New-York tribune., 1911-11-06
TRIBUTE TO c. N. BLISS
Meeting in Memory of Merchant
Held in Republican Club.
COMMEND HIS PATRIOTISM
Chauncey M. Depew and Other
Speakers Tell of His Business
Success and Public Spirit.


meeting in honor OF tho memory o.
Cornelius y. Bliss occupied al hour OF
yesterday afternoon at the RepubHcah
Club. in West 10Th street OTTO 7. Ban
nard, the president of the club, presided
and introduced rs speakers ex-senator
Chauncey VI. Depew and James g. can
non. president OF the Fourth Nationa.
Bank. Mr.. Depew had been intimately as
sociated with Mr.. Bliss in politics ana MI
Cannon In finance. Senator Root had
planned to attend the meeting and speak
but did not appear.
Mr.. Barnard. before calling upon Mr.. De-
pew. pointed out TO his hearers. who num-
bered about ono hundred, now fitting it
was that the Republican Club should honor
the dead merchant. slice he had been its
president at one time and had always been
"one of Its wisest councillors" Mr.. De
pew began by remarking that Mr. Bliss.
though not 2 charter member of the club,
had joined it in the first year Of its eX-
istence. and during the rest Of MS life had
abored inside and outside for ;he princi-
pies on which il was founded
when Mr.. Bliss came TO New York, in
1866, forty-fve years ago" Mr.. Depcw con-
tinued, "he came TO establish a commercial
house und,r conditions that would have
discouraged q loss rcsolutc and indomitab'e
spirit The field was occupied then by mcr.
chants of International reputation who
looked with Jealousy aud aniniosity upon
am one vino attempted to share il, with
them.
we are very familiar i'm or tine With
the effort TO create competition and prevent
It's limitation by combination We know
that tho tendency Of individuals and firms
whose industries use tho same raw ma
terals Is TO combine great public pro-
test against combinations has become crys-
tallized IN laws
"But when MIR Bliss came 20 Nov York
there were no great corporations. There
we're, however. masterful moH, whose
methods were very simple; they were to
drive competitors out of business. IT they
saw another firm or individual succeeding
TO any extraordinary extent in marketing
cottons. woolens. silks or any Of tho ar
ticles i'm which they dealt they studied
carefully and cxhaustivcly the prices and
quality Of that firms articles and it's meth
eds. and then advertised these same faN-
rics for sale far below cost. until the rival
had become bankrupt. Then possibly they
annexed him as an employc. and he Joined
the ranks Of that great army of the un-
successful which helps people this vast
town.
There will always bc masterful mon so
long rs human nature endurcs. and We
should ask ourselves now whether l. would
he better to go back to that old way Of
doing things. or allow combinations to
form regulated in tho industrial as in the
railroad field, so that they shall not be
come monopolics in restraint Of trade
Cornelius y. Bias was one Of the few
who survived the industrial warfare wagod
by his olde- rivals. Mr.. Depew said and
one Of the fcw, too, who weathcrcd the
panic Of 70
NO ono can know what such n panic /
unless he has lived through one" said Mr..
Depew. "rhe panic of 1873 WAS far worse
than any We have experienced since its
day. and as bad as the panic OF 1897, when
the whole country went bankrupt 7 re-
member walking from tho Union Trust
Company which had failed. WITH man who
tho evening before had been worth $1,000
coo. and who that evening was in debt So
600 o0o. Tho stanchest houses collsp psed.
and two-thirds Of New York's business men
became bankrupts'
II was after this that Mr. Bliss found
more time TO devote to public affairs Mr..
pepew said of him Beyond any other
NAN I over met hc believed in the protec-
.ivc tariff as tho foundation Of American
industries and prosperity" Mr.. Depcw paid
Il tribute tn Mr.. Rliss's public spirit patriot
ism and sclf-eftacemcnt in public life.
Mr. Cannon said Mr.. Bliss had been a di-
rector. and real director. of the Fourth
National Bank for more than thirty-seven
years that during tho panic Of 1897 his
powerful influence was at work night and
day steadying the mercantile interests Of
tho town and bolstering up weak members.
There arc many men in this city to-
day" Mr. Cannon said, who can testify
that no accidents happened TO their bust
MSS in that panic because Cornelius y.
Bliss watched over them"
The banker enlarged upon Mr. Blisss do
voted service to the Broadway Tabernacle
and TO the New York Hospital, both also
the benehciaries Of his generous purse. and
10 his work FOR the Chamber of Commerce.
Of which he was vice-president for four
terms. having declined repeatedly TO be
president
Ills life" said Mr.. Cannon. Stands as
an example to thousands Of the falacy of
the loose talk we hear so much of nowadays
about the honesty ot the business men OF
this age"
Robert G. Morris former president Of the
club offered a resolution providing that a
brief memorial. which lie read be suitably
engrossed and sent TO the family Of Mr..
Bliss The resolution was adopted unani-
mously. The memorial recited the incidents
OF Mr. Blisss distinguished career, empha-
sizing particularly his service to the Re-
publican party as treasurer of the national
campaign funds in both Mckinley cam
paiGns.