The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
I0TOS DINNER TO ELIHU ROOT
srrBrTiRY or WAR THINKS NEW
YORK THE GREATEST TOWN.
And ,nc other Speakers Say He Is Ono Of
the Greatest OF War secretaries-IIe
Lets National Questions iAlone-A
ucpcw story OF Secretary stanton.

NatIOVAI &utbtIOub
ucpcw story OF Secretary stanton.
Tho Hon. Elihu Root, Secretary Of War.
ras ,hc guest Of honor at a dinner given
q, the T.o'os Club last night. but II any Of
mo $50 or so members who came expe cted
10 hear him talk on national questions they
.rre disappointed. Mr.. Roots speech
xas mainly about the city OF New York and
showed plainly that the Secretary Of War
thinks this town the greatest in the world.
The only suggestion of anything national
in char., ter was a little praise for the ex-
csllert english which the President is teach
inc the people OF the West by his speeches
on his present tour.
President Frank r. Lawrence presided,
ard around him at the guest table were:
FUhu Root, Chauncey NJ. Depew, Thomas
E Plat. Simeon Ford. Gen. F. V. Greene,
Joseph G. Hendrix, Rear Admiral Frederick
Roger. Justice J. G. Gray. Justice Morgan
j o Brien, John W. Griggs, Justice Edward
W Hatch, Willnm T. Jerome, Collector
y y Stranahan, William b. Hornblower.
Timothy j.. Woodruff and Chester S. Lord.
Aomng the others present at the dinner
were: George ". Daniels, Charles W. Price.
Walter Loc IN, William +. Evans, John W.
Nrooman, ". W. Walker, William Berri,
George A. Hearn, r. A. c. Smith, II. c.
puva and Judge F.. f. Mccall.
Mr. Root spoke as follows
Il am deeply ser sibe; | could not be
o,lcrwise than deeply affected in receiving
this srcorium of honor conferred upon me
by Icing the guest Of the Lotos Club. The
savs What's the use Of being a mandarin
If two tails if il is not known in ones native
viIlage|
Il regret my incapacity to respond fitly
to the honor you have conferred upon me.
feel myself to be in the position Of the
gentlemen who was asked:
Is your wife entertaining this winter"
ard who answered: Not very" Laugh
The only way anyone can to-day secure
credit for originality is to be somewhere
else and let the gentlemen OF the press
Il feel as Ben Rollins did when he said
that the most fatal defense an alibi That's
why wanted, for long time, TO go to the
Philippines. But / was unable to go be-
cause all of the committees wanted to go
and see the show and confusion would have
followed.
Il spoke just now of the feRility OF the
imaginations of the gentlemen Of the press.
There was a sgnal example Of that lately
when from Kansas City it was sent out that
the President ,1 recently royalty entertained
You may print for ME the fact that
didn't have anything to eat in st. Louis.
How could any one coming from his
entertainers house ever have conceived
such startling bit of originality as that
he had nothing to eat? And still another
writer put in the mouth OF Gen. Baden
Powell statement that our cavalry didn't
amount to much because It looked overfed
Mr. Root than spoke OF his absence from
this city for four years and said he was
surprised to afind all his fr ends just s
Young. just as gay. with no more wrinkles,
no more gray hairs nor any less OF them.
Then he told OF the effect on his mind which
his return had and howl it carried himback
to the time when he came to this city fresh
IRON the country forty years ago. He
continued:
Into this gateway OF the Western World
have come between the censuses OF 1850
people from across the water. Most of
Here the men Of The Old World are
taught the f1rst lesson of citizenship. taught
hood. The first results Of the lesson are
not lovely and agreeable. but crude harsh.
presumptuous and disagreeable.
But it is necessary lesson for the men
who are to be self-governing and country
governing. Here, men OF the old world
cense, but ordered liberty and subordina-
Latiou to law"
Senator Chauncey NJ Depew was one Of
the speakers OF the evening.
Mr.. Depew told this story Of Secretary
of War Stanton:
In the Presidential election q 1884. the
state. the duty Of collecting the soldiers
vote, I.spent the summer, in Washington on
this business and frequently met both Presi-
t,,,~ IL, lao INV of -
best recoections Of my life are the hours !
was privileged to spend with the great Presl-
dent and to listen to his, talk and his stories.
with Secretary Stanton in the effort to- secure
from him the information by which | could
ret the vote OF the soldiers OF New York
finally, very iinsistently as the time was
short, demanded an answer wi.
soldiers we're. scattered in armies. divisions.
hrigades. regiments and separate, companies
AL over the country; that the places e where h
lots might reach them might be revealed. to
the enemy. and was information of the kind
which he would never permit to be given.
He dismissed the subject with an oath and
! said, Sir, Il President LINCOLN fails to
CITY SeE York s; because &c the soldiers cannot
York votes, sir; my business is with the army"
Wha at reputation for good q temper or
sccumulated up to that time was then lost.
Rushing down the hall of the War Once TO
catch the train to explode in New York pa pers
met tlihn Washburn. the fast friend Of Mr..
lincoln He stopped me, wanted to know
the cause Of my excitement. and told him
my struggles for three months
10 the PRESIDENT ! said No" Well"
said he. you do not understand MIN While
Lincoln Is one 81 the greatest Presidents the
country has ever had. II net the greatest since
We ever produced in. the West. He would
take 4 carpet bag and 90 on foot and collect
tnose votes himself. if necessary. Wait here
Promenade of nm hour. up and down
N" hall WIN Officers nyinG hith'r and thither.
We We relieved AZ l'st by an officer saying:
b" scr 'ary desires TO see y3n rarely.
'he Minister OF War each OF which had been
more agreeable than the preceding, was
over received with more cordisity. kindness
.h3 ;orrness than by Mr. stanton. after
~" 'lNl which either the President had
mao" "a Rim or he To the Preside NJ, md in an
'.o"r vas IN possession OF all the informa-
ron md on my way to Albany to prepare
VI" pap r for the soldiers vote Of New York
Regarding President McEinley's ap-
rIh'h,CUt Of Mr.. Root Mr. Depew said
" WIS IN the difficulty. which was very
srI'" Jrescn. and future. Of finding Score
hrf ~ Var who would he equal to the I'm
nsrse .spnnsibili.ies which had come upon
N" "rcc by or freeing Of Cuba and our
!hiiiprines that President Mex lnlcy turned
10 Ilhil Root. | heard him say
Nhht great LAWYER who ia also a man
81 mrcc administrative md executive ability,