The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-02
DELEGATES ENTERTAINED.
me Commercial Club Banquet Last
Night "a Brilliant Affair.


The banquet rendered to delegates to tbe
municipal League conference and the la
dies accompanying them, by the CONNER
clal CUB at the Denison Hotel last night,
was a notable and brilliant affair, Covers
Tor seventy-flve were laid in the banquet
hall. The tables were handsomely deco
rated with great pots of chrysanthemums
and roses. An excellent menu was served
after which there We're responses to a nun-
Der Of toasts on topics appropriate to the
purpose for which the National Municipa
League is in session.
Lucius B. Swift, in opening the more seri-
Gus part of the evenings entertainment
related an incident when he attended a.
hag-raising last spring. At that time he
was impressed with the idea that the
American flag was the most beautiful en-
blem on earth. 1.-THE flag" said he. sis
more than the simple emblem of valor. To
SO regard it is to take narrow view of the
stars and stripes. 1t is the emblem of the
whole national character What does the
nag OF France represent? It tells him who
sees 1t that In France justice has difficulty
In Keeping her place in the nation The
soldiers at Santiago were full of valor. and
the flag truly represents that valor. but
when the civil side is turned to, the speaker
said he was sorry to say that it was i'm
possible to speak without uncertainty. eve
have got to realize that the battlefield is
not the only place that we must keen the
stars and stripes pure AS a rule we cannot
govern the cities of the United States. al
though we boast of our right to self-gov-
for war by fighting the battles of peace
We must win the battles of peace The
money that Spain had gathered for torpe-
doeS, gunboats and cannon did not go FOR
those purposes, but went into the pockets
OF men who were thieves and robbers
Dewey won at Manila harbor and we won
py land and sea at Santiago because be-
fore that, we had won the battles of peace
Insomuch as we failed to provide proper
1000 Tor our soldiers prevent fevers and
ward Off suffering, we had failed to win the
battles of peace. What does it suffice If
Dewey wins the battles of the sea if we
cities?" w sAe'''
ROBERT S. TAYLOR's SPEECH.
Mr. Swift concluded with a graceful in
PRODUCTION of Robert S. Taylor, of Fort
Wayne candidate for United States sena-
tor, who Mr.. Swift spoke Of as a man
VINO is interested in the altruism of munich
pal reform. Mr.. Taylor was loudly ap-
plauded as he arose to speak on the "Altru-
ism of Municipal Reform"
All the difficulties of the social problem
eliminate in the great city," said he.
Human nature there touches it's best and
It's worst. There is nothing more cruel than
Its oppression, nothing more generous than
its charities, nothing baser than its had
men, nothing purer than it's good women.
IneIe Is noInlng more pathetic than the
helpleSsness of it's poor thousands irresist-
IDLY drawn together by the gregarfous in
Stlnct of the race, and as poWerless to get
away from their wretched surroundings or
better their condition as so MANY oysters
az the bottom of the sea. / know of no
other, place where it is as hard to walk
IL c in -
IN New YORK on Sunday afternoon in
summer time, when commerce has forsaken
us us thorough1ares, and the neighborng
tenants have taken possession of them
There may be no appearance of acute want
or conscious suffering. The jaded women in
the doorways and on the steps are cheer
ful and chatty. The irTepreSsible gayety Of
childhood only saddens the scene. They all
InlhK 4ho they e T. are re happy That is the very
tun IN such place; TO see pale, weak Slim
legged little shaverS caper around like sick
lambs trying to play touches a man more
than the sight of suffering in a hospital
1t Is place to make a man wish he had
millions to bestow that he might transport
such children to green fields where well
lambs play. But one could do only a tram
sient and Intellectual good if he had ever so
many millions The faculty and the oppor-
tunlty Tor Self-help are the only real and
permanent goods. The first condition of tFue
happiness and prosperity to masses of pao-
pie thus brought together is good govern
ment. The best schemes for the ameiora-
ton of the condition Of the unfortunate can
be only partially effective under bad gov
ernment To my imagination Richard
Croker is the most dreadful embodiment Of
evil power existing in the world. His pres
ence and influence infects society like a
blood poison The rottenness of a govern
ment like his does not confine itself to poll
tics By its bad example, its corruption OF
officials its partnership with crime, it
breeds a social rottenness. Against demor-
alizng influences so vast and so persist
ent the efforts Of phianthrOpists to lift
men up into better ways are Intellectual
The government of a city is so intimately
related to its life and society that good
social conditions and bad government cam
not exist together.
But the humanitarian movement finds
such distractions in its way in bad Tnunic-
ipal government that it is scarcely extraVa-
giant to say that municipal reform becomes
a condition precedent to the successful cal-
rying out of any other kind of reform. and
is, therefore the most fundamental and far
reaching altruistic movement of the times.
It is much more than simple political re-
form. 1t means TO the dwellers in great
cities purer food, water and air. cleaner
streets, better schools, hospitals, parks, ami
an advance ali along the line OF things and
institutions which promote health, comfort,
morality and happiness, 1t will take away
from the people less In taxes and give them
more in returns. II has some promise Il