TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING. 107 



might come with some excuse to talk about fruit, and the only 

 fruit under these circumstances I could talk about would be 

 "political plums." ( Lau.^"hter. ) Being- a Deinocrat, I have 

 had very little experience with political plums. (Laughter.) 

 They don't come Democratic ways very often, they seem to 

 be just a little ahead of us all the time, a sort of spectre van- 

 ishing, and a political plum, anyway, is apt to turn a little 

 acetic when you get it. 1 find I hold no political plum. About 

 a quarter of the time I half think it is a political quince, but 

 you have to live it through. 90 per cent of the work is very 

 pleasant, and the 10 per cent that represents the quince can be 

 endured. 



The mavor has to make speeches, he doesn't like to. There 

 was once two Irishman sitting at dinner ; one said to the 

 other: "]\Iike, do yez like lettice?" And Mike answered 

 and said: "Xo, I don't, and I'm glad I don't, for if I did, I 

 would ate it, and I hate the damned stuff!" (Laughter.) 

 That is more or less my relation to after-dinner speeches, — 

 I make them because it is a part of the duty of the office. 

 Coming to dinners, up to the time of the speech-making, 

 is very pleasant, but for the few minutes a man is on his 

 feet the dinner (if the metaphor is not mixed) turns into 

 ashes of roses. (Laughter.) 



I did come with a serious word to say. It is really 

 to give your convention a welcome to the city of Hartford. 

 We regard Mr. Hale virtuall}- as a citizen of Hartford, and 

 he is entitled to welcome you. and I think he has. I feel 

 that I express the sentiment of the city of Hartford when 

 I say officially, even though I am a Democrat, that T think 

 the city of Hartford can express through me the hope that 

 you will ac:omplish in }our convention all the purposes for 

 which you gather in convention. We are very, very proud 

 of the work you have done, not merely because we are in 

 the city of Hartford, Ijut because we are proud of the state 

 of Connecticut, and the work as described b\' Mr. Hale that 

 you are doing, is doing good for the state of Connecticut. 

 In fact, after listening to his argument, T don't know why 



