e pledge that e should partake ! the or he w Am I That to sprainter --"9 correct? -ed to were toast touchica was of course responded to by vernor peech, of the Empire State. He was at his bes.. The keynote was struck, and speech after speech followed in the proper vein. There was no discordant note, the burden of every speech being the gallant Democracy and splendid statesmanship of the great State of New York. When the distinguished guests had all spoken, the master of ceremonies, General Gordon, proposed a toast to "The Democracy of Illinois," and called upon me to respond. I would both be helplessly beyond the pale of the lodge, even though you had both taken the obligation a thousand times!" As the ominous applause which followed died away, Brother John, half arising in his seat, vehemently exclaimed, "Mrs. Worshipful Master, I never told him to ask no such damn fool question!" XXV A QUESTION OF AVAILABILITY A POLITICAL BANQUET IN ATLANTA, GA. GENERAL GORDON PROPOSES THE DEMOCRACY OF ILLINOIS' THE WRITER'S RESPONSE A DESIRE IN ILLINOIS TO NOMINATE THE HON. DAVID DAVIS FOR PRESIDENT. -- Α' BOUT the year of grace 1889, a number of distinguished statesmen were invited to attend a political banquet to be given by the local Democratic Association of the splendid city of Atlanta, Georgia. Among the guests were Representative Flower of New York and General Collins of Massachusetts; the chief guest of the occasion was the Hon. David B. Hill, then the Governor of New York. The banquet was under the immediate auspices of the lamented Gordon, and of Grady of glorious memory. The board literally groaned under the rarest viands, and Southern hospitality was at its zenith. It was, all in all, an occasion to live in memory. I was not one of the invited guests of the committee, but being in a neighboring city was invited by Mr. Grady to be present. At the conclusion of the feast, a toast was proposed to "The Gallant Democracy of New York." Glasses were touched and the enthusiasm was unbounded. The toast was of course responded to by the distinguished Governor of the Empire State. He was at his best. His speech, splendid in thought and diction, was heard with breathless interest. The keynote was struck, and speech after speech followed in the proper vein. There was no discordant note, the burden of every speech being the gallant Democracy and splendid statesmanship of the great State of New York. When the distinguished guests had all spoken, the master of ceremonies, General Gordon, proposed a toast to "The Democracy of Illinois," and called upon me to respond. I A * Prg ke v te tatt to be it the o de fruten sette if i ter s de Supreme Car 10 190 encount & tentsion ʼn vien man i vas Te 10, 100t tentary, the spremacy of me Feden CBOUND, VII u viu a peux Beleng fat he wond ************woe miscare. I tai galy jumei de nove KATE y Bus na Moritando as the tow SIE SIZE which set, *, Chonnan x May. 1972 Fr many vess ****** nesting di rat ocraico, te v ine rachten india bus the nomination of faire Istis In Vesident Morting, wrx, and night, -DATA DATA Irie," we he burden of ouX KIZ He did not, as in well known, receive the nomination. that honor, of course, passing to a distinguished Democratic stabean of New York. Two or three days before I was to leave my home for the Cincinnati convention, an old Democratic friend from an wljoining county came into my office. He was an old-timer in very truth. He was born in Tennessee, had when a mere boy fought under Jackson at Talladega, Tallapoosa, and New Orleans, had voted for him three times for the Presidency, and expected to join him when he died. He had lived in |