The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-05
THE PRESS CLUB BANQUET.
xM ERENING or WIr LAND JoLLHF
At THE ISTOkI1.S

CAV. erlrgs, Mgr. srartIneiti. IBourke Geek
; . : Snh.f ana Mayor strong Among Thsse
: WHO Joined with the Members In Ceie-
brnt,nE the Cius's Tu ssty-nrth birthday.
The New York Press Club celebrated the
twcnty.1fth anniversary OF It's existence by n
dinner at the Hotel Astoria last night. Three
hundred and nfty members and about nifty
guests were present. Joseph Howard, Jr., Pres-
aidenEof the club. presided. and among tho guests
stcrn Ehnunccy NJ. Dopcw. w. Bourkc Cochran.
William Bcrri. Charles Emory Smith, Mgr.
b. Martinclli. the parnl Delegate: Gov. GrigRs
of New Jersey. Mayor Strong. John Swinton'
Col. A.. X. Mcclure. and the Roy. +. q. Rocker.
Tho renowned Mickey Finn was not present. 30
tho club song. scatter Seeds OF Kindness had
TO be rendered by a substitute. Alfred f. Pear
sail filed tho bill ncccptably, and the diners fell
In ut tho chorus with customary vigor.
After President Towards brief address OF
welcome, Mr.. Cochran was introduced. He said
In part:
II congratulate tho Press Club on its twenty
Ave years of existence, and l do so most hearth
ly. because l am Interested in 1t and its career.
] am one OF those who believe that nothing
concerning the press can be uninteresting.
Journalism Is n field where thcro is no favor.
Success must be won. Whom you ~criticise the
press you c~riticise the PEOPLE. for the newspaper
Is the only infalliblo medium through which you
can test the tastes anu CIVILIZATION OF inc people.
every much that is extravagant and very
much that is absurd is said about tho press.
There is q startling divergence Of opinion re-
garding 1t among the people. Some bemoan its
loss of influence; others bemoan its increasing
power. But after all public opinion IL largely
the result Of what people read in the news,
not a divine institution for the ruling
q man, but merely a human device
newspaper frequently offends against good
taste is but to acknowledge that it is conducted
fences. 1t is u fact Of incshmablc consolation
that no newspaper ever attempted TO sncer at
S rIm : t Then Snep all sspv yie sn9 Or 70 ab sp sia Q fo or
virtue and good morals.
Gentlemen. | don't say the journalist is
is n type of what is best among men,.
Mgr. .Martinclli, who spoke next, said in part:
Il wish could speak 10, you in my nntiye
tongue, because then l could say more exactly
what l feel. ! regard 1t as q great compliment
Club. l am and have been an admirer of the
American newspaper man, and want to add
my rc.s roRG GT nia c,nS Is On Sow ,h So aTxeH'y'hfth ami
Mayor Strong said:
II think the reason I'm so popular here is
because I've furnished more fun for you news
paper men during my term as Mayor than any
OF my predecessors. I don't think you boys II
ever have another to make such fun for you,
and while Tn on the subject III say that I'm
very sure thercU never be another Mayor
VINO ii enjoy tue run mauc OF MIN more tnan L
have
"Idon't think you'd all be hero tonight II /
hadn't been tho Mayor Of the city. I've given
YOU so much that's good to write about that It's
madc your papers attractive. increased their
calculations, and so spread prosperity broadcast
among you"
Seriously, gentlemen. l think that the news.
papers OF this city have n great misRion before
Them. I can image nothing that will be better
for the city than for the newspapers to begin
now to make their suggestions for the govern
ment of the new city which will be born on Jan.
J.. 1t Is from the newspapers that we get our
best ideas on government, and now Is q chance
for them to beslir themselves.
The old city. our old city. dies on the 3lst of
the present month, and the future of the new
city depends moro on the help which the new
administration gets from the newspapers than
on anything else. l sincerely hope that the
newspapers will do In this emergency what they
have always done in the past-usc their brains
In making wise suggestions
Chauncey NJ. Depew said:
q! cam palm my regular speechofs on you boys.
two days, that l would like to. I've just come
own from Yale, where l was the Judge at the
annual debate between that university and
Harvard. OF course Yale won. l want 10 add
my congratulations to those the Press Club
has received tonight from its many friends on
its twenty.tifth birthday. 1t has been twenty
five years of usefulness, and apparently of pros
perity, and you are certainly to DO commended. u
DIR. Depew spoke at some length on newspa-
pers and newspaper men, and was warmly APP
plauded.
Gov. Griggs. DR.. Rocker. and DR.. John Fried
rich also spoke.