The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-25
THE PASSING OF .oUn cHAUScEY."

The st. Louis Globe Democrat. Republic
can newspaper of great ability and thor
oughly independent spirit. has very
poor opinion of Chauncey NJ. Depew's
vote-zetting capacity, because of his rail-
road affiliations. with a man like
Depew as a presidential standard-bearer,
the Republicans. it says, "wouid not
carry four states West of the Alleghanies."
The Globe Democrat is right, and il has
always been matter OF astonishment to
thoughtful Western men that Chauncey
Depew should ever be seriously spoken of
as candidate for president. Outside of
the fact that be is fatally handicapped for
the race by his lifelong career as railroad
lobbyist. Depew is a very light man: he
has good looks. q fine voice, is fluent and
has good deal of rank humor, which he
manifests on the stump by the explosion
of lot of anecdotal chestnuts. He is the
peripatetic post-prandial orator of New
York city; he is constantly called upon to
deliver Historical addresses," which are
characterized by very tiippant, superficial
thought and are full of gross errors of fact.
The truth is that Mr.. Depew is good
club man; that is, he Is an entertaining
but not an accurate or instructive man.
On occasions when the audience have had
good dinner and are full of generous wine
Depew is a good man to make everybody
grin; he can make everybody hear him;
he tells a very old story in a comparatively
new manner, and il equires not the slight
est mental effort to follow him; he is,
therefore, the beau ideal of an orator for a
banquet when the guests have imbibed SO
much champagne that Mr.. Depew has
only to grin to make them oil indulge in
the loud laugh that betrays the vacant
mind.
The fact that Mr.. Depew in the opening
day of what promised to be a brilliant
political career was willing 70 abandon it
to become old Commodore Vanderbilt's
genie of the railroad lobby at Albany re-
veals the caliber of the man; a man with
out high purpose: agood natured stalwart
| sybarite and optimist who cared more for
the flesh pots of Egypt than he did for the
hard won honors of toilsome statesman
ship. Vanderbilt, who had the Napoleonlc
| eye which correctly gauges men, saw that
| he had just what he needed in Depew.
| lie wanted a man of fine presence. of affa-
| bic, social nature, who knew enough law
| for the matter In hand; who could make
| fluent. captivating speech before the
''hay loft and cheese press" Republicans;
| who could entertain handsomely, sit up
| all night with the boys and wake up with
/ out a headache in tho morning: q man of
| imperturbabe good nature and inexhaust-
| iblo fund OF Falstaillan humor.
/ Furthermore, when Vanderbilt obtained
| Depew be obtained a man who was the
bosom friend and college mate of the late
James W. Hustled, q politician of far
| greater ability than Depew; q man of IN
rivsled powers of debate and parliament
tary knowledge and skill. For years De-
pew, guided by Hustled, worked his will
with the Albany legislature. until the
yanderbilts ceased TO need to ask any
| thing OF the state. In the meantime
| Depew has grown rich and he would like
TO occupy bis ease with high political
employment, aud he is so infatuated with
| his home popularity that he cannot under
stand why the Republican party should
| not cry for him as = standard bearer.
| He makes the same mistake that ali city
| bred politicians OF the Empire state make:
| they never can understand that man
may live from childhood to old age In the
! highest social swim in New York city and
I not know a. ali what the rest OF the
/ American people are thinking about
| Popularity, such as Mr.. Depew has OBJ
/ tanned, Is easily won in New York city, but
| II is worthless away from home. An after
| dinner audience in New York only seeks
| TO be entertained; . man vigorous enough
| to challenge them 10 think is resented by
| fellows full OF food and vine; they
waat o man who Is either s pol
| ishea saurlst Ike Choats or
coarse hamorist like Depsw. but
| the great mass Of the American people
| when they come % deal with politics want
q good deal more than ihIs; they welcome
a man Of exceptional powers OF natural
humor, but these powers must be subor-
dlnased to primal purpose 70 convince and
| instruct: not simply 60 entertain. To
| illustrate; Tom Reed. Of Maine, IS en-
| tsrsly superior 10 pepes as = humorisi and
1 4, The peer OF Chosse IS a saiiriss, bat he IS
q good deal more than q hnmoriss like
/ pepew, or satIEiss Ike Choase. because he
| /, more instinct with political purpose
be seeks primarily By logical force and
/ rover TO convince and instruct, and
/ holds his ~is sni huusoE in leash
| for this purpose His wis and humor
/ are merely incidental TO bis argument;
I they are rot used as asrpant, shslles eva
.soas Of argument This soiaa saEnessnsss
/ Of conviction and political purpose. this
/ logical force and power Of understanding.
married 70 rare rowsTs Of Vii saa hamor.
nfts Reed TO the level Of statesman and
/ leaAer. While the absence Of these great
qualities leaves Mr.. peTss wasre he &C.
+ lsars. aaaonx the class of merely entertain
E Tag afser dinner SPEAKERS and stHFRP ora
tors. and leaves Mr.. CaoAte. = sSr Faoss in;ss-
leetaal mAa than pcFss, in The ranks o.
! cynieal free l&ne<s. who IL their indlres-
satisza saoes sasaE AxEo~s 81 ssssy - -