New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-14
AS THE OPERA GOER SAWTT.
THE NIGHT OF THE MONEY CHANGERS
IN THE TEMPLE.

vrLGAR1TY IN THE PLACE OF TASTE. AND BABEL
IN THE PLACE OF HARMONY.
There are some persons who have always such
pleasant thoughts OF the Metropolitan Opera
House that their feeling toward'it is one Of posi-
tive affection, and perhaps bit more. To them
1t is temple of one of the noblest Of arts a spot
associated inseparably with the highest and
most rational OF pleasures To such II any
such were present last night at the Tammany-
Jefrerson-ten-dollar dnner-and there were un-
doubtedly few-the spectacle was a sad one
Every effort had been made to give fine ap-
pearance to the affair. The decorations Of the
house consisted OF no less than eight American
flags small banner and some electric lights
that made the back Of the stag look like a
Broadway all-night restaurant Moreover there
were red roses disposed with a profuson that
bespoke extravaganza without taste But all
these things could not prevent regretful COM
parisons OF the place as it was with the place
as IT usually is
The female friends Of Tammany did all that
they could to make the boxes look like an opera
night. But the attempt to strike a parallel
between the fashionable and artistic assembly
at the opera and a company of gazers let into
the tiger-house at the geological garden to see
Still. the boxes were not the strong part Of
the house Strong" is the right word Away
up high where the music lovers Of limited
means are wont to congregate there was only
empty space. But down where the music
seen-there was the Babel
Where elegantly dressed men and women en-
JOY the great art works Of the century, the big
chiefs and little chiefs sat m thai
ing suits and wondered why this affair needed
to be made so much more uncomfortable than
the annual chowder party. Some of the sordid-
minded ones, too, made themselves the more i'll
at ease, as they struggled to find storage for the
allotted six quarts of wines by the marvel Of
what there about this dinner that should
cost So Somebody asked the doorkeeper to re-
member him when he came back went out into
Broadway for breath Of fresh air and strayed
into restaurant across the way, just to get a
drink Of the old stuff" and TO feel the familiar
tricke of just swallow Of a liquor that he
knew. And there he picked up the restaurant
bill Of fare and began to pick out on il the dishes
OF the ten-dollar dinner and to reckon up what
the whole thing would have cost there IL or
dered in full portions from the card He found
that everything in the ten-doar dinner. from
the oysters to the dessert-every one Of them
could have been had for SO 10 And it would
have taken four Tammany men TO eat the food
that would have been provided.
He felt in the place where he used to carry his
$40, found enough to pay for the old stuff and
wandered back to the opera house. hoping that
the speaking would be good enough to square
him with the Democratic Club He never found
out whether the speaking was good or not. For
there, where three times many people as were
present last night sit stifl as the interior Of
a pyramid and resent any stir that obscures the
most delicate note. the leather-lungsd orators
could not make any noticeab BILE vibrations OF the
humming air. and 1t made no difference TO any
body whether they were silver-tongued or gold
tongued. Mr.. Bryan might as we'll have come,
for neither bimetallist nor monometallist could
have heard anything to hurt his feelings. When
three guests at a dinner want three boxes OF
cigars each and the waiter has only three boxes
for the three together what chance has oratory?
The time for diplomacy is past then. So Is the
time for mathematics. Tammany men are used
to getting their money or their moneys worth.
and when they have paid their money, talk Is
a poor thing to offer them as return for It,
They talk enough for themselves Ana tney
did.
There used 10 be French balls In the opera
house and those who went there for opera felt
the incongruity of the scenes. There was
wrestling match there. too. once. which was felt
by some to be out of place Now there has been
a ten-dollar dinner there, and many VIII reel
that the pleasantest part OF il Is the assurance
that large gang OF robust cleaners VIII take
the house I'm hand to-day.