Baltimore Evening Sun (5 March 1912): 6.

The Mayor’s reception room in the City Hall was packed to the doors yesterday afternoon, when the gold-tipped, diamond-studded rooster feather purchased by public subscription was presented to the Hon. Jacobus Hook, tickler-in-ordinary to the super-Mahon. The feather, in its morocco case, was brought to the City Hall at 1.45 o’clock, escorted by a platoon of police, and the ceremonies began promptly at 2. First, the Hound Song was sung by the assembled congregation, a capella, and then a degree team of Honorary Pallbearers gave an interesting and amazing exhibition of obsequial technique. Its floorwork thus finished, Colonel Hook entered the hall upon the arm of Col. McCay McCoy, amid plaudits and huzzahs, and the speech of presentation was made without further delay by the Hon. Bob Lee.

The Hon. Mr. Lee spoke for but 40 minutes and in consequence his speech was not of very wide range. The greater portion of it was devoted to a denunciation of the newspapers of Baltimore, and in particular, of the immoral Sunpaper [hisses], which be characterized as a relentless foe of the great reforms inaugurated by the Hon. Messers Padgett and Preston. [Applause.] The Hon. Mr. Lee prophesied that this opposition would be fruitless; that the Hon. Mr. Preston, aided by the Hon. Mr. Padgett, would give Baltimore such government as the world had not hitherto seen [screams of approval]; and that he would go down into history, in the end, as the greatest Mayor ever known to man, if not, indeed, as the most sublime and awe-inspiring human being. [Long-continued hand-clapping.] He concluded with these words: “Here, Jake; here is your tickler. [Huzzahs.] Use it well, old fellow! Let your arm never tire! Let your ecstasy never die!” [Stupendous plaudits.]

The Hon. Mr. Hook then arose and launched into the first canto of his speech of acceptance. He began by tracing the history of Old Town from the earliest settlements; paid a just and eloquent tribute to the character of the Hon. John J. Jones, author of the falls of that native [applause]; gave interesting reminiscences of his own boyhood on Gay street and of the memorable achievements of old No. 6 engine company; passed into West Baltimore and described, in detail, the opening of the streets, lanes, avenues and alleys west of Pace street; referred feelingly to 250 banquets attended by him between the years 1880 and 1890, giving the bills of fare with unerring accuracy [cheers]; described the origin and history of the abhorrent Merit System, and set forth his objections to it, ranging them sagaciously under 38 heads [applause after each]; advocated converting the old Shot Tower into a public park; read a speech made by the Hon. Daniel Webster in the Senate of the United States on May 12, 1849, upon the subject of the Indian wars then in progress [huzzahs]; deplored the decay of the Maryland terrapin and described the proper method of cooking that incomparable fowl; recited the first chapter of Genesis in a pliant, resonant voice [cries of “Amen!”); reviewed the political career of the Hon. the late Joshua Vausant, a personal friend, and told how he got the title of Honest Joshua; denounced Turkey for the atrocities in Armenia [hisses and cat-calls]; predicted that the diverting of the Panama Canal would attract many ships to the isthmus which now go ’round the Horn [thunders of applause]; discussed the disputed authorship of the Code of Manu and pointed out certain lamentable and inexplicable errors in the translation of the late Prof. Dr. Buehler [hoots and yells]; read the last scene of the play of “La Dame aux Camelias,” by the late Alexandre Dumas, fils [sounds of weeping]; praised the character of Andrew Jackson [applause], and denounced the turkey trot, the bear hug, the lemon squeeze and other such libidinous dances. [Loud cheers.]

After a brief period of relaxation, during which the assembled guests crowded up to see and admire the jeweled feather, Colonel Hook resumed his discourse. He began this second canto by pointing out the peculiar fitness of the Hon. the super-Mahon, by temperament and legal knowledge, for the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States [applause], and then discussed, in detail, the subject of the initiative and referendum; described the Aldrich currency plan and pointed out its merits and defects [cheers]; disposed of socialism in five stinging epigrams; reviewed the arguments for and against Christian Science; recited Hamlet’s soliloquy; pledged his full support to the Hon. Judson Harmon, of Ohio, for the Presidency; predicted the return of Gen. Porfirio Diaz to Mexico [deafening plaudits]’ advocated the repaving of Gay street with sheet asphalt; explained the technical. differences between kosher cement and unkosher cement [huzzahs]; praised the legal acumen of the Hon. S. S. Field; disposed of the Hon. James H. Van Sickle in a brief series of neat and satirical hexameters [laughter]; quoted from the “Um styrilsi konunga ak hoefpingu” of Magnus Eriksson and from the second book of the Rig-Veda [cries of “Skold!”]; characterized Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, author of “Also sprach Zarathustra,” as a winebibber and an ass. [Long-continued cheers.]

The hour of 6 having arrived, the Hon. Mr. Hook now retired to the ante-chamber [applause] and there changed to his full-dress evening dress suit, so familiar to banqueters. Emerging anon [groans] he began at once the third and concluding [cheers] canto of his speech. In this he chiefly concerned himself with lauding his friend and patron, the Hon. the super-Mahon, whom he described as the greatest constructive thinker in Christendom [cheers], and perhaps the greatest benefactor of the human race recorded in history. [Yells.] Compared to the honorable gentleman, he said, George Washington [hisses] took on the aspect of a pothouse politician and Abraham Lincoln [cat-calls] appeared as little more than a superior sort of lobbyist. In conclusion, he denounced the Sunpaper and distributed cigars. [Applause.] The meeting dispersed at 7.50 o’clock. [Stupendous billows of hand-clapping.]

The absence of the Hon. the super-Mahon, which caused much whispering among the Prominent Baltimoreans in attendance, every one of whom had looked forward eagerly to the distinguished favor and honor of a nod and a smile, was explained as due to his desire to leave Colonel Hook in undisturbed enjoyment of the day’s plaudits. Had he attended, the applause would have been all for him, and in consequence an element of embarrassment would have been introduced into the proceedings.