The Washington bee., 1909-03-06

able Charles w. Anderson, of New
York, Colonel Marshall, of Chicago,
Major R. r. Wright and others.
DR.. w. Bruce Evans presided. The
literary gem of the evening was the
welcome address of Attorney Louis
G. Gregory, of the local minimum
! G. Gregory, of the local bar. I'm
| promptu responses were made by Col
lector Anderson, Colonel Marshall
and others. The speech of Mr..
| Gregory, The Keynote" of the club.
follows:
Mr. Gregory said in part:
That our accomplished president
should, in an organization that COM
prises so much of distinction and
worth, select one of its most obscure
members to accord our guests a word
of welcome may seem somewhat in the
nature OF jest. But ! can only
assure you that the welcome which l
here voice, in the name of our club,
j is full of heartiness and sincerity,
however lacking in wit and rhetorical
grace.
i The Mu-So-Lit Club is essentially
an organization of quip and jest; of
light and laughter; of song and story;
of wit and. eloquence; of whist and
tobacco smoke. No Intoxicating
liquors stimulate our brains and
darFen our councils Our meetings
are sober, yet not grave; enjoyable,
but not boisterous. No nightmares
throttle Our repose and no morning
after" checkmates our toll. After
the campaign is over, when the "tu-
multi and the shouting cease" we
meet here and talk it over. And yet,
if I must tell the whole truth (after
the usual custom of lawyers) we
sometimes exchange compliments that
are out of season. But all profanity
is confined to election nights and even
then expressed in tones inaudible.
Tonight the politician is abroad.
Here at the nations capital you are
doubly welcome. As no man has
ever been wise enough to distinguish
between the people of Washington
and the politicians of Washington,
in this city you must inevitably meet
your kind. So in this parliament of
congenial spirits, forget the jibes and
jeers, the sings and arrows, the as
perSions of malcontents and the dis
gruntlements of defeat, all incidental
to your labors of love in the public
service. For here perennial victory.
even the victory OF hope, may ever
perch upon your banners.
The successful colored American
reaches the Heaven of his desires NOT
at single bound, but slowly, pain
fully, step by step, after delays that
make the heart sick and through
perils and difficulties that rankle and
rile. He is born in the back-woods,
where the worm of prejudice dyeth
not and the fires of race hate areun
quenchable. He divides his struggle
to know with a struggle to live. He
works his way through college and
triumphs over bone-breaking toll. He
is cheered by the faith of the fathers
and sustained by the love of noble
women. Undismayed by antagon-
isms. he gains foothold and thereby
becomes the cross of critics. Emulat-
ing the valor of St. George, for a
time he fights the dragons of insig-
nifcance and mediocrity single-hand-
ed and alone. But anon he learns
wisdom. He becomes a part of the
machine; he appropriates a seat upon
the band-wagon; and finally, by the
grace of God and his own nerve, he
attains a local Office and a name.
AS congenial spirits, as men OF
common ideals and aspirations,
whether or not you have reached the
goal, we welcome you to this pres
ence. We welcome you TO Our beau
tiful city, in which our pride IS par
donable. All that delights the eye,
that pleases the ear, that tickles the
fancy. that fructihes the mind, that
broadens the sympathies and touches
the heart, may be found at the Ma
tional Capital.
We welcome you in behalf OF ourl