New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-04
MR.. DEPEW'S VERSION OF IT.
HIS NOW FAMOUS MONTAUK CLUB SPEECH.
A CHAT WITH THE NEw.YoRK cEXrRAL's rEEsI.

Railroad, held at Cleveland yesterday, Is thing en-
tirely contrary to his custom As president OF the
NewYor Central director OF fifty roads more or less,
and leading spirit of the Vanderbilt system, he Is al
ways hand when the management and welfare OF
those vast corporation Interests are concerned
lie remains in NewYork because his vile
is seriously I'll. Her sickness has grown worse
since her return from Fortress Monroe where Mr.
Depew had taken her In the hope that she might
speedily recover She Is now under the care OF DR..
Janeway DR.. John p. Mum and one or two other
physicians.
any wie's sickness almost engrosses my attention.
said Mr.. Depew rs he sat in his study last night.
al attend to my business as usual of course, but
outside OF that my brain seems limited TO home
considerations to what the doctors TO the pos
sbitics OF my wifes condition. and to the pathology
OF her trouble. had wanted TO do some literary
work. but that I had laid aside as impossible under
the circumstances All invitations have been re-
fused and 1t seems 10 that never have more
outside affairs pressed me at one time. was
70 be the principal speaker at the Chamber OF Com
merce dinner last Friday evening. Perhaps was
lucky TO escape that however. they tell me the
speaking did not begin until almost midnight
THE SPEECH AT THE MoNTArK CLUB
"The only invitation that have accepted since
Mrs. Depew's severe Illness continued Mr. Depew'
settling back in his chair in dscursvc attitude
"was that to the dinner ct the Montank 'mp III
Brooklyn, and my remarks there seem TO have srr'u
Brooklvn up pretty cffectually Now. my side OF haI
affair has not been presented. Tho IrooKl!n pap'i'
have pictured me. the guest OF tie CITY anu us
officials deliberately insulting them at their own ioie'
cartoon last Sunday showed the blood squirting from
Mavor Roodys nose as the result OF violen. gesture
OF mine.
"Those papers have not dared to tell the iac's
about that dinner. 1t was subscription oi'i"'r
Given by 23s members OF club OF whch 1 am d"
honorary member, my birthday. II was ho' gwen
ty the Montauk Club. nor by the city of BrooKiyn'
tha oft ~
Mavor to be sure. tIcre. but he was there' ho'
With the mace and ro' of his position. but as a
fellow clubmember. was told that was eNPc''"
10 make a speech Of from forty-hve minutes 10 one
hour did not know that could be there until O'CLOCK
in the afternoon, and then the question came as 10
what should say when got there. could no' MAKE
an Grafton OF that length and they didn't want one"
! could not talk about myself for fory-fve minutes
md I couldn't fill the time with nonsense and nap
doodle-even after dinner audience wouldn't s'ahu
that. $500
9rsuau, a dinner furnishes line of themes that
con no utilized by the speakers II II he religious the
tonic can easily be appropriate. If II he that OF 'h'
Chamber of Commerce. Il may be based on any oi
the great business interests and problems 80 il II
be political II it be under city government auspices.
as for instance that Of the Police Department. i''
free to make digs at the city officers 1rHc'd 'h'Y
o exnected and desired as contributing to the Gayety
q, nations and nothing is thought OF IL II sing
a brick or two at Tammany. AS to BrooKFr' qupS
q, its being the largest village In the country "''
standard.
A FEW FACTS FROM HISTORY
aNow. bcthoueht me- that in the last winter
Broollyn had been in two ways ahson''eN "','
In the first place city officials had been indicted ior
stealing from the public treasury; theh u'' '"'
oAcors that secured the indictments went 10 uh'
Legislature and had legislative pardons issued anu
finally the Democratic Governor shoVeu Ms Ha
through the bill that granted the pardohs "s.'' !
tho Aldermen. whatever they Gail u0" wy
fathers rejected a bid of half million dollars rom
solvent responsible parties for street railroad iran
cb,sas and literally gave them away. but TINS ac'
was nullifed BY the Democratic MAYOR "o.
,hnrcht these we're two beautiful qups-bea'i'ifW-
and the idea that any others than those VINO hau so
The swag' could be offended did not enter my h''u
The Governor aud Mayor had disapproved Do'h "c's,
ond en- undoubtedly had the party behind them anu
thought this an excellent way to lead up 10 '
general considerations on the great pfoO'e'' vi i''
ipal government. go .o, hor
.o,a,s ord ,auchs II off, Chicago too has ont
rowr her constituencies and likes 10 be bera'e'
q, onlv Il be done artistcally Not so brooklyn u
expected that Mayor Body would make some answer
about people who live In glass houses cechr' '""'
even II Aldermen gave away the franchises 'he No'
would veto the gifts and. amid rap'nrouS apPi""'''
announce his determnaon TO guard the city treasury
from spoiation. astounded, then to ina th'''
the Mayor was angered By my talk ana refused 10
respond when called upon. One speaker loIo"'N
mo Int his listeners in the air, and when
returned from Albany the following Monday folh1
that the whole city OF Brooklyn apparently had taken
the subject up with the idea that as guest had
lnsulted my host
AN APOLOGY THAT WAS NOT PRINTED.
aOne brooklyn paper sent reporter to mo 70
ask II / lad any apology to make. maze ohe b"
1. was never printed II was this: III aTons the
members OF the club who dined me that night there
h. 1,oh ha.D ipf IA
stealing the public money. II there was one OF tie
Aldermen amors them wh) gave away those street
railroad franchises to that tender most humble
apology
"However have had a good deal OF amusement
out OF the affair." said Mr.. Depew, with one OF his
merrest laughs "Some OF those Brooklyn politicians
have since been IN my Office lamenting over the pub
lie talk the matter had stirred up. 1T should nave
been laughed on they said. This continued as
custom calls too much attention to our private mat
tiers, and makes 1t much harder for an honest
politician to make living
at was inst in New-To-h in the Tweed days.
continued Mr.. Depcv, more seriously. Every at
tack city corruption was resented as an attack on
the city ITSELF and offenders tried to put the public
between them and their accusers The organ Of the
BROOKLYN ring the other day. in commenting on the
dinner declared to be an excellent speaker and
a Jolly good fellow, and added that it was compli-
ment that could find nothing TO talk about IN
Brooklyn than these little matters. There was moth
ing political In my remarks ard there was nothing
that should offend any one not implicated III The
wrongs Mayor Body had oficiay condemned them
aud the people OF brooklyn certainly upheld him.
have received a number Of letters from Brooklyn
men thanking me for what said"
All this Brooklyn dinner talk little aside from
the Lake Shore annual meeting and the railroad situa
ton I'm the West, which had brought the interview
about Mr.. Depew asserted with emphasis that
there was no basis for the renewed reports OF threat
.r.a ,ehor tronhes ON the Western roads. 1.-The
strikes settled themselves three months ago." he said
"ror several weeks the railroads held in reserve
for every place to be hlled- They were determined
that no movement of railroad employees should crppl"
the Fair and Chicago and that whole great section OF
country were ready TO back them up The danger has