New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-28
MR.. DEPEW'S TRIBUTE.
ABLEST OF CONGRESS PARLIAMENTAR1ANc
A MATCHLEss LEADER OF his PARTY-Tilh

MATCHLESS LEADER OF HIS PAKlh III"
BuRcuARD AFFAIR-ANECDoTEs.
Perhaps no man in the city of New York had oc'
ruped closer and more intimate relations 'o"aru
Mr. Blaine than Chauncey NJ. Depew As Is wei
known Mr. Dcpew was for many years supporter
OF Mr. Blaine for the Presidency. II was matter
az some surprise 10 the friends Of Mr.. blaine AT
Minneapolis when Mr. Dcpew appeared there as th'
unalterable adherent Of President Harrison ana an
advocate Of his recollection. But the two friends
understood each other thoroughly, as VIII be seen
nv a readng of the interview with Mr.. Depcw which
follows:
"In the canvass Of 1884, said Mr.. Dcpew, " ]
travelled and spoke with Mr. Blaine for several weeks
In going through the state Of Network he generally
put me- forward to make the principal speech. lie
would say came TO each station ION VIII
taN bore five. ten, fifteen. twenty, twenty-five or
thirty minutes as the might he. ic had Aeon
raiely determined the number Of minutes which he
would himself occupy 4 committee would com"
upon the car at the station preceding that whore the
train was TO stop for the meeting These stoppageS
averaged about sixteen day. Mr.. Blaine would IN
n few minutes absorb from the committeeman AL there
was OF local color or of historical Incident In their
towns Then he would retire q his on the car.
and whon the train reached the station he w"uii o"-
liver an address as complete as II he had b"ch All
night preparing it. II would sparkle with local anu
s.ons which ticNed the villagers and made them De
lievc that the principal part of Mr. Blane'S life hal
towns.
AS an instance OF his peculiar readiness as well
as his love OF fun" continued Mr.. Depew. VIII
relate that had introduced HIN In short speech
nj Yonkcrs, Tarrytown and ,ins-Sing. ana 'hen hrd
made a longer speech aftcrwaIi when the schcdui'
time for the stop not completed When MI Bhhc
cot through. As approached Pcekskbl ne asked
me what that place distinguished for.
.Wen' / said. among other things I was born
tbcrc.' lie said he had heard OF that before
ard seemed profoundly interested In the event There
we're abort three thousand people at the station as
! stepped forward TO introduce him he pushed NE to
one side and said Fellow citizens OF PcelSk; Ne
I have passed up and down your noble Hudson on
steamboat on the cars during the pas, quarter Of
n century there Is place which has always had
for me a special interest. and that Is your beautiful
village. ] always looked for 1t because 1t brought
forclby TO my mind the fact that it the birth
place of my cherished friend and your distinguished
townsman. Mr. Chauncey Dcpew.'
"Thc dag OF the Burchard incdent-and accident"
said Mr. Depcw al speaking In the western part
of the State and received 4 telegram from him
auesting me TO break my engagement and 10
Ncx-Yo at once. arrived the following morning
and Just IN time to find him leaving on an early
train for speaking tour through Connecticut. lie
said Il propose that You shall do all the principal
talking to-day. Something happened Yesterday that
made NE dstiust everybody except people whom
thoroughly know And then he told ne Of the
Durchard Incident said Mr.. Blaine why didn't
you check him correct him. He said Tho fact
is. I was fired ont ard exhausted with continuous
calls Of all kinds. The manager OF the meeting
to the door OF my In the Fifth Avenue
Hotel and announced that this body OF ccrgymcn
waiting for me In the rotunda. had forgotten
the time Of their proposed call and had made no
preparations for II. While DR.. Burchard was speaking
my only anxiety that he should keep IT up until
could prepare. In my own mind. a suitable address
for the peculiar audience which had assembled. was
absorbed In the concentration necessary for this
preparation. that ] never heard n word that Dr.
Burchard said. The first I knew Of IL was after /
returned 10 my and the meeting was over and
then ID was too late to do anything. The same ones
ton propounded then you have asked me this
morning; and II Is about that want to consult yon
il not correction quite likely TO do ne much
harm good! Burchard has offended one class OF
citizens-s not correction Nheiy equally to offend
another ciasss'
We stopped at Merden. wallingford. Hartford
and Ncw-Havcn, and at every place
were sh0wered from sidewalks and house
tops with dodgers Containing Burchard's
speech. II the unanimous conclusion OF the
gentlemen and Mr.. Blaine that he should make
reply at New-IIaven which he did. But the fatal
work had been done, and history will record for all
time that that one sentence defeated the most