The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-11
RETAIL MERCHANTS DINE
PROMINENT MEN PRESENT At
THEIR INNUAL D4NQUT.

Senator Hawiey, Congressman Sperry
Rev. DIR. Phillips and Others Delivered
Speeches - Representative Business
Men Gathered Around the Festal
Board at the New Haven House.
The New Haven retail merchants
scored another brilliant success last
night. 1t was the occasion of their fifth
annual banquet, and all previous eff
forts were clearly surpassed. The large
dining room of the New Haven house
presented scene that will long be re-
membered by the several hundred men,
bers, speakers and invited guests pres
ent. The speakers were seated at one
large table, which was presided over by
the president Of the Retail Merchants
association, ex-Alderman H. Fl. Guern-
sey The others were Congressman N.
! d. Sperry, Senator Joseph r. Hawley,
Mayor Farnsworth, the Rev. DIR. Wat
son l.. Phillips, Harry Leigh, president
of the state association; Vice President
c. e. Hart and j. B. Judson.
The remainder of the banqueters were
seated at numerous small tables in the
room. The decorations were unusually
pretty. Potted plants of different hues
placed on each table added much to the
beauty of the scene. The menu was one
of Landlord Moseley's best and served
in splendid style by corps of walters
under the direction of Moses T. Rice.
Wells orchestra in the small dining
room played an excellent programme Of
popular music during the progress Of
the dinner and intermissions between
the speeches.
The gathering was one of representa-
tive business men. not only retail mer-
chants, but manufacturers, jobbers and
importers. President Guernsey acted
as POSTMASTER. In his opening remarks
he gave a short history Of the local as
sociation, saying in part:
ION the occasion Of the fifth anniver-
sary you are to be congratulated, in the
first place, by reason Of our guests, and,
secondly, by reason of the increased
membership of our association. We
have grown in influence, Importance
and power, and are now entering upon
our sixth year. Our membership is
nearly double that of last year, with
work planned which, if carried through,
will demonstrate to the public the ben
eft of this organization. 1t has proved
factor in Connecticut affairs. This
association has set the example for 9TH
er cities in the state, and six local asso-
Citations have been organized and these
formed into a state association with
over thousand members. 1t has met
the need and want of the world. 1t
brings business men together, brings in
touch men of the same as well as those
of various lines of business. Unity is
what we seek, and by this alone can the
merchants of this city be successful.
The executive board of this association
intend devotng their efforts in what
ever line is best for the business inter-
ests of the city and to keep New Haven
where she is--at the head of the COM
mercial center of Connecticut
In few appropriate remarks he in
troduced Senator Hawley. The senator
was given three rousing cheers as he
rose to his feet. He said in part:
/ thank you sincerely for your kind
ness, not only now, but on all former
occasions. A class of educated and in
telligent men have grown UP that al
ways discourages us by saying that we
have a poor lot of men at the head of
the government. ! was brought up to
think that this was the strongest, BEST
the world
and that there was no such thing as
fail I do not despair because OF the
present outlook. What we have done
we can equal in the future. | think 1T
was a generous and manly impulse to
make war on Spain. Cuba, under the
Spanish government, had been always
a troublesome country. The thing be-
came chronic. Until the Maine was
blown UP a most senseless and wicked
matter. We were not prepared for the
war, as a nation of size and influence
should have been. Our navy was not
so good as it should have been, but
thank God it was good enough. We
had small army. There Is demo-
gogic dread of a standing army. The
Yankee can do everything he wants
when ne is III a hurry ana Is I1ldu.
1t was very gallant think that Hob
son did, but I'll wager $4,000 men could
have been found to do the same as he
did. There were many other things to
cause us to love our men. In the hand
ling of all the money necessary to car
ry on this war there hasn't been
single defalcation. I'm proud of these
things, not only because its my coun-
try, but proud of human nature. That
which seems to trouble our people
more than anything else is the Philip
pines. Dewey was sent there to stay.
He had no right to leave, as some peo-
pie think he should have done. There
was placed upon him a solemn, grand
and great duty, to defend the defence
less, and Dewey did it. We have no
malice against those people as the
Spaniards had. But they began to
shoot at us. We haven't fired an ag-
gressive gun. We We're bound to pro
tect the United states rights there. II
is no way to convince us to begin to
kill us. The dream of freedom and
peace, which they fought for is within
our power to make realistic.
Speaking of the army bill, he said:
We got the best bill we could, and have |
left it in the hands of one man to raise |
IN army Of 100000 men, and I believe. |
from what I know of him. both in the |
house and in my relations with him as !
president, that he will discharge that |