Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-14
Daily ksnnebsr Jotlrn4
Mr.. CORNISH IN PORTLAND.
He Makes the Hit Of the Evening, Be-
\ fore Lincoln Club.

gusta boy who is president of the club,
and his eloquent speech in opening the
exercises and his felicitouS introduc-
| tionS of the various speakers were
worthy of his high reputation as a
speaker. The Portland papers all agree
that the speech which made the great
est hit of the evening was that of Leslie
c. Cornish. Esq. of this city. The
orators of the evening included such IL
lustrious men and able speakers as
Mayor Boothby. Congressman Allen.
Congressman John J. Esch of Wiscon-
sin, General Joshua l.. Chamberlain.
| and Hon. Michael J. Murray of Boston.
Among the letters Of regret were those
| from President Roosevelt, Governor Hill.
Senators Frye, Hale and Lodge, Gov
einor Crane of Massachusetts, Hon.
| T. :. Reed and II. NJ. Heath
of Augusta. Mr.. Heath has been
one of the leading speakers at several
annual banquets but was unable to at
| tend, this year.
| As to Mr.. Cornish's speech. the Jour
nal wishes it had space for it in full.
| In its report the Argus says that it was
| the brightest speech of the evening
| that 1t was full of clever political hits"
and that lin conclusion Mr.. Cornish de-
voted himself to tribute TO Abraham
Lincoln and it can truthfully be said
that it was one of the finest bits of
oratory heard in Portland for some
time past The Press publishes the
speech in full, and says: President
Whitehouse then arose to introduce Mr.
Leslie G. Cornish of Augusta of whom
lnA cot L.,
who had preferred to charge his clients
rather than to charge the jury, and
whose wit is like that of Swift and
whose humor as keen as Sheridan's. He
touches nothing that he does not adorn.
said President Whitehouse. The Ken
nebec lawyer received fine welcome.
His address was trimming over with
wit. his manner graceful, his eloquence
inspiring. Though brief. Mr.. Cornish's
address was one of the best of the eve
ming"
The speech of Mr.. Cornish was a
splendid eulogy Of the worth and work
Of Lincoln who stood alone and carried
out his own policy with conviction
born Of courage. n purpose born of hon.
esty and a determination born of pa
thence The opening paragraphs of
the speech are SO trimming with char
acteristic wit that We clip them from
the report given in the Press:
For conspicuous bravery my &C
ceptance of your invitation to speak
this evening has been equalled in mod
ern times by only single instance, the
recent offer of DR.. Russell of New York
t. be personally yivisected. l have not
| Tho bnnnr. nj "a 1prsnnal MI q nc
with that gentleman but in this hour
of trial which began when this feast
opened and will end only when this
feast ends. my heart goes out to him and
am sure that by some sort of teIe-
pathy, Marconi or otherwise, his heart
is going out, not to the surgeons but to
me.
This is a political organization. made
up of the men who do things and hold
| things iii politics. and yet the only
political office I ever held was that of
representative to the legislature from
my native town at time when / could
almost have pleaded minority had the
hotel keeper sued me for board and have
succeeded. because no court in Maine
would ever class Augusta House board
| among the necessarieS of life: and have
| endeavored by twenty-five years of
honest toll and upright living among
my fellow men to live down whatever
| OF loquy may have been connected with
| that slip of my early youth.
II am surrounded tonight by men Of
st3te and national reputation, members
of Congress. ex-Governors and next gov
elnorS. and the only official position
| which / now hold and in which / trust
| I am faithful to the great responsibility
\ imposed upon me is that of justice of
the peace and quorum. And Mr.. Presi-
dent, as it is customary for high
officials to remark under like circum-
| stances, | know that the honor you
have conferred upon me is not personal
| nut due TO that exalted position which |
| hold, and in behalf of the five thousand
other justices of the peace and quorum
scattered throughout this State from
| the pulp mills of the Aroostook to the
corporation mills of York l return our
lappreciative and sincere thanks.
| Your invitation brought with it an
Iallurement that was most enticing. In
addition to the names of the speakers,
which We're inserted as | remember it.
parcnthetically, SO that they could have
been omitted without injury to the
sense. YOU wrote me that there would
| be 4 full brass band and ladies in the
| gallery. Ladies in the gallery are al
| ways attractive if We are not allowed
to have them at closer range. and to see
anything full in this city. even a brass
band, j thought would be we'll worth
the journey When remembered
| that the honored president of this club
is also prosecuting attorney for the
county of Cumberland and is called by
his friend the sheriff. one of Gods
nCb.emen. in the prohibition cause. and
when | also remembered that through
their joint efforts and without legisla-
tive enactment the name of this fair
city by the sea had been changed dur
ing the past year from Portland &c
WATERFOWL. felt that must come and
in the language of Foxy CUTLER some
thing tells me that I have arrived
Card Of Thanks.