The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-18
THEIR MORAL AND MENTAL, ca
PACITY SHOWN BY THE AMER
ICAN PEOPLE.
GOTHAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Ats Annual Dinner Transformed Into
Commercial GIOrifcatiOn-
Letter From Cleveland.

mas peen held by that great organiza-
tlon Considered in view of the out
come of the national election, it might
justly be called a Commercial glori-
ncatlon" by the 400 members and the
oOo guests who attended the dinner.
many OF the speeches were distinctly
OF eongratulatory character and
those who led the fight against free
coinage were given unstinted praise.
Whlle every mention Of their names
was greeted with applause.
President Cleveland and Gov. Morton
were unable to attend the BANQUET.
but they wrote letters, which, when
read, were received with wild cheering.
Gov Morton's letter contained this SEN
tence
l cannot forego the opportunity to ex
press to the chamber and its guests, repre-
sentlng as they do the commercial and
financial interests of the Empire Citv and
state, my qualification that the American
people have so signally and Enthusiastically
t maze pubic declaration and set the seal Of
tnelr approval upon the question of main
tanning 1nviolate the national honor and the
monetary credit Of our people.
The main hall in which President
Alex, E. Orr, and the guests Of honor
were seated, was tastefully decorated.
AAO I1IAC page OI the menu was a COM
plhatlon OF die and plate work. Seated
at the guests table We're the Rev. Dr..
David r. d. Greer, Charles S. Smith,
Samuel D. Babcock, Seth Low, Mayor
Strong, Gen. Nelson, A. Miles. White
law Reid, Gov. John w. Griggs, of
New Jersey; Postmaster General Will
son, Secretary J. Sterling Morton, Sen
ator Joseph R. HawIey, Comptroller
Fckels, Jos. H. Walker, w. Bourke
Cochran, Admiral Henry Erben,
Commodore Montgomery Sicard and
Murat Halsted. At the head of the
seven other tables in the banquet hall.
sat Cornelius N. Bliss, Henry W. Can
Simmons, Carl SchurZ, Frederick w.
Devoe and Cornelius D. Wood Along
the lines on either side of the tables.
sat men representing the commercial,
financial and business interests of the
country. Among these were noticed
George j. Gould, John Clafiin, James
M. Constable, VIM. P Clyde. Calvin S.
Brice, John Jacob Astor, George Nj.
Pullman, John D. Crimmins, Charles r.
Flint, Roswell p. Flower, VIM. Stein
way, Darius o. Mills and others Of
equal prominence. President Orr. amid
a storm of cheers, delivered his intro
ductory address. He paid a splendid
tribute to Generals Palmer and Buck
her and all who opposed the Chicago
platform and closed with a eulogy Of
Mr.. Hanna and President-eIect Nc
Kinley.
LETTER FROM CLEVELAND.
At the conclusion of his speech,
President Orr added: I'VE expected the
president Of the United States with us
this evening, but at the last minute
he has sent a letter stating that he
was unable to be present. In proposing
his health, l will first read the letter
in which he stated his inability to
come:
Executive Mansion, Washington, D. c.: The
pleasure which participation in the ban
quets of the chamber Of commerce has af-
forded me in the past, and the kindly feeling
and broad spirit Of enterprise which always
peryaded these occasions, cause me to
gret most sincerely that l cannot join the
goodly company that will gather around the
chambers hospitable board tomorrow evening.
Recent events may well cause those who
represent business interests to rejoice in their
escape from threatened peril But while
they have abundant reason for rejoicing and
can view with the greatest satisfaction the
support they have given the cause Of sound
money in the contest lately Waged against
congratulation it will be remembered that
constant vigilance and continued effort are
required to even maintain present conditions;
that absolute safety will only be secured when
our financial system is protected by affirm
alive and thorough reforms.
Whenever business men are habitually alert
fully aroused to the Importance of such legis-
lative action concerning our finances as bust
ness methods approve and the welfare of the
entire country requires, much good may be
confidently anticipated, not only in the ac-
complishment of practical results, but in the
removal of hurtful prejudices, through
surance to the people that business and patri-
otism are becoming more and more united.
After the letter had been read, a
toast 10 the presidents health was
drunk, standing. The president then
introduced Postmaster General VIII
liam L. Wilson, who responded to the
toast, Free Government on Trial"
Postmaster General Wilson said in
part:
GOVERNMENT ON TRIAL.
Every general election in this country is
a trial of free government, and not less truly
a trial Of those institutions through which
eminent. We have just had a test Of the
capacity of universal suffrage to deal with
the question, so confessedly difficult, that in
other countries it is committed to trained ex-
perts and specially educated statesmen. That
the result has been triumph for national
integrity is a cause for thanksgiving; that
the result has been achieved by a partial and
temporary dissolution of party ties and the
hearty concert of forces irreconcilably antag-
onistic on other policies, is ground for quick
ened patriotism and loftier pride in Ameri-
can citizenship. To make forever safe the
fruits Of such victory is now the duty and
responsibility Of those to whom the initiative
and power have come with a verdict of the
late election.
1t would be as untrue as 1t would be IRA
tionaI to suppose that all the millions Of
American voters who were massed behind the
of reputation and disaster or were less patri-
otto than the mass Of their countrymen.
Strange as it may seem, the question of
maintaining the financial integrity of the
country, of keeping good faith in public and
private dealings was confused in the minds
OF many citizens with the policy Of defending
terests were the interests of q class and to
that extent hostile to the interests Of the
masses of the people.
In the honest belief of a section of the
voters, is becoming fixed the idea that gov
eminent is so administered and that laws are
SO framed as to make unjust distribution of
social benefits; as to make more difficult the
upward path in life and to narrow the gate
way Of opportunity for that vast majority
Of youth whose sole dependence is individual
merit and individual effort.
If this points to weak point in our poIiti-
cal fabric, 1t Is our duty to look fearlessly
and carefully to that point and to strengthen
it as best we may If. on the other hand, it
rests on any real basis in our laws or in
the present working of our industrial or
ganization, those laws should be reformed
and that Industrial organization should be
brought into harmony with Democratic gov
eminent. II we are to escape in the future
the cries we have heard In this campaign OF
the power OF plutocracy, Of the classes and
the masses, Of the antagonism between cap
ital and labor. and of the gulf between the
rich and the poor, all wrongs or abuses that
can breed and foster such ideas must be
patiently and honestly obliterated.
1t Is not that successful defense has been
made, but that power and authority have
been gained for such legislation as will
place our monetary system on safe and
impregnabls basis, where experience of its
wisdom and safety will be some protection
against assault and wild, tmpracticabie the
DRY. We must all admit that the entire
body of our financial legislation for years
has been makeshift and concession to
mistaken ideas.