New-York tribune., 1908-01-23
CHEERS FOR PRESIDENT
BROUGHT OUT By. BRUCE.
Calls Dir. Roosevelt the Surgeon
Who Operated at Right Time.


tributed to the flow of unalloyed eloquence last
night at the dinner Of the A-Xarat Club at Del
monico's
Senator Thomas Prior Gore of Oklahoma. was
the principal guest OF the evening. but the chleI
speaker proved TO be ex-Lieutenant Governor NJ
Linn Bruce. to whom the latftudlnous SUBJECT
"Cseneralities' was assigned, he choosing the late
financial ferment his topic. and incidentally
making forcefuI defence of American institutions
against the query from Europe. as ne salo' OF
Whats the matter with America?
Speaking CT the financial policy OF Fresioen'
Roosevelt. without mentioning the latter by name,
he likened 1t to painful but inevitable and neces-
sary surgical operation to effect cure ana addeo'
Something had to be done, and, thank God We
had the to do it.
This latter statement delivered with all the
forensic force of which Mr.. Bruce was capable
produced storm of enthusiasm that matted the
ex-Lieutenant Governors speech for fully two MIN
utes.
Every one or the four hundred diners Joined in
a series of cheers and applause that has probably
seldom been equalle1 in the banquet hail at Del
monico's
Besides Senator Gore who spoke in highly eulo-
CYSTIC praise of the "Forty-sixth karat. the new
State of Oklahoma and Mr.. Bruce. the speakers
included Congressman William Sulzer. whose SUD
ject was the state of Matrimony. which ne mas
recently invaded but also digressed from MS topic
long enough to say that there would be no nnanclal
legislation no banking legislation nor tarfr REFORM
at this session of Congress, because poth VICE
President Fairbanks and Speaker Cannon were
anxious for early adjournment to enable them 10
get home and build their political fences.
CONGRESSMAN D. j. Foster, of Vermont. spoke on
the Business of Government the Rev Dr Rod
ert Rogers on the Richness of the Rich ana
| Charles Batten Loonis on the "Poorness OF the
Poor"
Regrets were received from Governor Hughes.
| Judge Almet F. jerks and Rear Admiral Coghan
Mr. Bruce began his speech by taking exception
| to remark of DR.. Rogers directed at General
| Frederick D. Grant, who was one OF tne
! guests. This reference was that perhaps the
| general could not stand all the tests
In reply to this the ex-Lieutenant Governor SAID:
! "He has borne every test OF the army ana OF
| American citizenship. He stood before NicKsouIs
with his father, who was the man on hoIseoacK
in the Civil War and who rode from Snllon 10
! Appomattox."
! This sentiment was greeted with applause. Con-
tinuing Mr. Bruce commented on the innate MOD
esty of group of men who claimed TO be zi-karat
fine .
Then with added force Mr.. Bruce entered on the
s,eecb that WAS distinctly the feature Of the even
ing. He said
..Freouently we hear nowadays from abroad the
! question What is the matter with America
would like in the first place. to answer tnat Oy
saying that there nothing the matter with Amer
| lea. America is all right And Americans are al
| right When anything is the matter Americans
will seek out the cause themselves; they Will dag
nose the case and apply the remedy themselves
| The people will do IL. through tneir authorlZeu
| agents.
| cit requires delicate surgery. a major opera
ton but operations are sometimes necessary II
means danger, nurses, upsetting the household
blood letting and pain; it means temporary pros
tration. but in the end life and health. which are
! better than riches
THE cure may cost the coupons and dividends
but remember il means life and health. and have
little sympathy when 1 hear you whining and
carping about the surgeon. AS we look back we
| may now see another way. and perhaps he may
| too but the crisis there: something had 10 De
done and thank God we had the TO do It.
But it gives firmer hold and a better chance for
a larger and better prosperity. You should re-
| member that this is government of law and not
| of men. The law is eternal the hills them
selves and so long as they remain they will
/ have met the antcipations Of our fathers. ana
God forbid that these institutions shall ever be-
| come the government Of men, They are FOUNDED
on the bedrock of law. and no coterte or conoina-
| +ion OF millions is greater than the law and gov
ernment itself
mo. there IS nothing the matter with America
| and Americans" At the end of the speech there
was another storm Of applause and cheers for MI
! Bruce.
Senator Gore, In his praise of Oklahoma, said
| the s-bsbv state had better wheat than Dakota
better corn than Kansas. better oranges than Flor
| ida and more cattle than Texas. And he added
| more and slicker grafters and politicians than
even the Empire State Then the blind states
man said apologetically: ''PIease express to Tam
| many that 1 didn't to be personal
CONGRESSMAN Foster made a vigorous address IN
favor of governmental rights In all past republics.
he said the central government had not oeen
clothed with direct power. far as its citizen
ship was concerned. The former governments, said
! the Congressman, had not the power to deal with
individual affairs excepting through the medium
of state power. Much of the difficulty could Ne
averted thought Congressman Foster. if the states
discharged the solemn obligations placed upon them
by the Constitution of the United States.
State evils also discussed by the speaker.
and he cited instance of the people OF Louisi-
ana who were compelled ultimately to appeal to
the federal government to rid the state of It's lot
tery curse which was he said, robbing the poor Of
the commonwealth of their savings.
The states" he said. must do their duty by
their citizens. to whom they are constitutionally
responsible. and not have the work OF the big
federal government 10 care for.