Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-19
VETERANS AT BANQUET
Annual Reunion of Union
Soldiers Alliance.
PATRIOTIC SPEECHES
MANY ToAsTs WERE ELOQUENT
LY RESPONDED TO.
Representative Tayler, Auditor An
drews, Rear Admiral Schley, Capt.
N. M. Brooks the Speakers.

Ninety members of the, Union Soldiers AL
lance, accompanied by many of their
friends, met last evening at the Ebbitt
House in the twenty-fourth annual reunion
Of the organization. Preliminary to a ban
quet in the dining hail. respondent In flags,
cut flowers, palms and music, there was a
half hour of handshaking and cordial greet
ing in the red parlor. The evenings pleas
ures were those Of comradeship born Of
hardship in the stern days of 81, and the
enthusiasm which the mention of those
days and of the battle-scarred heroes Of
the army and the navy kindled brought all
together and made the reunion one in name,
in spirit and in fact.
Although the uniform of evening dress
took the place of the blue, there was just
a tinge of militarism when the retiring
president and the newly elected head Of the
organization, Mr.. George H. Lillebridge and
Mr.. William H. Doolittle. headed the line Of
room. When all had found their places
around the prettily arranged tables the
color-bearers came forth bearing the white
silk banner of the organization and the
huge national flag, which is an inseparable
part of the order. A salute was given to
the flags while the orchestra played patri-
otto airs.
The Invited Guests.
At the table of honor sat the retiring and
incoming presidents, the latter presiding as
POSTMASTER. To his left were seated in or
der Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley,
Capt. Alfred T. Smith, U. S. A; H. C. Per-
due of Pttsburg; Assistant Secretary of the
Interior F. l.. Campbell Col. Hill of Mich
fgan, Brainard II. Warner and John Nc
Elroy. To the right of the presiding officer
sat the incoming president of the organiza-
ton, Mr.. William H. Doolittle; Representa-
tive r. w. Tayler of Ohio, w. e. Andrews
auditor for the Treasury Department; Judge
S. c. Mills and DR.. Frank T Howe.
The other guests besides those above
named were: Justice Job Barnard of the
Supreme Court of the District of Column
bia, Mr.. Edward A. King, Mr.. VIM. w.
Brown. auditor for the Navy Department;
John NJ. Ewing, deputy auditor for the
Navy Department.; Mr.. Arthur Hendricks,
Mr.. Franklin w. Hart, U. S. Navy; Mr..
John W. Bell, Mr. S. Hamilton Gwynne;
Mr.. Robt. f. Hill, Mr. Gideon A Lyon,
Mr.. Clay G. Collette, Mr.. G. Meredith Win
ship, Mr.. Fred x. Heupel, Mr. Archibald
M. McLachlen, Mr.. Raymond Barr, Mr. F.
G. Butterfield.
The Speech Making.
At the conclusion of the menu Retiring
President George H. Li!lebridge introduced
his successor, William III DoolIttle. A few
words Of congratulation were pronounced,
and then the newly elected officers were
called TO their reet by Secretary John l..
Heupel.
Representative Tayler of Ohio was intro
duced as the first speaker In the intro
dnction of Mr.. Tayler, President Doolittie
remarked that Mr.. Tayler represented the
district which was the late President Nc
Kinley's home.
Mr.. Tayler responded to the toast 1.-THE
President Of the United States. the Chief
Executive Of the Greatest Nation on
Earth" Mr.. Tayler struck a responsive
chord in congratulating the reunion on hav-
ing "the hero of two wars"-Admiral
Schley. AS the applause subsidized Mr. Tay-
Ter mentioned the presence of "our old
friend Billy Gibson Mr.. Gibson had been
toasted at each table and his reception had
been most cordial. Mr.. Tayler amused his
fellow diners by anecdote and story Get
ting back to his text he declared Eve
been asked to respond to a pretty large
toast"
But" he continued, I'm not going to
say anything about the President as a hun
ter applause and laughter I think he is
a much better hunter of the Tammany
tiger than of the Mississippi bear
Mr.. Tayler became serious. Theodore
Roosevelts position in the beginning of his
administration, when he had to step into
the shoes of the great Mckinley, was a
delicate one. The name of McKinley-whom
Mr.. Tayler said he had known intimately
for twenty-five years-waS cheered to the
echo. The peculiar insistence Of Mr. Roose-
velt'S nomination for the vice presidency