Evening star., 1904-03-18
SHAMROCKS AT DINNER
TRIBUTES PAID TO NATIVE
HEATH AND ST. PATRICK.
Addresses by Distinguished Residents
Toast to President Roosevelt
and Pope Plus K

roll Institute Hall, given by the Shamrock
Club.
Erin Go Braugh,' beneath a golden en-
blem of one harp that once resounded
through Tara's halls, was conspicuous on
a green banner that opened across the bal
cony, the emblem of America f1anking 1t
on either side. AS each guest entered the
banquet hall he was presented with a hand
some souvenir combination cigar case and
pocket book, three good cigars having been
thcughtfully placed in the proper recep-
tacle. There were two hundred Irish citi-
zens of Washington who partook of the
jolly hospitality of the club. and. as Chair
man M. T. Sullivan suggested, In opening
the festivities, each man was host to his
neighbor, and every one We'd with the other
In making the evening a perfect one OF
good fellowship. 1t was an occasion when
manhood was at it's best, patriotic sent1-
ment at its highest ebb, and every fiber of
every mans being enlisted in the joy of
making every other one happy.
From the soup to the toasts there was
not a duh moment and if any man there
was unhappy he must have been a dis
guised Briton A piano, under the guidance
of master hand, gave forth melody during
the entire discussion of. the very elaborate
menu; such melody as only the sweet tunes
of the land of Tom Moore and the sainted
En- met can produce; the wild music that
breatheS of the northern heather and the
shamrock. And every man had one of
those little vivid green trefoils in his lapel,
many of them surmounted by the green
flag that they all love so fondly set side
by side with the banner of the American re-
public which they love no less.
At the head table were seated the Of
ffcers of the club and the special guests,
among the latter being Senator Stewart,
Rev. T. H. Quinn of County Sligo, Ireland;
Dominick 1. Murphy, John A. Joyce, Simon
Wolf Barry Bulkley, Michael Scanlon. M.
0Dnnnuhua p
Ion, II. H Twombley, M. J. Wade and John
7. Callaghan.
The Speechmaking.
After the cigars were lighted Mr.. Sullivan
introduced Michael F. O'Donoghue. the
toastmaster of the evening. who entered
upon the discharge of his task in a most
happy way by telling funny story. to get
the company in a good humor. He was
eminently successful though his task was a
light one. He first called on a .'son of the
ouid sod" the Rev. Father Quinn, to answer
to the toast, "The Day We Celebrate
Father Quinn said the assembled patriots
proved by their presence to be worthy of
the best traditions of their race and worthy
or the great patron saint of Ireland. He
drew beautiful word picture of the faith
Of Irishmen in ST. Patrick by saying that
from the channel Of Queenstown to the light
house of Melbourne the very name was
sacred synonym of humanity, charity and
good deeds. No other people, he said, had
sc faithfully followed the teachings of their
church or carried the Gospel SO far abroad
as had the Irish people.
st. Patrick, he said, was the motive power
which began the school system and opened
the monasteries Of the present days educa-
tional greatness. Apostles of ST. Patrick
went everywhere throughout the earth to
extend the teachings which were denied
them In their own country.
No man is great who is not good; no ma
I'm, fc h {nb f- y,ot <o1 I1 Il.
"and the Irish people have been called to
that great and glorious vocation-the ad-
vancement of religion and enlightenment.
SC that all people may be proud Of what the
Irish have done
His address was brilliant and enthusi-
astic. and brought forth round of tumult-
uous applause.
Following Father Quinn's address, the
toastmaster read letters of regret from
Gen. John c. Black, commander-in-cfliefo of
the Grand Army of the Republic; Rear Ad-
miral Charles O'Neill and others
Honor to the President.
The company then arose and drank the
health of the President Of the United
States and the pope, after which Senator
Stewart was introduced to respond to ''The
President of the United States"
Senator Stewards brief address showed
clearly the strength that has made him
power in political assemblages. He was
suave and at the same time strong in his
elucfdation of the separation Of church and
state which creed has long been the fort
ress of the Irish race. The freedom to love
and worship their Creator according to the
dictates of their own cOnsciences was, he
said, the stone upon which the republic of
the United States had been founded, and
on that stone tho Irish had founded their
transplanted faith.
ireland has home here" he said, land
the more of them who come the better
we'll like it. If England oppresses you,
come here. England can't come here. The
President of the United States is the en-
blem of good government. We have good
President now. He knows no section knows
no people. but loves them all, particularly
If they come from Ireland. And 1 want to
drink God bless Ireland. 3"
These words We're greeted with the most
tumultuous applause.
God bless Stewart rang out for min
utes after he took his seat.
Simon Wolf followed Senator Stewart and
opened by saying that if any of his friends
were looking for him tonight he would
never think to seek him In an Irish club.
And yet" he said. there are no two
peoples on the face of the earth who are
more closely related in their feelings or in
their sentiments. l have authority for as
suring you that wise man of the west
has just written book which proves con-
clusively that the Irish are one of the lost
tribes of Israel and that St. Patrick was a
rdDDl. All Americans are DrotherS and II
you want any members of the Shamrock
Club put me down right now"
He said the Irish are men who are ever
ready to stand up for a principle and that
he hoped the day would come when all the
nationalities represented in America would
be able to stand side by side and say they
are proud to be citizens of the most glori-
Gus republic the sun ever shone on.
Col. Joyce, after paying glowing tribute
TO the valor of the Irish on the battlefelds
OF the world ever fighting for liberty, read
an original poem entitled The Shamrock
and dedicated to the club. from which the
following stanzas are taken:
The Shamrock and st. Patrick's day
Must ever play their part,
And round the world from year TO year
Shall thrill each Irish heart.
mo cloud cline can chill the love
We bear this Emerald flower
trinity Of Hope ard Truth
In palace, cot and bower.
"And here beneath the Stars and Stripes
Transplanted let it bloom.
To creep around our footsteps
And decorate our tomb
The Irish Statesman.
Martin j. Wade, representative In Con-
gress from Iowa. threw bundle of witt
cisms around that made good his response
to the toast of The Irish statesman" His
brOpne when he n btc