The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-12
TO HUSBANDS
Give Up Your Barren Scepter as
Master of the House..
JOHN HAYS FIRST SPEECH.
A Witty Response to the Toast "our
countrywomen" at a Banquet In
Paris When He Was Secretary Of
Legation In the French Capital.

BY official proclamation President
Johnson set apart the first Thursday
Of December, 1865, as a day of ma
tional thanksgiving. The American
residents and visitors in Paris deemed
it an occasion to be celebrated with
more than usual ceremony. The re-
suit was that at o'clock on the even
ing of the 7th of December some 253
of our countrymen sat down to a
dinner in the spacious dining room of
the Grand hotel in Paris. then regard
ed by travellers as the most elegant
public dining hall in Europe.
After a succession of speeches the
chairman closed the entertainment
with a toast to "Our Countrywomen"
and asked Colonel John Hay, then
secretary Of legation in Paris. to re-
spond to it. AS this was probably the
first public speech Mr.. Hay had ever
made and though nothing he then said
could possibly add any luster to his
subsequent career, it may justly be
said that it was more successful than
the first public effort in oratory either
replied in part as follows:
"My Countrymen (and I would say
my countrywomen but that the for
mer word embraces the latter when
ever opportunity offers)-I cannot un-
derstand why l should have been call
ed upon to respond to this toast of
all others, having nothing but theo-
retical ideas upon the subject to be
treated-one, in fact. / must be pre-
sumed never to have handled. Laugh
ter and applause.1
Il have been called up, too, by com
mittee of married men. I can think OF
no claim I have to be considered an
authority in these matters except what
might arise from the fact Of my hav-
ing resided in early life in the same
neighborhood with Brigham Young
who has since gained some reputation
as a thorough and practical ladies'
man. tGreat laughter.1 am not con
scious, however, of having imbibed
any such wisdom at the feet of this
matrimonial Gamaliel as should justly
entitle me to be heard among the
elders.
$50 I am inevitably forced to the
conclusion that these husbands cannot
trust each others discretion. The Sc
crets Of the prison house are too i'm
portant to be trusted to one Of the
prisoners. So ignorance of the matter
in hand has come to be held an abso
lutte prerequisite when any one is to b.
sacrificed to the exigencies of thi!
toast
Il really do not see why this shoult
be so. 1t is useless for husbands I,
attempt to keep this thin veneering O.
a semblance of authority. The sym
bols of government they still retain de
ceive nobody. They may comfort them
for. themselves with the assurance o
some vague. invisible supremacy, Ik,
that Of the spiritual mikado or tn,
grand llama, but the true tycoon Is tn
viie. A witty and profound observe
the other day said, Every HUSBAND
doubtless knows he is master in hi
own house, bit he also knows hi
neighbor's wife is master In hers
Laughter and Cheers
"Why should not you. husbands o
America, admit this great truth an,
give up the barren scepter? Thing
would so much easier II you cease,
the struggle to keep up appearances
The ladies win not be. hard on xor