tation to come to the Capitol at Washington, and I recall at this time, with very great pleasure, the effort that I made in two little speeches advocating the acceptance of the hearty invitation that had been extended to us to come here. I am sure that no one regrets that he came to Washington at this time. [Applause.] And I am further assured that we all rejoice in that noble and generous feeling that has been extended to us by the members of the local association in their effort to give us a royal, grand good time. [Applause.]

I do not know that in extending this invitation to come to Milwaukee I wish to make any criticism at all upon the other places in question. Yet I do want to say—and I think you will agree with me-that there is a difference between a formal invitation to go out and take our cold lunches on our own account at Niagara Falls or elsewhere and an invitation that bids you come to our table, to our fireside, and be not only members among us of the association, but as friends in our own household in the hospitable city of Milwaukee. [Applause.]

We promise to you, gentlemen, to entertain you in one of the most handsome and most comfortable hotels (the Hotel Pfister) known in all this country. We have every facility to entertain a national convention. I might say that Milwaukee is famous as a meeting ground for national conventions, for no less than thirtyeight were held there in the year 1893; and I think that this association will lose quite a good deal if it declines to accept the most cordial invitation that we extend to you at this time. I hope that you will give our claim—not a claim, we have no claim, pardon the word—but I hope that you will give our invitation every consideration, and even more, your hearty and unanimous support. [Applause.]

Mr. Simon Wolf of Washington-Gentlemen, I rise for the purpose of seconding the nomination made by the gentleman who has just taken his seat.

I remember well during one of the heated debates in congress, at which I was present, when the two lamented great men of the nation, Benjamin F. Butler and Samuel S. Cox, had their celebrated debate, wherein Butler said: "Shoo fly, don't bother me," and immediately after the debate those two gentlemen locked arms and went down stairs and had a drink. [Laughter.]

So today, after the contest of last night, in which one had to succumb to the other, I rise in the most cordial and friendly spirit and say to my ancient foe: We are brothers today, and I wish you to have all the hospitality although you were not

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successful in being elected to the presidency for the time being." [Applause.]

I have been in Milwaukee. I have spoken, and have drunk German beer there. I have the most lively and sympathetic recollection of the modern Athens of America, and I can assure you that I know of no place on God's footstool that is so promising for the comfort of life underwriters as the city of Milwaukee. [Applause.]

It is most admirable in all its appointments.

While it has

the culture, refinement, and good sense of the East, it has in a different way the honor, the courage, and the daring of the West. Combined with these you will find a welcome that will sound down the aisle of ages and you will come away from there feeling that you have done a grand, good thing in accepting their invitation.

In addition thereto I would say to the young men that the whole of the United States is celebrated for its handsome, gracious, and courteous women. But Milwaukee! Milwaukee

is far and away ahead of all others. [Great applause.]

I will tell you more. I shall be with you. [Great applause.] God sparing my life I shall be with you, and as I am able to speak several languages, including the Hebrew, there will be absolutely no door locked against us, but every door and every hearth of that great northwestern city will be ours, and therefore I am in favor of going there. ["Good!" and applause.] Mr. Kendall of Cleveland-Mr. President, the association to which I belong has had the honor of having with them on two occasions this national body, and I can assure you that we reaped great benefit from it, and perhaps the success of our own association has been largely due to the meetings of this association in our city. Just so long as there are associations coming here to Washington and asking us to give them the same benefit, giving a cordial-not a formal-invitation, I am in favor of accepting such invitation, and shall continue to favor the invitations that come from local associations until invitations cease; and when no association wants us any longer, then will be the time for us to take in other places and to meet at the watering places and other beautiful points in this country.

We are not visitors for scenery. We are visitors to do good, to strengthen the hands of those whom we visit. I am informed that the little coterie of the Washington Association have taken in thirty new members since it was known that we were coming here, believing that it will perpetuate and strengthen their asso

ciation and give them courage for their work, so that it can take its place among the strongest in the land. That is what Milwaukee asks for. Let us grant her request. [Good! " and applause.]

Mr. Shideler-Mr. President, in the far away time the best of wine was left until the last of the feast. That is why I have quietly sat still [laughter] and listened to the invitations that have been extended to this convention, both written invitations as well as from word of mouth. But I find that Milwaukee is away in the northwest, that Tennessee is away down in the south.

But Indianapolis is within four miles of the centre of population of this country. We have sixteen railroads all entering one depot, and a nice depot at that. We have as good hotels as in any city you have named. We have as nice a little city as you can find off the water anywhere, either in this country or in Europe.

Our city, too, is a city of conventions. Even the gold standard convention had to come to our place to make its nominations. We can entertain conventions as well as Washington, except that we have not a steamboat, nor the grave of the Father of our Country, but we have beautiful streets, upon which you can ride. We have pleasant homes and beautiful shade trees along the asphalt pavements.

We have the finest soldiers' monument in the world. It will compare favorably, you will see, with the Washington monument in this city.

Now I am in dead earnest when I say to you that in the year 1897 Indianapolis desires cordially to welcome this National Association. My friend Folsom here will see that you have all the pleasures, comforts and entertainment possible to be given or have ever been given before. And when it comes to latchstrings, ours are out all the time. [Laughter.] All you have got to do is to press the button and the door opens, and you walk in. [Laughter.]

Now I don't know about the beer. I have heard it said that we have such an institution as a brewery there, called the Indianapolis Home Brewery. I never was there. I have never drank

any of their beer. But we have the English syndicate, the greatest in the world, I believe, but I was never there.

A voice-Have you any churches?

Mr. Shideler-Churches in abundance, with higher steeples and more members than any other city in the world. We have

four hotels, any one of which can take care of us, feed us well, and furnish a meeting place right in the hotel.

Our local association is composed of about one hundred and twenty members. They are lukewarm-they are, indeed. But few of us have ever had the privilege of attending a National convention. Hence they cannot fully understand the importance of this great work in which we are engaged.

In the interest of life insurance, independently of churches or beer, I want to say to you that this convention ought to go to Indianapolis. All the companies are represented; there is not a company represented here today that is not represented in Indianapolis by a state or district agent at least. And we will all join together to give you such a welcome as you have never had except when you went into the old Hoosier state upon some other occasion.

That word Hoosier used to be a term of reproach, but since the days of the war, since the days of Morton and the days of Harrison, when you say Hoosier we straighten up; we say, Yes, sir, we are Hoosiers; come and see us; sit down at our tables, break bread with us, and we will give you something to fill you up." [Great laughter.]

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Now, my dear friends, in all candor this is no joke. [Laughter.] Is it a joke on Folsom? Here is my friend Halford, God bless him! He is here in Washington City representing the United Press. He is an Indianapolis man, and what I fail to say in the interest of Indianapolis, he can tell you all about. It is the greatest inland city in the world.

There was an invitation read here signed by the governor of Tennessee. I cannot extend that kind of an invitation now, because our governor went off somewhere, but next year we are going to have an old farmer governor. [Applause.] The present governor could not extend an invitation because he is not a candidate for re-election, and his term of office ends in January. He hopes to go to the Senate of the United States, but we are not going to let him. But I know that when the time comes, after our new governor has taken the chair, he will extend to you an invitation to come, and the great state of Indiana will join with us in extending to you a hearty welcome.

Now please, boys, [laughter,] please come over and see us. Here is a good brother who said we don't go for sight-seeing. Here is a man from Maine-hurrah for Maine! another man from California. Will you ask the Maine man to go to California at his own expense? Will you ask the California man to

go to Maine at his own expense? No, no.

They would prefer to meet at the center, Indianapolis. The same thing is true of the North, and the same thing is true of the South. There is no way in the world that you can equalize the expenses of this association so well as to meet in Indianapolis. There we shall all share equally in personal expenses in attending the convention. Please come to Indianapolis. We will give you the grandest welcome you ever had in your lives,

There is not

Now here is a man talking about hoop-poles. a hoop-pole in the state of Indiana. Every one of them has been taken out into the East or South, or the North or the West, to bind up the beer barrels in those sections of the country. [Laughter.]

You won't see a stick of wood in the town, you won't see a chunk of coal, you won't see any smoke in the town. Everything is heated by natural gas. [Great laughter.] There is more natural gas to the square inch than Pittsburgh has now We have everything you want to see. Come and see us. Will

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you? Folsom says, I guess you will."

Then, again, where is my little silver democrat? Here he is. [Laughter.] Let those in favor of Indianapolis hold up their hands. [Laughter.]

Mr. Harris of Texas-So far as natural gas being an inducement to go to Indianapolis is concerned, my experience has been that there is always a supply of natural gas wherever our convention meets.

[Laughter.]

Mr. Shideler-And it is escaping now. Mr. Harris-I am glad that my large friend from Indianapolis has had a chance to let a little more gas escape.

I shall be glad to meet my friends there at my own expense. But now I wish to come to something that is close to me. I address this audience as a southern man. Every drop of my blood is southern. Yet when I address this vast audience, composed chiefly of northern men, I feel that I stand in my father's house and among my friends. ["Good!" and applause.]

Many years ago, when that great struggle came which bathed this western world in blood, my father stood near the gun which fired the first shot of the great Civil War. But as a southern man I wish to say to this audience that there is not one drop of blood in the South that does not love the Union and its flag just as well and just as truly as any northern man who ever wore the blue. [Good!" and applause.]

Gentlemen, I had not intended to open my mouth upon this