The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-03


announced himself to his managers,
Roache and Comstock, next day.
1T had come to Mr. Bryans ears pre-
vious to his entry into Atlanta that
Roache and Comstock had quarreled in IN
ugly manner over the nOtOrety that each
was to get out of his afillaton with hiFn
This he was willing to pass over as 1t
| had not then become public, but the vul-
gar display of posters and The wording Of
the advertisements offended him to The
soul.
Here is a copy Of the original telegram
sent to Mr. Bryan 10y V. Il. McBee, who
was the financial hacker Of the lecture
tour and with whom he was induced to
enter into the contract:
" Congratulate you on your magnificent
endeavor win you entertain non-sensa-
tional business proposition for fifty lee
lures for SCOOP
MI. Bryan answered by telegram In the
affirmative. Mr. McBee was about to close
contract on this basis with Mr. Bryan
when he was told that there were not
enough houses south of Washington big
enough to hold the people who would
want to attend. He then arranged with
Mr.. Bryan to pay him $4,000 cash in adj
vance for ten lectures and to plan for
| the future on a basis satisfactory to both.
| This was agreed to after MIR. McBee had
sent Mr.. Bryan this letter:
" Atlanta, Ga, Nov. 9, 1S96.-Hon. Will
| liam ]. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb: Referring to
| the Geographic correspondence in regard
| to your lecturing. This is quite a departure
| from my regular vocation, but being both
| personally and politically interested in
| your magnificent campaign, / am prompt
| ed TO make the offer
" In reply to your telegram of Nov. /
| wired you last night giving a number Of
| references as to my business qualifications
| and social standing. II may not be improp
| er for me to give brief statement of who
hot tfefxF l.tyl
making further inquiries outside of the
| gentlemen named in my message. My Of
| flee is at Portsmouth, Va, am general su-
| perintendent of the Seaboard Air Line
railway Have been prominently connect
| ed with railroads in the south for the past
| thirty years. See biographical directory of
| railway officials. Have extensive acquaint-
ance throughout the south and east. First,
| wish to assure you that the element of
| admiration enters into the motive that
prompts the offer referred to. There is, of
| course, a speculative idea, but only from
the standpoint of legitimate, honest and
| sincere endeavor belonging to the highest
| class of work in presenting you before the
people on the lecture platform. This work
| shall most emphaticaly be free from all
| advertising of any personal interests or
| enterprise whatever and in this connection
| am agreeable that the contract shall be
| most explicit.
Offer, in brief detailed, to wit: You
| select territory and subject for fifty lee
| lures. VIII deliver you certified check for
| $4,000 on signing contract. This to be the
| payment for last ten lectures; other lee
| lures paid for on delivery, which shall
| be guaranteed Entire details of tour ar
| ranged to your satisfaction; not more than
| three lectures a week expected Urgent
| that tour should begin within a fortnight.
| Write me here at Kimball house as to
particulars, and if further entertained will
| SEND my attorney and representative to
| Lincoln to close matter at once.
~ e. McBee.'
Mr. Bryan had the close advice of
friends before he shut off his tour after
the lecture in Atlanta, and they agreed
| with him that he would be wise to dis
| coUDtenance any such outrageous sensa-
| tionalism. Mr. Bryan promptly gave Mr..
| McBee a certified check for the $1,000 he
| had received. He was paid $1,CG0 for his
| nights work and his railroad expenses.
Far from being compelled to quit on
| account of disbursement in respect to
audiences, Mr.. Bryan had every reason
| to believe the tour would have been a
great financial success. He valued his dig
nifty and standing too highly to submit to
vaudeville advertisement"
Mr. Tom Watson's paper. issued yester-
day Gan y, has the following notice of
Mr. Bryans Atlanta lecture:
Mr. Bryan then at $3.50 o'clock took the
floor and quelled the excitement with
three waves of his magnetic hand The
people settled back in their several seats
and, with their ears attuned and beatific
expectancy glowing i'm every face, waited
for the charmer to charm. Standing there
in the flare of the foot lights, with palars
giving to his neither limbs an exquisite
dado establishment attired in solemn
black and reminding one somewhat of
Mccullough playing Hamlet in a cutawaY
L.
had foretold, spoke His first remarks
were by way of apology for the too flat
tering introduction given him and includ-
ing a rather left-handed compliment for
Mr.. Lewis. This over, he used these
words:
Now l want to warn you in advance
against disappointment by telling you that
it is not my purpose tonight to entertain
you, and the eloquence to which you have
listened makes it unnecessary for me to
be eloquent, and | shall just talk to you
in a plain, everyday, matter-of-fact sort
of way"
Now. l want to say with all possible
emphasis that Mr.. William Jennings Bry-
an kept his promise to the very letter and
it was the only promises that had been
made by anybody that was kept. But l
thought heard sigh from that dollar of
mine in the box office when it heard the
words, "it is not my purpose tonight to
DUH commonplace haif-baked, inchoate,
sophomore travesty upon lecture. There
was not one flight of eloquence not one
flash of imagery, not one feature of order |
ly logic, not one hint of scholarship not !
one CLEAN of humor 1t was a mere patch |
work of his campaign speeches. and he
had evidently not spent an hour in it's |
preparation. Like the owl, he gave out |
undisputed things in a solmen way. Now |
and then, the claquers of the theater would |
find an opening and there would be a rip |
pie of applause but it was all perfunctory |
and designed to warm up the speaker. He |
was invincible, however. and refused to |
thaw. He rambled in a colloqulai fashion |
with one hand in a pocket most of the |
time, as though he had received his share |
of the proceeds before coming on the |
stage. He touched on government, taxi |
ing the ground that good government de- |
pended upon good people voting good men |
into office. When he had reached about /
the second fuTlong he notified the assem-
blage that Ancient Landmarks was his