The herald., 1898-02-23
AT OTHER PLACES
The Day Fittingly Observed Through
out the Union

CHICAGO, Feb. 22.-Ex-President
Benjamin Harrison spoke today at the
Auditorium at the central meeting of
the annual celebration of the Union
League Club in honor of Washington. All
the historical and civic societies of the
city were fully represented. Among the
distinguished guests of the Union League
Club present at the meeting were DR..
John U. Finlay, President of Knox Col
lege; General John A. Palmer, Major
General John r. Brooke, former Gov
ernor Richard j. Oglesby and Chas. w.
Smith of Philadelphia. The Apollo Club
of four hundred voices furnished the
music.
Ex-President Harrisons subject was
Obligations of Wealth.
Mr.. Harrison said in part:
Monuments and birthday anniversaries
should be commemorative. not creative
commemorative of deeds that evoke wide
gratitude and of virtues that are still inn
liable. There are men who have so won
our hearts that we would recall them If we
could. We feel the need of them. No change
of dynasties, no outbreak of the mob
threaten their monuments One can hardly
conceive of any civil revolution or any riot
Gus outbreak in our country that would
liOl itcptCl llle Ol w dSHlI6 lOIl
and of Lincoln. While they lived they were
at times hated by men and by communities
but when the fun stories of their lives were
unfoldcd, when motives and purposes were
explored, when the universal beneficence
of their public services was seen, in the
establishment by one and the rescue by
the other of free constitutional govern
ment, all their countrymen rendered them
homage.
a IN hn or,y,ixy nf
birth of Washington not so much, IL at all
to bring tribute to him, as to learn at his
feet the lessons of a conscientious citi-
zenship.
I'm choosing for my theme The Obliga-
tions of Wealth. am not wrestling this
anniversary from its legitimate use. We dc
not need to forget-indeed, we cannot for
get-Washington, when we reflect upon oul
obligations to the state. His life teaches
no lesson more strongly than that the citi-
zen is under obligation to serve the state
never to shirk his full share of burden ano
labor and sacrifice, but rather to do more
wealth is comparative term, and my
address is not for that very limited body
of multi-millonaires called by the Popu'
listic orators 'plutocrats.' A smaller audi
ence chamber would have sufficed for them
and perhaps the orator should have beer
of the guild. l want to speak of the obli
cations of the 'well-to-do' people, the fore
handed, prosperous men and women of oul
communities, whether their estates are
reckoned by thousands or by millions.
1--WE live in time of great agitation, of g
war of clashing thoughts and interests
Men, no longer satisfied with what ap
pears above ground, are uncovering roots
There is feeling that some men are handi
capped, that the race is sold, that the ole
and much-vaunted equality of opportuni
ty and of right has been submerged. More
bitter and threatening things are being
said and written against accumulated prop
erty and corporate power than ever before
''The special purpose OF my address today
is to press home this thought upon thu
prosperous. well-to-do people of our com
munity, and especially Of our great cities