Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-23
FlRSlPRESIDENT'S BIRTHDAY
Celebration of Michigan Republican Club
a Notable Affair,
NLGER's UTTeRANC. ANENT THE LATE WAR
Says Nothing Specific In His Remarks
but Refers TO the Fact that IL
Has Becn Year of Great
Difficulties.

DETROIT, Feb. 22.-'Jt has been a difi-
cult year. We are landed on a new field.
The stars and stripes are planted tonight In
a place where they never have been before
on Washington's birthday. They have
never been taken down from where they had
been planted but once before and they never
will be again"
Such was the characteristic utterance OF
General Russell A.. Alger, secretary Of war,
on assuming the function OF to-
night at the fourteenth annual banquet oil
the Michigan club. The secretary was In
troduced by Brigadler General Henry NJ.
Duffield, president of the club.
When the POSTMASTER arose he was
greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the
upwards OF 500 republicans of Michigan who
sat at the banquet tables and from the
crowd in the galleries. The secretary said
nothing specific in his brief Introductory re.
marks about War department affairs. He
congratulated citizens OF the United States
upon their intelligence, loyalty and patriot
ism shown the last year and upon the fact
that the financial tide had turned so that
the nation. which was once a borrower, is
now on top in a financial sense. Said he:
1--WE have som hard propositions to solve,
but we have a solver in Washington"
Immense Attendance.
The scene of the banquet was the new
Light Guard armory, the interior of which
was gay with emblems of patriotism. Por-
traits OF Washington, Lincoln, Mckinley
and Alger were displayed. A score OF
well known republicans sat at the speakers
table and the attendance was larger than any
of recent years. General Dufield, in his open
ing address, characterized President Nc
Kin.ey as 1.-The peer of Washington and Lin
coin"
Introducing Governor Pingree, to deliver
his address of welcome, General Alger raised
a laugh by saying: The governor has just
been telling me that he always dreaded tc
speak. / told him / thought / could get w
a liberal contribution If he never woulC
speak"
have the honor, and it gives me pleas
ure to extend the greetings of the state o
Michigan, OF the city OF Detroit, and Oh th'
Michigan club, to our distinguished visit5r'
and to the Members OF the club. i espe
ciRlly prize this opportunity TO welcome
General Alger, whose duties at washington
have kept him from his home city so long
/ was pleased to learn that the club haC
shown its appreciation of his service to IN
country by inviting him to take the post o
honor at this banquet.
A gathering Of this kind should be az
occasion for saying pleasant things concern
ing the record of the republican party. TIL
eloquent words Of those of our guests ant
members who are endowed with the gf
Of speaking them, and the good cheer, arr
properly intended to confirm US in our al
leglance to the party. l earnestly hope tina
you will receive and appreciate the advan
tages Of acquaintance and friendship whicl
result from meetings OF this kind, and tina
the party to which we belong may profit b.
what is said here tonight.
Governor Pingree then spoke somewhat c
length, expressing his we'll known views o;
topics of interest to republicans.
Secretary Wilson Speaks.
Hon. James Wilson, secretary OF agricul
ture, was warmly greeted when he rose t
respond to the toast, "Our Agricultural In
terests."
The Two Poles of Political Policy wa
responded to by Hon. Frank o. Lowden o
Chicago.
The principal address Of the evening wa
by Frank S. Monnett, attorney general o
Ohio, whose subject was The States Con
troll over Corporations"
President Mckinley sent regrets as di'
Hon. John S. Wise and several others.
Patriotic songs were interspersed through
out the evening.