New-York tribune., 1903-05-27
letter OF regret which The President hao SEM
to Mayor Low:
PRESIDENTS LETTER OF REGRET

sn California on the date you mention. Other
wise / should have strained every nerve 10 90, oe
present on an occasion so interesting TO a native
New-Yorke-. who is at the time President OF Ihe
United States. The changes in New-hork City
during the 2J0 years which have just elapsed ar
s,,ch as could be paraleled nowhere else 10 the
world We now have in New-fork the secoho
largest city in the world. and it is no ldIe COIL
pliuent TO YOU and TO those associated with
Won Mr. Mayor for nie TO say that there is no"
no other city here abroad. of whose govern
ing officials its people have more just reAson ~
feel proud
The closing part of Secretary Roots address
was follows:
We have been wrestling here; the municipal
government Of which you are the head. during
the last half century of our greatest sioMttl' W.
has been wrestling with the most difhculI prov
lem Of popular government IN TINS MoIlI: of ~, -
York has performed for the whole people OF Ihe
United States that wealth. that property, ina.
life are protected that the city still grows anu anu
ever grows: that peace and order reign @ Ihdt
more stately palaces rise along our streets InaI
libraries and schools and churches increase an arIa
multiply that treasures of art and of literature
accumulate that the people of the city are apie
10 show their capacity TO govern themselves
slaves to ruler and TO no party-conpetellI ~
set up and 10 pull down their municlpal govern
they viii.
That the people of New-York respond to every
demand OF patriotic duty, that the people Oh
New-York respond to every demand of human
ity. that love for country and love for mahklhC
find in good citizenship and in noble WORKS Oh
charity. examples 10 be surpassed nowhere on
earth. all testify And the reason is tha'
the who $50 years ago, founded thls nlu-
nicipal government, sound and wholesome
men and that their spirit of freedom OF tolera-
ton. Of civic pride. and good citizenship sur
wives. permeating the whole increasing mass VI
the great metropolis. am proud 10 come pdCh
from the councils of the nation TO my own
home. proud TO be a citizen Of New-York
Bishop Potter was introduced out OF turn.
because he and Secretary Root were obliged TO
leave the city by an afternoon train. He spoke
of a postal card he had received, asking him to
attend TO a street lamp which had been allowed
10 go unlighted for some time. and said his
daughter had labelled it: Concerning the duties
OF a bishop" He continued:
Believe me. men and brethren, the streets of
this city viii be safe unless the highest as
Well the lowest give themselves. without
stint and without reserve, TO the great cause
of a great city's wellbeing 1 may not speak of
your honor in your presence as L would,
hut I maintain that no finer or more heroic
Tif1ce-I shall confess in your own presence tnat
IL one of which, il ! had been in your place.
] would have been quite incapable-has been
made in time than when You laid down the
dignihed ease Of a great university ana con
sented TO be the Mayor OF great metropolis.
which NewYork waits May it be poured out
in the presence of him who is our Mayor to-day,
and through all centuries which viii follow him
in larger and larger measure
ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR oDELL.
As Secretary Root and Bishop Potter
leaving the chamber together Mayor Low raised
laugh by saying that it might be taken
compliment to the citys administration that a
street lamp could not go unlghted without
being called to the attention Of the bishop Gov
ernor Odell who was the next speaker. delivered
an address which was well received. He said
in part:
New-York State is an empire in itself The
administration of its affairs and the formula
tion of laws which govern us are examples for
her adj m
been produced by placing not only upon lhdl-
viduals. but upon every municipality. town ana
village within the States borders, the greatest
measure OF responsibility for self-government.
The experience Of the past has demonstrated be-
yond question that that community prospers
hest which depends for its administration upon
its own citizens, those who are directly re-
sponsible TO IL under the rights and restrictions
imposed by the constitution OF the State.
II is no longer possible by act Of the legis
lature OF the State TO measure out the appro-
r,riations of this great city, TO fix its local
rate or to interfere with the privileges which
have been given to 1t under constitutional au-
thority. The scandals and misgovernment OF
the past placed in our State constitution those
home rule principles which are now part Of
our fundamental law. Public opinion under
these conditions. as expressed through the press
and upon the rostrum, brings about CORRECTION
of evils which the old laws were powerless TO
reach.
The Mayor Of this city is as potent In matters
which concern it as the Governor Of the State;
and wrong, indeed. must he be if the legisla-
ture shall render nugatory the veto which he
has placed upon any measure affecting its well
fare. This principle Of home rule has been fol-
lowed by q corresponding Capitalization of power
I'm both the state and municipalities concern
ing their respective affairs. The result has been
that government has become more perfect, more
responsible, and more responsive TO the wishes
of the people.
~Judge John Clinton Gray Of the Court Of
Appeals. who followed Governor Odel said it
was important that the judiciary should take
part in the anniversary ceremonies, because the
grant OF local government concerned the deYel-
opment of the judicial as well as the commercial
system. The judiciary the legislature and the
Governor he said, were the three constituent
PARTS of the government of the State He said
that the judiciary possesses the constitutional
power of the State, and such safeguarded
popular rights from the encroachments of the
legislature. The judiciary was always the sup
porter Of civil liberty and local government
and should not be endan gered by any of the
causes which destroyed the republics OF old. He
declared that we had constitutional elements OF
safety that were denied the peoples Of other
countries and these were such as would relieve
the present causes Of discomfort. and law and
order would prevail.
EARNEST ADDRESS BY DR.. MENDEs
The last address was by the Rev Dr. H
Pereira Mendes, rabbi of the Congregation
Shearith Israel and for a time he held the audi
ence spellbound by his earnestness. He de-
ciared that THE Jew was brought to this coun-
try by the hand Of God. in order that he may
tender to this great nation the lessons Of his
history. the experience of his own past"
The closing part Of his address was as fol-
lows:
II the Jew showed the first republic estab
lished in the world. II was to declare that a
republican form of government is not only for
the people and by the people but il is for the
furtherance OF the OF God II he showed
what a monarchy meant, it was 10 show that
any form of government must fail unless II Is
founded upon righteousness. If he gave To the
world this inspiration, these inspra tions men
toned 1t is because he knows that not hy
strength and not by might but by the Spirit of
4 nd baua tie