The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-12-29
VOICE PRAISES
Of THE MAYOR
At A BANQUET.
City Officials Pay Com
pliment to the
Executive.
Local After-Dinner Speakers
Talk on Municipal
Government.
Prominent Citizens Bestow Honor
Upon James D. Phelan During
His Last Days in Public
Office.

James D. Phelan, thrice elected Mayor
Of San Francisco, sat in silence at COM
plimentary banquet rendered him last
night in the maple room of the Palace
Hotel by the officials of this city, and
drank in words of commentator from
every tongue. His political followers
gathered round the board to say farewell
to him with wine and toast. The Mayor
was the guest of honor. Thanked on either
side were friends whose advice and whose
labor he has commanded during the five
years Of his political service
Every governmental department Of the
city was epresented-legislative, judicial,
administrative. Not only did the banquet
ers represent Phelan's own political per-
suasion, but parties that fought him tooth
and nail in campaigns that have become
city history. On the eve of his farewell to
political lfe-temporary or permanent, as
it may be-his friends babe him Cod
speed and voiced compliments to him.
More like a happy family it was than
anything else. The guests called one an
other by first names, told again the story
of the charter and it's young father, en-
graved mental tablets of it's early devel-
opers and went away from the banquet
hall happy over good dinner, good wines
and the flow of wisdom.
The tables ran from a cross-table at
the head of the room. On Mayor Phelan's
! left were Jasper Mcdonald, DR.. ]. M Will
hanson, Rabbi Voorsanger, David Starr
| Jordan, Raphael WE'LL and Gavin McNab.
On his right were Chief Justice Beatty
and Fred Stratton. Mayor-elect Schmitz
was not present, though among the in
vited guests. He attended a banquet last
1 night given by Mantle Parlor of the Ma
tive Sons.
The menu was most elaborate and the
speeches filled the listeners with delight
! and brought their hands together time
| and again. Jasper Mcdonald, labeled
| in the programme as 'our chairman"
paid his tribute to the guest after the
black coffee had been served When he.
had told that no man did more to elevate
the municipality and place honesty as the
foundation for public service than James
D. Phelan he was cheered to the echo.
Then Dr. J. NJ. Williamson, POSTMASTER,
was introduced.
'I ask you as a preliminary said the
doctor, ito drink the health of our hon
ored guest, James D. Phelan." In silence
the bursting bubbles bringing happiness
and ioy'' were quaffed. Then the orches-
ira played the jolly good fellow song as
every man stood in his place, erect and
thoughtful.
"Our Guest" by Voorsanger.
The Rev. Jacob voorsanger responded
to the toast "Our Guest" He was in
proper mood last night and made one of
his characteristic speeches, which caught
the fancy of the banqueters and received
most enthusiastic applause whenever
climactic period was reached. In part he
said:
A great many farewell banquets are given
in Ireland When man is alive they call 1t
a farewell banquet; when he is dead they call
| it a wake. The question then is, What shall
we say at a farewell banquet? 1 feel the dis
tinguished honor to appear before these gentle
men this evening in order to reply to the toast
which you have kindly selected for rue.
do confess Mr.. Chairman, that am friend
Of the Mayor. I have FOLLOWED his aduinis-
tration with a great deal of interest. I have
been fortunate enough to approve great many
of his acts and when. according to bA.opinion
of some, he made his mistakes T stood by him
nevertheless. felt that was exactly the time
a man needed to stand by his friends.
Now, Mr. Chairman. what is the usual man.
ner for one to reply? confess do not know.
| i appear little in what is exactly known
society and I am so welded to the retirement
of my own room that I cannot say in what
| manner toast like this should be answered.
can only compare Mayor Phelan to Richard
Wilmington, thrice Mayor Of London. 1t
would be improper to acknowledge in fusome
hattery Of the and his deeds. I feel
| cannot do justice to myself and to you, gen
tlemen. Mayor PheIan is too old to take stock
in such phraseology and is too wise to be
drowned and smothered by the fulsome fiat
terry Of his friends.
The Mayor has served five years He has
served the community according to his abiI-
ity The question is, What will the future say
of what he has done? There is too much of
the forgetting Of men after they have retired
to private life. I will take you into my con-
| fdence. I don't believe Mayor Phelan will be
retired to private life for long time Zap
| plause) There is too much of forgetting of
men and what they have achieved, but there
is a way Of remembering, there is a way of
| recalling facts and that is through history.
McNab on Good Government.
Following Rabbi Voorsanger's speech
came the reading of a. regret from F. w
Dohrmann, who was unable to attend
He was placed on the card of after-dinner
| speakers, but sickness in his family pre-
vented his appearance
Gavin McNab on Good Government"
then added his store Of words. He said
in part:
have attended many banquets, but have
never known an occasion when men could be
brought together at the conclusion of an ad
ministration and look one another in the face
and say that not one of US has done dishonest
thing while served city. This adminis
tration has given new character to San Fran
cisco offcialism. In the development of munici-
pal problems this city by the Western seas Is
in the vanguard. There has not been a scan
dal or crime during the time that this adj
ninistration has been in office. San francisco
has tasted the good of self-respect. 1t has
been able say that it has officers who are
above suspicion.
Municipal integrity is demanding a higher
class of citizenship. Municipal patriotism
ceases to be dogma and municipal citizen
ship must consequently stand for a. higher sery-
ice. That is why we are here now. San Fran
cisco has set the pace with its new charter and
we are here to do honor to the man that gave
1t its stimulus and who was always ready to