Evening star., 1899-03-24

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| all to myself; an incident will explain:
l. After Braddock's Inflated expedition In
the terrible panic on the border, the Penn
sylvania authortiesi catching at the hope
that as Ben Franklin knew everything else,
he must understand how to fight called
him to command the troops the border.
And so Franklin, before-the discovery of
| Kentucky even. accepted the highest title
| of a true American by becoming colonel
of militia. There were few military posts
in the regiment with regard to which Ben
| Franklin. if he was not competent to fill
| them himself could not give useful hint
to the holder The chaplain of his regiment
| complained that the men Swould not attend
public worship The commanding officer &C.
| accordingly suggested that the chaplain
should himself serve out the rum when
prayers were over, and never, said Frank
lin. were prayers more punctually and gen.
| orally attended. AS Col FranklinS rum
helped the chaplains congregation, so /
think this beautiful banquet these meats
and wines. must divide with me the COM
pliment of your presence.
Sixteen years ago / came here as
member of Congress- and for eight years
| tried to be useful to my country. But
| whether I was right or wrong on national
politics men may divide. / know that, first,
| as a member of the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia, and later, after six
years, as Il member of the committee on
| appropriations, I helped much good legis-
! lation for the District of Columbia. The
| early struggle for good street paving,
| your schools and school buildings, your
| sewers, the new pan OF sewerage, your
| police force, your public debt and sinking
| fund, your fire and water departments
| with all these l must not worry you. The
| progressive men of your board of trade do
| not tarry over what was done long ago
| yesterday; they press on to what is to be
| done tomorrow.
| The Underground Wire System.
Zone day in the great blizzard ten years
| ago l came from Baltimore on the last
! train before the snow blocked the tracks.
| The wires were down everywhere, and l
| succeeded in riding into an appropriation
| bill a provision that hereafter no electric
| wires should be strung in the air. and an
underground system should be devised.
| We followed up this prohibition with the
| law for an electric commission to provide
| a system of underground conduits TO be
owned by the city and leased for public
| soon be fulfilled. Meanwhile during all
| these years, as in other cities, our sky has
| not been darkened with wires and a forest
| of poles.
| Il believe l had the honor to report to
| Congress a bill carrying the largest sum
! total of appropriations ever before or since
| reported for the District. The true system
| for the support of the District is the appro-
| priation of dollar for dollar The revenues
| of the District should be matched in appro-
| priation from the public treasury, and that
| policy should never be departed from. A
| false economy is the worst extravaganza,
| and the true policy has never been depart
| ed from without great damage to the city.
| Il left Congress in 1891 and returned to
| my Maryland home. Eighteen months after
| ward President Harrison-and we have had
| no chief magistrate more abe, wise and
| brave than he-tendered me the office of
| associate Justice of the Supreme Court of
| this District Among civilized men l know
of no higher or more serious office than
| that of judge, and l expected to give my
| life to the duties of that office For six
| years and four months in the courts | tried
| to do everything to the best of my ability.
| l learned to appreciate the devotion of my
| brethren on the bench to their important
| charge and their varied and weghty cares,
/ and 1 learned to lean on the brilliant and
able gentlemen of this bar more and more,
! for strong bar helps 10 make good
| judge.
Il congratulate the people of Washington
| upon the possession of such tribunals as
| they have. You are fortunate in having
| such judges whose singleness of purpose,
| high minded devotion to duty and admins
| tration of justice is the greatest safeguard
| of your lives, your property and your civil
| iZation.
| New Duties to Assume.
Il have been honored by the commission
| of my beloved state as one of its senators.
| In this new place l will be faithful to my
| state and country. The time is new; the
! Spanish war has changed our national
| thought and politics; it is Il stimuant in
the history of our republic when questions
|
| have suddenly become worldwide ques-
| tons Whether we will or no, the stirring
| events and brilliant achievements of the
| last year have suddenly put us forward as
| world power. We cannot shrink; We must
| go forward without fear. During the COM
| ing years this city will witness the discus
| sion and the determination of these prob
! lens. Meanwhile this city itself will grow
| more and more | always have been and
! always will be its friend.
| In this Springtime, when | look out at
/ the sunset over the Virginia hills. i am
| often tempted to dream of the future of
| this beautiful city, governed not with the
| consent of the governed, but with the con-
| tent of the governed-and that means more
| see the river-bounded park with its woods
! and islets fragrant with flowers: the East
ern branch healthful, with swift-flowing
| tides. ! see Rock creek arched and filled
! over joining the streets where the gulch
| now divides the city. i see the Potomac
| spanned by dozen memorial bridges more
! beautiful than those of Paris over the
| Seine, and this city spreading around the
| Virginia hills, the Arlington chasing to-
| ward the sunset.
| Il see the Zoo Park excelling the London
| zoo and surprising the Jardines des Plants,
! as 1t surpasses them in beauty now, and
out TO the hills on the north round about
| a new and stately Executive Mansion,
| worthy the great chief of a great nation;
| the new city flowing and Cverflowng into
Saals,a Maryland, with its avenues and broad
| streets preserved and protected. l see the
| stately city, the home of 100000 of pros
| porous people, the city of arts, the resort
| OF science and literature, the most beauti-
| fui capital of the best people on earth.
| May We all strive, each in his way to
| help speed that future"
Tumultuous applause followed the glow
] ing words of Mr.. McComas and Justice
| Harlan had to wait a minute or two for il
| to Subside.
| Chief Justice Bingham.
| 1t is evident" said Justice Harlan, that
| hereafter the gentleman will be known as
| the senator from Maryland and the District
J OF columbia. This sentiment was in
| dorscd as happy idea by the company
| and Justice Harlan proceeded q agree
| with what the gentleman has said about
| the bench and the bar. If there is one
| position in the world in which a man can
know his fellow-men better than anywhere
else, 1t ls when he serves on the same bench
with MIN. am sure that in the consulta-
| ton room with the doors closed and no one
| listening, L have become better acquainted
| with my associates of the Supreme Court
| than L could have otherwise. 1t is appro-
| pirate that We should hear from the bench
and shall call upon Chief Justice Bng-
| nam or the Supreme Court of the District
| of Columbia