New-York tribune., 1910-04-23
TRIBUTE OF M|SSOUR|ANS
Honor Mark Twain at Dinner as
States Most Famous Son.
SILENT TOAST TO MEMORY
Boom for Falk and Attempt by
Secretary to Read Many Tele-
grams Arouse the Diners.

Presidential hoo-n s~r ex-rovernor
FOX and trih,-;es n Marx twain. who was
pronOunred the most 'ar1eus of Nissourfs
sons were features - the ninth annual
DINNER Of the Missouri Society Of New York
last night in the grapi ballroom Of ths
waldorf
Another feature not sxpected on the pro-
gramme was the performance of John
Schrorers. the secretary-elect. who INSIST
ed on reading some thfrtv-hve telegran1s
OF regret rrom distinguished MissoUrians
at home in fun The outgoing president.
II g. Grubbs advised that only the gist
os the messages be read. bur the secrs-
tary was insistent Finally. after half tho
kilograms had been read. motion was
made that only the names OF the senders
be given. THIS angered the reader. who
had. moreover insisted on giving in few
words the history Of each man sending
regrets He exclaimed: IT am the secre-
tary Of the Missouri Society. and know
my duty and I will do IL. II would be dis
20 these gentlemen not 20 read
what they have 10 say 70 I will read
the kilograms. I don't care what you say
F. Hopkinson Smith was called upon 70
address the gathering. which was made up
of both men and women. to the number OF
over two hundred.
II have been asked 10 come here and pay
e tribute 70 a distinguished Missourian
VINO has Just gone TO his reward" said Mr..
Smith Being Virginian. and therefors
closely allied 70 Missouri. I accepted. and
I am here 20 honor the memory OF one
who was not only my friend. but tho
friend OF millions IN this country and across
the sea. Tonight there lies cold IN death
of clean mind whose pen never set down
an uncIean word. a marvellous exponent %
American humor When We think how
larly sane. we can understand what made
him beloved all over the world
Never a line ne wrote left sting. never
a line he wrote your daughter and my
daughter might not read. There was no
bitterness. no sarcasm in his work. and no
sO-caIled muckraking. at a time when IL
was rampant in this country.
Il call upon you all TO rise and drink a
silent toast TO our dear departed friend
Mark Twain. Of whom you Missouri men
and we men may all feel so proud
William Hepburn Russell. president-elect
of the society. said that. in doing honor to
the dead they must not forget that Mis-
souri, had to-day some great men still alive.
and he wanted TO call on one OF them who
was present
He is an Ex-Governor OF Missouri. but
not yet an ex-President of the United
States" said Mr.. Russell He typifies ths
spirit Of the Middle West. this man 70
whom the eyes of the young men OF this
country are turning as the hope OF Denoc-
racy. not in the narrow political sense. but
in the true sense I call on Joseph w
Folk with the hope that there are vet
greater heights for him to climb and
greater influences 10 achieve
Ex-Governor Folk opened with a tribute
to Mark Twain. Missouri mOurns tonight
her most distinguished son." he said. He
had a deeper insight into human nature
than any other author. not even excepting
Dickens himself. Tom Sawyer. Huckle-
berry Finn and Colonel Mulberry Sellers
are characters We meet every day. The
Gilded Age which he wrote twenty-five
years ago. describes the WAYS of the people
of whom he wrote better than any book
written since
He could see deep into the human heart
and wrote from a knowledge OF human
character. His works have made millions
of persons happier and the world is better
for his having lived in il. His works had
ment that is sweeping over the land to-
day is IL never did before"
Mr.. Folk dwelt on the need for civic bet
terment. and declared that if more was
heard Of graft to-day il was because graft
was being exposed Imagine" he said.
''the Senate of the state Of New York ten
years ago sitting as a body TO investigate
graft and expelIing one OF its members
After attacking those who objected TO ex-
posures on the ground that they hurt the
city or the state, he added; Governor
Hughes takes the right position II a po-
IticaI party is hurt by the exposure OF
graft. II is hurt by the grafters and not
by their exposure. Government oy ths
people is the worst form Of government.
unless the people govern themselves X
they don't the bosses viii govern them
Much had been done. said the ex-ST0V-
ernOr but much remained 70 De done
Direct primaries. he said. were not perIect-
but they were better than the conventon
system. He also advocated the extension
of the referendum and initiative. not for
general use but a safeguard. Tor II
would be useless for bribers 20 buy legisls-
ton il the people could legislate over tneir
heads.
He commended the commission form oc
government for cities. and deprecated the
control Of corporations by the federal power
on the ground that II the states co1ld
legiSlate for individuals they could legis-
late as well for aggregations OF individuals
Senator William Warner and RepreSentd-
tive James T. Lloyd were among the other
resented by their presidents. among whom
were Henry W. Taft. Ohio: James >. CIark-
son. Iowa: Augustus Van Wyck. Soutn
Carolina. Charles p. Fry. Alabama Charles
G.. COwan. Tennessee; Edward NJ MOrsans
Michigan. and t. j. MCGUIRE. Georgia