Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-06

to patronize our brother merchants who are members of the association. No cliqueS or rings control us. We are simply an organization working for the mutual advancement and benefit Of all. A business man never has day dreams enough to hurt him. Tonight we invite you to joke, laugh and make merry if you will. And for few brief hours, at least, imagine that you are boy again, better satisfied with yourself, and on the best of terms With your neighbor.
 "You sometimes say of an article that you have for sale, no household Is complete without it, and l want to say to you, gentlemen, no business house in this city is complete without a certificate of membership and copy of bylaws of the Waterbury Business Mems association"
 After a selection by the glee club, President A. J. Muzzy Of the state as sociation was introduced as the next speaker. His remarks in regard to the local trolley strike was particularly 1n- teresting, as MT Muzzy himself IS the secretary of a tramway company. He spoke as follows:
 MT Toastmaster, Guests and Mem bers of the Waterbury Business Mems association:
 One of my duties as president of the State Business Mems association Is to attend banquets, and respond to- the toast, 'FThe State Business Mems as sociation," and I can assure you it is one of the. p1easantest duties of the of flee lam not like the Irishman, who was fishing off the dock, when Jew, bathing near, lost his hold on the aife- line, and as he was going down, shout ed, ''Helpt, helpt, I can't zwim!" The Irishman paid no attention to the call, but continued to fish, fand as the Jew came up the second time, he again shouted, "Helpt, helpt, I can't zwim, and am drowning" The Irishman, without looking up, replied, "Nayther can I, but I don't go around bragging about it."
 don't go around bragging about the state and local associations I am proud to be president of an associ- ation with d membership of over six teen hundred firms, representing over three thousand prominent business men of the good old state of Connecti-
 
 for their own protection, but for the good of the community in which they live.
 The State association, by it's influence at the last session of the general as- sembQy, In causing the enactment of the 1tinerant vendors bilI benefited not only every retail merchant iii the state, but the laboring men who pat ronized the itinerant merchant: for ninety-five times out of hundred he was fraud, and the goods that he palmed off on the public were manu- factured to deceive.
 At the present session, the legisla- tive committee. of which your presi- dent is chairman, win, I believe. be influential in the enactment of laws which will be of great benefit to the business men and warr aarners of the ! state
 The local assocl. posed as they are of non-pa non-sec- tartan members, can me a great factor in times of depression, or great calamities, like the one that is shad- owing your beautiful city tonight, in bringing about "peace and good wial lO oAA IACls AuEy C6TCaluIY CaHuOC be accused of working in the interest of any political party or sectarian body. If the Business Mems associations, in any community, in times of strife, would thoroughly investigate the situ- atfon, decide for the right, and as one man demand justice, law and order, the white dove of peace would settle down on the community afflicted. l Iabelfeve that this Is one of the i'm portant duties of every Business Mems association.
 In times of strifG, calamity and de- pression, no class of men suffer more than the retail merchants His en- I ployes are not paid by the hour. but l by the week. His business may be deprecfated fifty per cent, but his ex- penses and fixed charges remain the same. Let one of the large manufac- turers in my own town post notice that they will reduce the running hours from sixty to forty hours a week, will feel the effect in my own business in twenty-four hours.
 I thank God that we never have had a strike in Bristol, and hope we nev- CT shall, but if one should occur, I an U0LC lndL lLl6 UuSlucSS men WOJll0 ar. ray themselves on the side of right and justice, and in the name of fair ness to all. demand a settlement. It Is impossible for capital to succeed without labor. or labor without cap 1tal, and believe that it is the d1lty of every Business Mems association in times of discord to bring about har mony between the two, in that the goot name of the city may not be tarnished or labor go unrewarded.
 In closing, MT Toastmaster, wisl to state that the outlook of the Stat,
 Business Mems association, thanks t my predecessors, President Hall ant
 President Jackson, never was brighter
 From present indications the mem bership will nearly double in 1903. Witt this large membership, and local asso citations in nearly every city and larg town, we can become a great power not only in building up and strength ening our own interests, but in work