THE DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH POLE 



79 



at any time to be disrupted. But so far 

 as the danger of starvation, the danger 

 of loss of supphes, the dangers that have 

 been fatal to former explorers — so far as 

 these things are concerned. Commander 

 Peary has made Arctic exploration safe. 



Of the dangers to those who remained 

 here I will not speak. All imagine what 

 they are. They do not relate to Arctic 

 exploration. They do not relate to ice, 

 unless it is the ice trust, and they do not 

 relate to water. In my opinion they re- 

 late chiefly to too abundant legislation. 

 The other night I heard a statement from 

 Professor McMillan, one of Commander 

 Peary's companions, who said that the 

 Eskimos were the iiappiest people in the 

 world. Commander Peary says a trip up 

 in the Arctic is safe as compared with 

 the dangers of New York or of Wash- 

 ington. I think the reason for that 

 happiness of the Eskimo and the com- 

 parative danger of those who live in the 

 cities throughout the United States is 

 that the Eskimos are not governed by 

 any laws except the laws of nature, and 

 we suffer from a trinitarian govern- 

 ment — the trinity of the legislative, ex- 

 ecutive, and judiciary. How can a peo- 

 ple be safe and happy when laws are 

 passed at the rate of twelve thousand a 

 year, and when one State legislature in 

 recent years made in one session three 

 hundred and seventy-eight new crimes? 

 How is it possible for the public to escape 

 being made criminals? 



But I am traveling Outside of the sub- 

 ject of Arctic exploration and will come 

 back so far as to say that those who have 

 shared with Commander Peary the labor 

 and the danger are entitled to some of 

 the rewards. What are the rewards? 

 The reward of the Peary Arctic Club is 

 the great unparalleled achievement of 

 Commander Peary, Captain Bartlett, and 

 their companions, and that is sufficient to 

 satisfy the ambition of the Peary Arctic 

 Club and friends of the Commander. 

 The recognition that he has received is 

 not yet complete. His return has been 

 met with some disappointments, but he 

 must remember, as we all may, that such 

 is the fate of explorers. Christopher 



Columbus at one time was sent a prisoner 

 and in chains from the land he had dis- 

 covered to the land that he had so much 

 honored. Commander Peary has not 

 been put in chains. In centuries to come 

 his achievement will be recognized, and 

 in behalf of the Peary Arctic Club I 

 thank the members of the National Geo- 

 graphic Society that they have not waited 

 for the lapse of centuries before recog- 

 nizing the acts and -the achievement of 

 Commander Peary. 



TH^ TOASTMASTER 



We approach the South Pole from 

 South America, and in closing this meet- 

 ing I shall ask Mr Barrett to pronounce 

 the benediction. 



MR JOHN BARRKTT, DIRECTOR OF THE 



INTERNATIONAL BUREAU OF 



AMERICAN REPUBEICS 



Mr President, ladies and gentlemen: 

 In memory of the lateness of the hour 

 I congratulate President Moore and the 

 officers of this Society and Commander 

 Peary upon the significance and success 

 of this banquet. I have only one obser- 

 vation to make, and that is, let us remem- 

 ber with reference to the future that the 

 North Pole is not the only pole : that 

 there is also a South Pole; that there is 

 a great southland as well as a northland, 

 an Antarctic as well as an Arctic Circle. 

 And may we all gather here, possibly in 

 a year or two years, to present a medal 

 to that hero who shall discover the South 

 Pole, whether he carry the flag of the 

 United States, of Great Britain, or Italy, 

 or France, or of that country which may 

 produce a hero who may emulate the 

 example of Robert E. Peary. 



The members and guests present were : 



Commander R. A. Ackerman. U. S. N. 



Mr A. Aaronsohn 



Mr and Mrs C. H. Ackert 



Dr S. J. Allen 



Mr D. G. Ambler 



Representative Daniel P. .Anthony, Jr., of 



Kansas 

 Mr Henrvk Arctowski 



Mr C. C.'Arosenene, the Minister of Panama 

 Mr J. .A. Aspinwall 

 Mr and Mrs O. P. Austin 

 Senator Augustus Bacon, of Georgia 



