New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-15
RpvAN ANn LILLE CAPITOL STEPS.

BRYAN AND THE C1PIIOL SIEfH'
That was very wellconcoctcd little scheme
.ho. u.oo nut M nv the deep-down cunning
statesmen who are engaged III running 'no
BRYAN show and exhibiting him throughout
the country as the Boy Orator OF the Ild''e I'LL"
tbe Wonder of the World, when they reques'e"
of Vjce-President Stevenson and Speaker hceu
who have the authority 10 grant or refuse such
roouosts-the privilege of using the tapltoi
stems and Capitol grounds for the purpose OF Il
mossmcctinc TO be addressed by the Boy Ora
for himself Cunning it was and subtle ana
lois of possibilities of making capital out oi It,
Of yicc-Prcsidcnt Stevenson's consent they were
reasonably we'll assured at the outset "'i''
they had hooes Of was that Speaker Reed, who
to their minds is the embodiment Oh ueSpo''Sn
and tyranny. would rise up and say. NO. BOT
'.bv any manner of means. heCapitoi grouhus
shall not be used for partisan politicai pur
.'poses" They knew he might well make thls
answer and in making it simply assert 'r"'h
and n principle that could not be galhsaid
Rut they hOpcd TO be able to make capltal out
of the refusal by setting it mp as another ihul-
cation of the disposition of RepuDh'ahs I'D IT,
strict the privileges of the masses ana DIT
them out from the use of the EoVerhiheh'
grounds. which are the common property OF all
the people 1t was not new Trick, ID! Ill!
means. for Coxey and his gang had already
tried II once and come 10 grief But 1t was
thought that II would serve.
Unfortunately for the project, the Hon.
Thomas b. Reed not having been born yester-
day. and having had some rather useful
experience in meeting and circumventng just
e.lI in, kith lao
evidently saw through it. Without any hcsita-
tion he added his consent TO that OF VICE
President Stevenson leaving the cunning Bryan
conspirators without any pretcXt for complain
ING at being dcbarred from the free use OF the
Capitol grounds, and with entire freedom 10
hold their mass meeting and listen to the elo-
ouence of the Boy Orator from the Captol
steps. It was quite evident that the readiness
of this concession did not dovetail with their
plans For so soon as il became known that
tbcir rcouest was readily granted, they held
q consultation about it AT st Louis, where the
Boy Orator happened TO he in the course Oh
his second spcechmaking tour. The result Oh
the council was announced in the Bryan organ
in this city Monday morning. in these words:
Mr. Bryan tonight (Sunday nght decided, al
ter mature deliberation, that he would not
make a speech from the steps of the National
Capitol He is of the opinion that both good
taste and wisdom forbid any such action:
also that he thinks that n well-cstabshed
claw should not be broken in his favor even
"by consent Of the Vice President of the United
Estates ana the Speaker of the House Of Rep
'rcscntativcs
What a gauzy trick this is. to be sure. The
In
Speaker of the House had not consented to the
violation Of "A wellestablishcd law They
had simply. in the exercise of the authority
vested in them as custOdians of the Capitol
and grounds, complied with the request of Mr..
Bryans managers that he should be permitted
to address Il mass-mccing from the Capitol
steps Permission being unexpectedly granted,
Mr. Bryan all at once decides that both good
taste and wisdom forbid that he should OK
crcse the privilege so readily granted. because
thereby he would violate n Well-esta Sh'd
law" What an empty trick 1t was. And low
easily circumvcntcd, But II is Of piece with
all the strategy of the Boy Orator and his man
ayers. He did not want TO address n mass
meeting from the Capitol steps of course. Be
cause why? Well. for one thing. the great
majority Of citizens Of Washington have no vote
in a Presidential election. and the Boy Orator,
fond as he is Of the patter Of his own chin. is
not talking anywhere for the simple sound Of
it with possibility OF results. He has moth
ing TO gain by talking from the Capitol steps
TO n mass meeting Of nOn-voers
The whole purpose Of this formal request for
the use of the Capitol grounds was TO get IA re-
fusal of Speaker Reeds consent. which was
thought 10 be certain. When Mr.. Reed, with
his usual urbaniy and courtesy and, perhaps,
pretty accurate gauge of the game that WAS
going on. said. why yes; certainly" the whole
scheme fell through. and IL was necessary To
have n consultation of the managers Of the
show. In order To meet the unexpected emcr-
gcncy. Then they decided that, on the whole.
they had no use for the Capitol steps, aud the
Boy Orator. with great show of reverence
for established law" said he would not vo-
late IT, even with the consent Of the Nce-prcsi-
dent and the Speaker Of the House. How in