The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-16
MR.. CLEVELAND SPEAKS
At TRE ANNUAL DINNER or THE N.
!. CLIMBER or COMMERCE..
He Says lie VIII Not be Needless of the
Demands of Business Circles-Other
Speakcrs-A Successful AFFAIR.

fourth annual dinner OF the Chamber OF
Commerce, held at Delmonico's. There
we're many other guests present but not
nround whom so many interests were
centred. unless. indeed, II were the Hon.
Chauucey NJ. Depew. who sat at the
table Of honor next 10 Whitelaw Reid.
Defeat seemed to sit lightly on the shoul-
ders Of Mr. Reid. and Mr.. Depew, when
De shook hands with Mr.. Cleveland be-
fore grace. allowed no thought Of the
epitaph he said ia buffalo he would in
scribe over the political grave OF the
Presidcnt-ciect.
The annual feast Of the Chamber OF
Commerce is always a memorable one
pri thc worlds wealth, commerce and
brains ore always represented at these
,.flernes but to-nights banquet VIII
So down into history linked with the
pI0ries OF recent Democratic trumphs ana
the name of Grover cleveland
Three hundred guests were seated In
DcImonicos large banqueting hall, when
Rev Dr. William III. Nibbert, pastor OF
Trinity chopcl. said grace at 715 o'clock.
ON a raised dais was placed the table Of
honor. I'M the centre Of which was seated
Mr.. Alexander E. Orr, the president of
the banquet. ON either side of Mir OFT
were Mr.. cleveland and Hon. Charles
Foster. and among others seated were;
Horace white, Senator John ). Carlisle,
Carl Schurz. James r.. Campbell. or
Ohio: A. Il. Hepburn, Samuel j.. Babcock'
Chaunccy N. Depew, Whtelaw REID
REV. Dr. John Hall. W. G. T. Breckin-
ridge. Nurat Halstcad, Paul Dana,
Horace Porter and several other we'll
known gentlemen. There were several
nbscntecs. one of these. Hon. stephen l}.
Ilkins. Secretary of War, who was 10
reply 10 the toast: president Of the Uni
tCd States" T;arOn Faya was also cN-
pccted. but failed 10 be present, and this
was the case with Hon. Frank iiscock
10 was $50 when President Orr called
Tor order and made Il graceful speech
Mr. Orr concluded by giving the first
toast. which was responded to by AttOr-
ucy-Gencral Miller. Of Indiana. The toast
was. "The President of the United States
for which Secretary Elllins had originally
been slated. The Attorney-Gencral said:
81 have not been won't i'm the twenty years
Of intimate association with President
Harrison TO attempt TO analyze his char
acter; to catalogue his great qualities; 10
try 10 determine wherein he was greatest
and wherein ne was weakest; but l have
been accustomed 10 work along, side by
side with him. each of us trying TO ac-
COmplsh that which was set before us as
the task / can only say, in general
way. that never in all that twenty years
I
tatiOn which was entertained as 10 what
he could and would do. Now. tonight,
as 1 think of my friend, sitting i'm his
lonely home. watching for the face that
shall never gladden. his hrcside again,
watching for the football that shall never
come listening for the voice whose music
he shall never again hear, ] cannot but
feel that the best tribute can pay 10 him
IS that OF simple, unspoken sympathy
General Miller then closed his speech |
10y a commentary upon the official duties !
devolyiue upon the President of the |
United States. and depTccatory Of the ten |
dcncy Of the legislature 70 encroach |
upon those executive duties. The mem /
bers showed "a hearty appreciation of the
speakers efforts los liberal applause at the
close of his speech.
Secretary of the Treasury Foster was
next introduced. He gave a history Of
the Treasury Department from the time
Of ITS inception in 1169 and INDUCED i'm an
elaborate defense of the manner i'm which
the Office had been conducted during Re
publican administrations
The toast. "ltaly." was responded to by
Mr. Sinclair Mckelway, of Brooklyn.
Mr.. Cleveland being introduced, spoke as
follows
Mr.. President and Gentcmen,-I am ex-
,ecdingly gratihed by the kindness and
a
prise me. however for ! have seen ana
elt on more than one occasion the cor
Hal hospitality and heartncss of those
sho assemble at the annual dinners of
jur chambers of commerce.
We all have noticed that many men, |
when they seek to appear especially wise
,nd impressive speak of "our business in
crcsts' as something awful and mystic
1ous, and quite often when a proposition
S under discussion, its merits are no
orger apparent to those whose hair is on
md at the solemi suggestion that "our
BUSINESS interests" are lying i'm wait with
numerous Walls Of wrath in complete
eadiness for those who arrive at an un-
expected conclusion.
j am fortunate i'm being able to state
hat my relation TO the chamber Of COM
Leite of the State of New York, though
merely of complimentary kind arising
rom honorary membership. have so IA
lilluizcd me with business inter-
SIS that ] no longer regard these
ords as meaning a blOod-thirsty beast, /
OF do 1 have constantly before my mind
hose children in the Biblical story who
ere torn in pieces by bears for discus
ng too much at random the badness Of
IA ancient prophet 7
IT IS entirely natural that my familiarity +
lth business interests arising from my =
.lation 10 which l have referred should +
e. OF a pleasant sort and free from fear :
nd ucpidation. All of the meetings 1 9
ave ever attended OF chambers of com
lerce have been precisely such as this, :
hen the best things to eat and drink ,
ave been cNhaustively discussed. / am :
jund 10 say that on these occasions the
'eadful beings representing business in
rests have been very human indeed.
/ know YOU viii not do me the very
eat injustice of supposing that 1 in the >
asst underrate the importance of the \
and financial interests here ,
presented. ON the contrary, no one ap- 7
eciatoS more fully than / that while a =
oper adjustment Of all interests should y
maintained, you represent those which !
e utterly Indispensable 10 our national :
oWth and prosperity. / do not believe h
tt any other interests should be obliged G
iced from the crumbs which fan from
r table Of business. nor do ! believe
tl That table should be robbed of the
''l things which they honestly and II
t'y Iu, there. merely because some \
ner tables are not well provided. n
j. comes 10 this. we are all interested | q
"HirIcans in common pursuit our II
d pose ls, or ought TO be, in our several Il
"'ie7, 10 add TO the fund Of national al
.aperity. From this fund we are all en- IN
iea 10 draw. perhaps not equally, but pl
,lly. each receiving a fair proportion of re
iivduai prosperity Il,
-et US avoid tramplng on each other
oui anxiety 10 be first I'm the distribu-
ff DNIa