The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-28
A Banquet Concentrating An
niYersary Of His Birth
Is Given in His Old Home Town
of Canton, 0.
ROOSEVELT'S TRIBUTE.
The President Makes a Notable
Address on the Occasion.
Newly Appointed Associate JUS
tice Was POSTMASTER.

Canton. o.. Jan. 2S.-President Roose-
welt last night participated in notable
tribute to the memory of the late Presi-
dent Mckinley He was the principal
orator at a banquet given under The
auspices Of the Canton Republics.
league in commemoration of the birth-
day of Mckinley. Surrounded by friends.
neighbors and business and political as
sociates Of the dead president. he pro-
nounced a brilliant and eloquent eulogs
upon the Efe and works Of McKinles -
a eulogy regarded by many as the most
beautiful and heartfelt tribute ever pail
to the memory Of the distinguished dead
The banquet was held in the Grand
opera house, the seats being removed i'm
the pit and the house entirely raaoorea
for the occasion. The interior of the
building was beautifully decorated with
hags and flowers. the floral decorations
being particularly elaborate. FestoonS
OF flags were arranged about the bal
cony and gallery and the thirteen great
BANQUET boards were massed with roses
and carnations. tnter-osed with smilax
and ferns. A selected orchestra .uf
twenty-five pieces furnished exquisite
music at intervals during the banquet
The occasion was the most brilliant
Of Its kind ever witnessed in Canton
and few bauouets held in Ohio have
equalled il in beauty. elabCrateness and
interest.
Among the 457 assembled about the
boards were some Of the most distin-
Bulahed men in the civil. public and
political life of the country. At the
speakers table. besides President
Roosevelt. were seated Judge William
r. Day, who acted as POSTMASTER;
Secretary Root, Secretary COrtelyou
General S. b. NJ Young. General
Leonard Wood. General Luke e.
Wright. vice governor of the Philip
pines Surgeon General RiXey, Captain
w. S. Cowles, the presidents naval
aide, Colonel Theodore A Bingham
his military aide. Assistant Secretary
OF Agriculture Bingham, Representa-
tiEes r. w. Taylor. James w Grant
Colonel Myron T. Herrick of Cleve-
land; j. G. Schmidlapp, H II. Konl-
saat, Of Chicago, and Hon. Charles
Emory Smith.
At the tables throughout the large
auditorium were men of state and ma
tional prominence. Governor Nash. of
Ohio, who was expected to be present
TO respond to the toast. Ohio" was
unable to leave his home on account
Of illness. His place ON the programme
was taken by Hon. James J. Grant of
Canton
soon after the close of reception to
the president at the Hotel Mckinley
President Roosevelt and party walked
banquet hall. half square distance
Despite the intensity of weather. the
streets We're thronged with people
PRECAUTIONS were taken to insure the
saKety of the president and his pathway
TO the opera house was lined with Sc
cret service officers, policemen and sol
diers.
As the president entered the banquet
nan. the assemblage rose as one man
and cheered him heartily. The demon
stration-the first of the day-was q
personal tribute to the president which
he received with pleasure. As soon as
the president and party were seated the
doors OF the balcony and gallery were
opened. and. in a few minutes both
were crowded with handsomely gowned
women and men in evening dress Hun
dreds who desired to attend the BANQUET
were unable to obtain tickets. The
could be desired.
The material part of the banquet was
not concluded until 10 o'clock Judge
Day, as POSTMASTER, introduced Presi-
dent Roosevelt. AS the president rose
70 speak the audience rose and cheered
him enthusiastically When he address
ed the POSTMASTER as Mr.. Justice Dav."
q designation applied only to justices Of
the United states supreme court, his
auditors shook the building with ap-
plause. President Roosevelt spoke as
follows
Mr.. Toastmaster and Gentlemen:
throughout our history and indeed
throughout history generally. it has
been given to only a velv few thrice
favored men TO take so marked a lead
IN the crises faced by their several gem
erations that thereafter each stands as
the embodiment of the triumphant
effort of his generation. President Nc
kiuley was one Of these men.
If during the lifetime Of a generation
no crisis occurs sufficient to call out in
marked manner the energies OF the
strongest leader. then of course the
world does not and can not know Of the
existence of such leader. and in cOnse-
quence there are long periods in the his
tory Of every nation during which no
man appears who leaves an indelibIe
mark in history IF. on the other hand.
the crisis IS one so many-sided as TO
call for the development and exercise of
many distinct attributes, it may be that
more than one man viii appear in order
I'm the Revolution and in the period OF
constructive craftsmanship Immediately
following it. for our good fortune it be
fell us that the highest military and the
highest civil attributes were embodied
In WASHINGTON. and so in him we have
one or the undyiug men of history-a
great soldier If possible an even greater
statesman, and above all a 9ublic ser
want whose lofty and disinterested pa
triotism rendered his power and ability
alike on fought fields and i'm council
chambers-of the most far-reac ching
service to the republic. In the civil war
Lincoln and Grant will stand forever