The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-18

The virtues of the manhood ana wornanhood of the Irish race were y,fffn ply extolIed by eloquent orators last evening at the Hotel Stratfleld' where the tenth annual banquet or the Knights of St. Patrick was heid!N There were 150 diners present and the occasion was made memorable py the rendition of Irish songs by well known local vocalists including Jo-s Beph Clabby, John Hughes Joseph Wieler, Louis HavriIla. AIoert Lapke and Loren DeIbrid ge-
 There was profusion of oratory smbodying many eloquent tributes to the Irish people. and the part that they have played in the citizenship of America The speakers, and their toasts, were Rev Edward. Flannerys whose toast wass The Day We Cele-s brate;,, William J. Mulligan, Irish Inf1uence;" Rev. Patrick J. McGiv- ney. What Ireland Has Done For Europe.s Francis D. Breens Irish 1deals;s Hon. Lyman T. Tingier, The State of Connecticut;' Hon Clifford B Wilson. Our City, John 4. Leon ard, the president of the Knights of. St Patrick, presented John T. King, as t0astmaster MT. King made a brief speech, prefacing his troduc- ton of the first speaker, Mayor Will son.
 Besides the speak kers there were at the guest table Sheriff William Voll- mer, Dr. P-SJ. Dwyer, of Waterbury,; Rev. T. P. Mu1cahy; Rev T J Kel- ley. and John A. Hurley. school com. missioner
 Upon the conclusion of the banquet President John A. Leonard Introduced the toastmaster of the evening. John T. King.
 MT. King prefaced his speech with a few remarks upon the onereus duties of a toast1naster hoping that he would not be continued in that capacity at banquets much longer Continuing he said among other things:
 Now my friends, we are assembled here tonight SIS Irishmen ard sons of Irish parents and we bid welcome to all those of other nationalities who have chosenf to do honor tonight to our nationality. I think every man here who is of Irish extraction has the pride Of his heritage both as to na- tionality as we'll as religion but with aiI that let us not fail to remember we are citizens of the United States of America do not wishAto be con- sfdered in any sense as deprecating the nationality of our forefathers but my friends we are their children and while in the land where we have some thing to say we deeply sym pathize and severely condemn the wrongs which were perpetrsted upon OUT forefath- CTS. nevertheless we are in all things citizens of the United States of America
 tsIt Is all very well to assemble at a banquet and speak of g1ories to speak in tribute and to dilate upon wrongs and in5ustices but think the days has come when a gathering Of this sort comes together we must come for something besides eating and drinking and somethfng besides speechnaa1xing which in most eases are mere vapor- inEs of almost nothing We must come to this point: that@i we are go- ing to perpetuate the memory of our forefatfeEs-rhfle we think of their virtues and limit their nisfortunes let us be like all constructive people should be Let us take account of our yveaknesses- When you take care for strength If we come together merely to pat each other on the back we are getting nowhere. Now think we have faults as Irish Arnericans and if we have many faults do not think it will do us any harm to take them into consideration
 There has been q hue and cry up- on the question of bigotry. There is TO question but from the earliest Htage of the republic that many peo- pae in the land forget there were many Irishmen in the army of the revolution. They forget that today there are many who have contributed
  United States But while there is bigotry od this side of the question let us acknowledge we have a lot of that bigotry ourselves so that if the time is coming that everybody is to dwell in harmony the question of 8sgotry must be diszipated and we 1rust not, charge the other side of the sfouse as responsible for 1oigotry. We are just as much responsible
 We are charged with being elan raish and sometimes I think it is true This can come from many causes and ness we are accused of comes from the agitator and demagogue-from the man I would call a professional Irishman-"
 -Now claim this" continued the speaker: ssThe man who tries to cap ffa1ize his religion is a disgrace both to his nationality and his religion So say, let us take one lesson to heart take pride in American citizenship first Take that stand to which your brains and your morals sentitle you. Take a back seat for no man but all ways condemn as a general principle that man who attempts to capitalize his nationality or religion for the sake of his own preferment-tha is the man who developed whatever bigotry may us The best lesson we can take is for us to be not on the offensive but on the defensive
 MAYOR c. B. WILSON
 Mayor wilson was next introduced and after expressing the pleasure which it gave him to be in attendance said. There is no way in which you can judge any person better than by the traditions which he keeps. A man fs true to his country when he is true to his traditions which are naturally and peculiarly nearest to his heart It is easy to float upon the stream o1 drift to heaven on fowery bodies but the man who is actually worth while is the man who comes out and fights 1ife's battle as best he sees it. want to conKrafulate you on the traditions of your country, upon your citizenship x e4k1 eeasaAsEx and on what the city