The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-11-18
A HOST OF EMINENT MEN
ATTEND THE BANQUET OF NEW
 YORK CHAIBER OF COMMERCE..

Letter From President Cleveland Express
 ing His Qualification in the Result of the
 Recent Election-Principal Speech Was
 Made by Postmaster General Wilson
 Patriotism Domin ated the Occasion.
 New York, Nov. 1.-The one hundred and twenty-eighth annual banquet of the New York chamber of commerce was held this evening at Delmonico's, and among the 376 guests were the most prominent professional and com mercial men of the country, as we'll as distinguished statesmen and politi- clans. The large banquet room was decorated With several hundred Amer ican flags, and the tables were orna- mented with roses and other flowers.
 A. B. Orr president of the chamber, presided, and seated at the guest table were Postmaster General William L. Wilson, Whitelaw Reid, General Nelson A. Miles, Mayor Strong, Seth Low, Rev. Dr, David H. Greer, J. Sterling Morton, secretary of agriculture; H. A. Herbert, SNSASSetAy Ol lIlG lelN HULL UO0Spll INs Hawley, Hon. J. H. Eckels. Hon. Jo- seph Fl. Walker, Charles A. Dana, Hon. w. Bourke Cochran, Admiral Henry Erben, U. s. N, Commodore Montgom- cry Sicard, U. S. N, and Murat Hal stead.
 Among others present were General Horace Porter, J. Edward Simmons, Henry w. Cannon, Carl Schurz, Cor nelius N. Bliss, John I. Waterbury, George J. Gould, Clement A. Griscom, president of the Maritime exchange; Arthur F. Bowers, Henry Clews, D. o. Mills, George Wilson, secretary of the chamber of commerce; J. G, Cannon, Isaac Seligman, G. M. Pullman, c. R. Flint and Henry Willard.
 When the coffee and cigars were serv- ed President Orr arose and was heart fly cheered. MT, Orr welcomed the guests, and in the course of his remarks he said:
 q cannot refrain from making men tion of the startling and revolutionary issues that were forced into the late presidential campaign, with all their accompanying conditions of anxiety and misgiving. Almost every element that enters into the composition of our system of government that we hold most sacred-law order, patriotism, na- tional integrity, the purity of our courts of justice and the honest char acter of our money-Were vigorously and mischievously assailed and put upon the defensive, and as a conse- auence a severe strain was placed up- on all our business and financial inter- ests.
 ''The battle that has just been fought and so gloriously won, was not the struggle of old time political opponents contending for political control. In it the usual lines of demarcation were abandoned and republicans and demo- crats stood shoulder to shoulder, as patriots, with single purpose of up- holding the dignity, honor and welfare of the common country. They joined hands in opposition to a crafty and treacherous foe, who, having captured the banners of one great party, mar shalled beneath them the thoughtless, the illogical, the dissatisfied, the vi-' cious and the untrue of all parties, and under cover of a stolen name sought to overthrow the most brilliant and potent type of free constitutional government the world has ever known.
 MT McKinley's election means more to us than any other election that has yet taken place in this country since we won our way into the family of nations. Before him lies the great and glorious opportunity of winning back to this land it's normal conditions of prosperity and giving contentment and happiness to every household.
 "At the same time a grave responsi- bility will rest with his administration, for it can make or mar for many years to come the future of this great repub- lie. With an abiding confidence in his intellectual equipment for his high of- fee and in his rectitude of purpose in it's administration the chamber of commerce of the state of New York wishes him cheering and sympathetic Godspeed."
 The following letter from President Cleveland, dated Washington, Novem- Der 16, was then read by President Orr:
 My Dear Sir:
 s"The pleasure which participation in the banquets of the chamber of commerce has afforded me in the past and the kindly feeling and broad spirit of enterprise which always pervades these occasions cause me to regret most sincerely that I cannot join the goodly company that will gather around the chambers hospitable board tomorrow evening.
 Recent events may we'll cause those who represent business interests to re- joice in escape from threatened peril. But while they have abundant reason for rejoicing and can view with the greatest satisfaction the support they have given sound money in the con- test lately waged against it, earnestly hope that in this time of congratula tion it will be remembered that con- stant vigilance and continued effort are required to even maintain present con- ditions; but that absolute safety will only be secured when our financial sys- tenn is protected by affirmative and thorough reforms.
 When our business men are habitu- ally alert and watchful, and when they are, moreover, fully aroused to the im- portance of such legislative action con- corning our finances as business meth ods approve and the welfare of the en- tire country requires, much good may fa aODfd apt1v apffcina a ted mt only in