The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-15

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 our differences before our election, when once the election has taken place. all of us in public life or in private lfe-pres- ident, congressman, judges, legislators alike, are American citizens and nothing else
 Tt Is nearly ten yearas ago that I first took dinner here in the immediate neighborhood of where I am dining now, and at that time I remember perfectly, when l was first brought up here, 1t was by MT. Jacob Riis, and Mir Jim Reynolds, and 1 was told that 1 would get an aw- fully good dinner, and hear some very good music, and both prophecies proved true; and 1t was about that time that grew to be acquainted with so many of my hosts and fellow-guests of this even- ing. The others I had known before. President Braun has described how the preliminary invitation took place It was six years ago that this club gave me 0 dinner after I had been elected governor, and they then said that they intended to elect me President. and that I must then come and take dinner with them again. l told them certainly that if they would carry out their part of the contract I would carry out mine.
 Typical American Gathering.
 '1 am not perfectly certain that they
 anticipated that their offer would be closed with so soon But you gentlemen, gee I closed with them, and tonight 1t is my wish to greet you warmly and to say that I doubt if we could find more typically American gathering than this. Americanism is not matter of birth place, of ancestry, of creed, of occupa- ton; Americanism Is a matter of the spirit that Is within mans soul. From the time when we first became an inde
 pendent nation to the present moment. there has never been a generation in which some of the most distinguished and most useful men were not men who had been born on the other side of the At lantic, and 1t Is peculiarly appropriate, and to me peculiarly pleasant that in addressing this club of the men upon whose effort so much of the future well fare of this city of this state. of this nation depends. I should be addressing men who show by their actions that they know no difference between Jew and gen tile Catholic and Protestant, native-born and foreign born; provided only the man, whatever his creed, whatever his birth place, strives to live so as to do his full duty to his neighbor and by his country as a whole.
 And now, gentlemen, wish to say that we cannot keep too clearly before our minds the facts that for the success of our civilization, what is needed is not so much brilliant ability, not so much unusual genius, as the possession by the average man of the plain, homely work -a-day virtues that make that man a
 good father. good husband and good friend, and neighbor--a decent man. with
 whom to deal in all relations of life. Better for the Contact. "I shall not keep you very long this evening. have come here not to make you a set speech, but if you will allow me to say so. to speak as an old friend among his old friends. I have seen a l good deal of your lives I know the effort, 1 the toil the happiness and the success. have endeavored when I have been brought In contact with the east side in the course of any work in which I have been engaged, so to handle myself that i the east side might be a little better for it. I do not know whether succeeded or not, but do know that have always l
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