Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-10
Biennial Custom Of the Penn
sylvania Representative.
A NOTABLE OCCASION
STIRRING ADDRESS BY EX-POST-
MASTER GENERAL SMITH.
He Criticises the Departments Recent
Report in Regard to Members and
Reproves the Newspapers.

There have been many gatherings about
banquet boards for the exchange of good
Fellowship In this city, but none has ever
surpassed in splendor the entertainment
prepared last evening by Representative
William Connell of Pennsylvania for his
associates of the Pennsylvania delegation
and others among his friends in and out
of Congress.
The dinner was given in the large hall OF
the Shorefam, where the genius of the
florists had contrived scheme of decora-
ton in perfect keeping with the beauty of
the spacious apartment, which called forth
the admiration of every one.
Plates were laid for ITO guests, the tables
being arranged in the form of an oval, with
a large inner space, in which potted plants
were banked and wealth of cut flowers,
azaleas, rhododendrons and marguerites,
were arranged with artistic effect. The
choicest products Of the dollhouse, great
American beauty and other rare roses, to-
gether with variety of bloom, were taste
fully arranged on the tables. On the north
wall was beautifully formed keystone
as the central figure of a floral design.
After the banquet the flowers were pre-
pared to be sent to the various hospitals
of the city, which was done early this
morning, Mr.. Connell having taken a great
interest in all these institutions here.
"A BIENNIAL custom.
Representative Connell every two years
invites the Pennsylvania delegation to par
take of his hospitality and last evening 1t
was dispensed with unusual splendor. He
has been in Congress for several terms and
has large circle of warm friends in this
city in and out of Congress. The gathering
last evening to a large extent was COM
posed of his personal friends well as his
associates in the House of Representatives.
The event was made especially notable in
view of speeches that were made. While
most of the remarks dealt with the usual
felcitouS topics that follow the banquet,
yet there were serious references to the
recent report of the Post Office Department
concerning members of Congress. Former
Postmaster General Smith took occasion to
denOunce the course that had been pur-
sued by the department in the matter of
the report, and also to suggest to his fell
low-newspaper men that they had as great
a responsibility in properly interpreting the
news in view of it's real nature as have
members of Congress in their relations with
the government and their constituents. He
regarded it as the duty of newspaper men
to tell the country the truth about the
trivial nature of those charges.
The guests assembled in the parlor of the
SEoreham at 7:30 o'clock, and half an hour
later, after an informal reception, took
their seats.
On one of the broad sides of the oval
series of tables Representative Council sat-
with Speaker Cannon on one side and SEN
ator Penrose on the other. Senator Pen
rose acted as POSTMASTER. Near them were
Representative Bingham, the father Of the
House." and Senator Kittredge.
On one of the pages of the menu was a
striking likeness of the host of the evening,
in the form of a large half-tone picture.
Among the surprises of the evening was the
presentation to each of the guests of
beautifully decorated sterling silver match
safe, with hammer ed ornamentation of the
most artistic kind. Another surprise was
the serving CT what appeared to be large
piece of anthracite coal which covered one
OF the courses of the dinner.
When the dinner was half over Represen-
tative Cornell made a brief speech, in
which he welcomed his guests, and pre-
Sented Senator PenroSe as the POSTMASTER
of the eveLiEg.
Speaker Cannon First Heard.
Speaker Cannon was the first of the
speakers of the evening. He was received
with enthusiastic applause, and responded
with speech in which he praised the
sterling virtues of the host who, he said,
had only recently received a testimonial
from the House of Representatives by it's
vote in his contested election case. ref
erence was made to Mr.. Cannons friend
ship for the Pennsylvania member covering
a number Of years.
Representative Payne responded to call
for speech and told humorously of the big
republican majorities in Mr.. Connelfs dis
trict which he helped to make.
Representative Driscoll, chairman of the
elections committee of the House of Rep
resentatives that reported faeorably upon
the proposition to seat Mr.. Council, was
called on, as were Representatives johnson
Of South Carolina and De Almond Of Mis-
souri, Most of the members Of the Penn
sylvania delegation were called on for re-
marks during the evening" and the occasion
was made one of wit. humor and good fell
lowship, such as will long be remembered.
One OF the significant features of the
evening was the exhibition of the strong
feeling among members Of the Pennsyl-
vania delegation and newspaper men in ia
vor Of having Senator PenrOse made chair
man of the national republican committee
as the best possible choice to insure the
very best results for the republicans in the
national campaign.
Ex-Postmaster General Smiths Speech.
The event of the evening was the speech
of former Postmaster General Charles
Emory Smith. who scored what he termed
picayune methods that had been resorted
to in the making Of the report in which
the names of many members of Congress
had been dragged without cause and in a
way as to tend to smirch their good names
in cases in which the whole truth concern
ing the charges is not known.
The former Postmaster General was dis
posed he said. in view of the fact that he
was also named in that report, to lift up his
hands and say: BLESS you, my children"
He suited the action to the words amid a
general laughter. Then Mr. Smith became
serious and referred to the republican party
as typified by the elephant which had a
trunk that was noted among other things
for being able to pick up very small things.
Shakespeare, he said. had the remarkable
faculty of not only being able to depict the
characteristics of the people in his own
time but also to portray the character
istics of men in other generations then I'M
born.
when he looked ahead and labeled the
class of snappers unimportant infinitesi-
mails. he looked ahead two or three CEN
turies.'' said Mr.. Smith.
He was encouraged by cries in different
parts of the room to name the culprit but
he Immediately protested that he was
speaking simply as a private citizen and
also "as an humble representative of the
pI ofession of journalism"
Criticises the Press.
He was listened to with the closest at
tention. He added that some of the repre-
sentatives of the journalistic profession
were not doing justice to the people of the