The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-23
ON F()REFAIHERS' DAY
Leading Lights Of the Eation Celebrate
at Philadeiphii.
SPEECHES AT A GRAND BANQUET
BY General Harrison, Mr.. Edmun IL and
Others-BouteIle Booms Harrison for
the Presidency Edward Everett Hale
Di.cusses the Civit Service.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. g. - Some of the
leading lights of oratory, literature,
politics, journalism and the learned pro-
fessions were the men who ex-President
Harrison met last evening Mt the thir-
teenth annual festival of the New Eng
land society of Pennsylvania. The ban.
quet board was spread at the Continental
hotel
Preceding the banquet was an informal
reception TO tho ex-president, and ex-
Senator Edmunds of Vermont The en-
tertainment committee received in parlor
G, which was ablaze with light and
fragrant with palms and floral decora-
bions.
Here General Harrison and ex-senator
Edmunds stood surrounded by the COM
mittee, while the members of the society
and their guests were introduced at the
banquet which followed in the elabor-
ated decorated dining room.
Charles Emory Smith was POSTMASTER,
with General Harrison on his right and
Mr.. Edmunds on the left. The president
of the society introduced ex-President
Harrison who spoke to the toast, "Ths
President Of the United States"
Harrison's Speech.
The speaker said that he felt that he
owed something To Mr.. Smith because he
had appointed the latter to an Office which
did not pay his expenses. He expressed
his gratitude to the people of Philadelphia
for their cordiality on his embarrassment
on being called upon to compete with 40
many bright minds in an after-dinner
speech.
ut occurred to me today" he said, "to
inquire why You had to associate SIX
states in order to get up respectable
society. IL you would adopt the liberal
charter measure of the Ohio society have
no doubt you could sub-divide yourselves
into six good societies The Ohio society
admits to membership everybody who has
lived voluntarily six months in Ohio.
"No involuntary resident is permitted
20 come in. But the association of these
states and the name New England is part
7. of an old classification Of the states that
we used to have in Biographies, and all
that classification is gone, except in New
England and the south.
A Dig at Hawaii.
"The west has disappeared and the
middle states cannot be identified. Where
is the westy Why just now ut the point
of that long chain of islands that put off
from the Alaska coast, and, IL am to
credit what read, for I have no sources
OF information now except the newspaper
press, there are some who believe that
there are wicked men who want TO hitch
the chain on 10 another island further out
In the sea. II that could be done the west
would become the east, for / think the
orient has generally been counted to be
the east.
1.-THE New England character and the in
flucnce of New England men and women
has made it's impress upon the whole coun-
try. The love Of education, the resolve
that il should be general, the love Of home
with all the pure and sacred influences
that cluster about it, are elements i'm the
New England character that have n saw
ing force incalculable i'm this great nation
which we live.
Your civil institutions have been free
and high and clean from the old town
meeting days until now. New England
has believed in free elections and the fair
count"
DIR. Hale ON Civil Service.
Rev. Edward Everett Hale, the next
speaker, talked OF "The Day We Cele-
brate." Mr.. Hale said among other
things:
"when you can establish civil service
commission whose examination shall give
you for the Offices OF your government
men Of pure spiri,, instead Of selfish men:
pure men, instead OF proaigates; men who
are honest rather than cunning; patriots
and not traitors. men In n word who love
their neighbors better than themselves.
then your civil service reforms will be as
popular with the RINK and file rs they are
now with the theorists about government.
and not till then"
Douteiic Booms Harrison.
Congressman Charles Boutelle Of Maine