b.
a source of just and beneficent rule
proudly supported by free men. pro
ltected by their care and watehfulpess
and returning to all our people, will
equal hand, the safety and happiness
it holds in store for them.