The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-03-18
SONS OF IRELAND.
Dine.
Green and Gold and the
Stars and Stripes Adorn
the Hotel Washing
ton.
ST. pATRIcK'S DAT CELEBRATED
County Counsel Griffin on
the United States
Speeches by Rev. B. ].
Kearney, Judge Muir
ply and Col. Blake
ST. pLTRIcK'S DAT CELEBRATED
County Counsel Griffin on
the United States

The banquet hall in the Hotel Wash
ington was scarcely large enough last
night to accommodate the large body of
Friendly Sons of Ireland who spent the
evening in feasting and speechmaking in
honor of St. Patrick. The spacious din
ingroomw as gorgeously arrayed in Irish
and American colors, which shone bril-
hantly under the electric lights. Over
the entrance in the hall was the word
sWelcome" across the Stars and Stripes.
and on one side of the diningroom was
the name of St. Patrick emblazoned in
electric lights.
The best of humar and good feeling
prevailed, notwithstanding the fact that
there were half dozen boomers for the
Democratic mayoralty nomination on
hand.
Police Justice Murphy created a little
stir among the boomers by launching in
directly his own little boomlet in toast
which he made to "Our City," The
Judge was well applauded.
At the head of the table sat President
Frank ]. McKenna. Ex-City Collector
Robert Davis, General O'Beirne and
Colonel Blake of the Boer army, Joseph
NJ. Noonan, Fred c. Wolbert, County
Counsel,John Griffin, Police Justice Muir
ply and Under Sheriff John J. Heavey.
President McKenna opened the ban
quet by extending hearty welcome to
all. He then introduced Fred G.. VOL
bert as toastmaster. Mr.. Wolbert said
he felt highly honored to act as toast
master for such an intelligent body of
gentlemen.
The first speaker was County Counsel
John Griffin, who responded to the toast
United States" Mr.. Griffin told about
our wonderful country in terms Which
could have come from no one but true
American. He spoke of the rapid growth
Of the nation. and added: s'We are now
bucking at the door of. China. If they
don't put paddock on it we will get in
there, too.''
AWe grow overnight" continued Mr..
Griffin, "and each morning we find our
country larger,
Mr.. Griffin explained that the good
laws and the equality of our citizens
were responsible for our progress.
1--WE have no aristocracy here" he
said, "and we don't want any. One mans
as good as another. We have every
nationality here and we know each other.
The Germans came and then the Irish.
As ]. w. Kelly, the comedian, once said:
The Germans are pretty decent fellows.
How could we do without them? We
couldn't have st. Patrick's Day parade
without a German brass band to lead
it,"
Referring to the liberty enjoyed by the
people, Mr. Griffin took for example, the
incident connected with the painting of
ex-Freeholder Morm's pump This pump
is water hydrant at the corner Of Van
Worst streets, opposite Police Headquar-
ters. Some few hours before st. Pat
rick's Day dawned a patriotic Irishman,
said to be Moran, painted the hydrant
q brilliant green and yellow.
ssTalk about liberty of the people, .
continued Mr.. Grimm. "If Billy Moran
attempted to do that twenty-five years
ago he would probably have been in one
of his own boxes long ago." Uuaghter.)
Colonel Blake responded to the toast
of ssThe Irish Soldier on the Battlefield. Z
He said that the only true Irish spirit
was to be found in Jersey City. (Cheers)
He deplored the fact that outside gov
ernments did not interfere on behalf Of
the Beers.
Il am true American he declared,
and fought three years with the Beers
for the love Of liberty. commanded
the Irish Brigade. and want to say
right here that a braver body of men
never stepped on the battlefield. have
just enough Irish blood in me to dislike
the English. You take an Irishman and
bring him up from infancy out ii the
r you are scrofu]ous. dyspeptic. rheumatic.