The sun., 1905-12-13
PENNSYLVANIANS ON PARADE,
MiRCH TO THEIR DINNER BE-
HIND VARIED FLiGS.
Listen TO Horace Porter AMI Cortrlycn
Tel the Greatness Of Hen FRANKLIN
-POstmas rr-i!Cncrnl Pleads for the
Merit SISirtl I'm His Department.

-POstmast tcr-GCncrni Pleads Tor inc
Merit System In His Department
The annual dinner OF the Pennsylvania
Society, It's seventh, at the Waldorf Astoria
last night commemorated the two nun
dredth anniversary Of the birth OF "
Benjamin Franklin. Besides the Thoroughly
Manhattanized Keystoners of the society
there were present scrapple lovers from
all parts of the State.
January II Ia actually the bcentennnl
OF Franklin's birth, but the Pennsylvania
Society thought last night was close enough.
The 600 members of the society ana
invited guests assembled before the dinner
in tho Astor Gallery for the picturesque
ceremony Of tho march Of the flags A
drummer and flHer, uniformed in the
blue and buff of the Continentals, took
their places at the head of long line, 10
the tweedle-tootle of the fife and the rutiie
of the drum the Pennsylvanians marched
into the banquet room.
President j. Hampden Robb led the way
with Postmaster-General George B. Corr
telyou. After them walked Gen. Horace
Porter and Lieut.-Col. Allan G. Bakewell,
Frederick P. Fish and Col. Willis l.. Ogden
George A, Post and Capt. F. NJ. Gibson, Prof.
Albert II. Smyth and d. Men. Stauaer.
Then came a detail OF flag bearers with
the wind tattered and shot torn banners,
some of them old az the nation.
First of all was the provincial flag OF
Penns ylvania designed by Franklin him
self date l74sl, with its erect lion carrying
a naked scmitar and the Pennsylvania
escutcheon. The national flag followed
nl ba Stat nn Of
and New York. Then came the Continen-
tai flag with its Coiied rattlesnake on yellow
field; the old banner of the First City Troop
of Philadelphia (dats l774); the old flag
of the Floating Batteries (iate 1870; the
Pulaski banner with its crimson field and
the all seeing eye" in the cantre, the flag
of the First Regiment, the flag of the
independent Battalion tho flag of the
Hanover Association, thu flag of thI City
of Philadelphia ani sever al old national
banners which ara now mars tatters of silk t.
As the color hearers passed along to the
fife and drum qulcN step, the members OF
the society Cheercd, and the women OF the
society, catching the spirit of the occasion,
az aTslauded For the time the lower regions
oil the Waldorf Astoria were deserted by
the folk that wanted to see the spectacle.
From the Scrappe on the menu cards
to the portrait of Franklin IN oil, suspended
above the head of loastmaster Robh, the
banquet room was significant of Pennsyl-
vania and Pennsylvanians. Above the
Franklin, William Penn, in fun a1mor,
looked down majeStCaIly. Around the
galleries were hung silhouettes of Franklin,
medallion shaped.
some Of the distinguished guests, in adj
dtlun to Gen, Horace Porter and the Post
master General, were; Mayor Weaver of
Philadelphia, Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke,
\
Clark Of Montana, John D.. Crmmtns,
James b. Dhl, Stuyvesant Fish, Simeon
Ford, James Gayley, ". F. Havemeycr,
D-Cady Herrci, Henry f.. Howland, Bray
ton ives, Gen. John A. Johnston, Police
Commissioner McAdoo, Gen. A. l.. Mills,
Robert c. Ogden. John Wanamaker, p. A.
b. Widener, ". r. Wilcox. Oscar s. Straus,
Henry II. Rogers, Judge James Jay Gordon,
Paul Morton, Martin ". Llttlcton and Col.
Sheldon Potter.
Toastmaster Robb introduced Mr.. Cor
telyou after the society sang "The Star
Spanglnd Banner" The Postmaster-Gen-
elal talked of Franklin's work in the Post
Office Department under the confederation
and Of hi earlier work as postmaster OF
the city of Philadelphia Mr. Corelyou
had something to say of Franliin's tendency
to appoint members of his family to Oifce.
This was his wish in closing:
While we differ with Dr Franklin as 10
some features of his administration, we can
emulate his example by striving for INCREASED
postal facilities in every part of this great
and prosperous ration. Thus striving We
shall hasten the day when. in all positions,
merit shall ha The controlling factor in ap-
pointncUt and promotion and when the
service shall be- characterized by the highest
business efficiency, from the Department in
Washington to the smallest post Office and
the most remote route IN all It's vast organi2a-
ton.
Gen. Horace Porter, recently Ambassador
to France, followed with an address on
Franklin az Diplomat"
When | was boy" he said, we all had
TO learn Pennsylvania Dutch. 1t was the
court language of the State. | mean by
that it was spoken at Harrisburg. Laugh
ter. In PENNSYLVANIA we made Franklin
tmaster-General We gave him his
first prominence as man of letters laugh
teri. While paying particular attention
TO the mails he didn't forget the females"
Gen. Porter told number Of stories OF
Frankin's shrewdness as a diplomat at the
French court. He concluded by saying
He worked silently and patiently. He was
one of the most modest of men. He trusted
to history for his fame, and the more history
discusses him the louder becomes his praise
He has handed down to posterty the
greatest legacy that man can leave to
mana good name and the inheritance of
O good example.
Frederick 2. Fish, president of the Ameri-
can Bell Telephone Company, speaking on
Franklin the Scientist" said that it was
as a natural philosopher that he stood out
most conspicuousy among the men of
his time.
George A, Post OF this city spoke on
Franklin the American" Franklin was
not the apostle of graft Mr.. Post thought,
even if he did originate the saying; God
helps those who help themselves He
thought typographical error must have
Crept in somewhere and that Franklin
meant God help those who help them
selves"
Prof. Albert H, Smyth spoke on Franklin
the Man of Letters"