Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-27
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Something About Senator Elect
Depew and HIS Addresses.

Achievement - His Version of the
ConkIinR-PIntt Resignation From
the Upper House.
NEW YORK, Jan. &C. Special There
is little probability that Senator Elect De.
pew will in any degree abate his after din.
ner spccchmuking after he begins his
service in the upper house in congress re-
gardless Of his course as q speechmaker in
the senate.
1t is hardly likely, though, that he will
make more speeches in Washington than
he has in New York, since for years he
has averaged four addresses of one kind
and another every week.
Three Addresses In One Night.
Mr.. Depcw's most remarkable speech
making achievement was accomplished
some years ago. He was set down to make
IA speech before the Huguenot society, and
filled the appointment. After the speech
was finished it was brought to his atten-
ton that he had promised to deliver an
address before the graduating class Of the
Bellevue Hospital Medical college from
the stage of the Academy of Music that
same evening. This promise he had en-
tircly forgotten, yet at the moment it was
recalled to him there remained only "a
brief time before the speech should begin
He was totally unprcparod and tcmporari-
ly HUnpluscd. Then he pulled himself
together and decided to walk to the Acad
envy of Music On the way everything he
had ever read or heard about the history
of the medical profession in America ar
ranged itself las if in little shells" in his
mind. As he entered the Academy and
while -ie was on his way to the stage the
form of the speech and the advice he
should give to the graduates gathered
themselves about the bits of information
he had recalled. No one who listened to
the address could have suspected either
from its matter or its manner that 1t was
an impromptu speech.
After ii was finished he attended n sup
per given to commemorate the one hun
dredth performance Of popular play, and
of course his remarks were the chief fca-
ture of the occasion. In them he showed
as intimate knowledge Of the theater and
its traditions as he had displayed in re-
ligiOus history before the Hugucnots or
medicine before the young doctors.
Odd Way of Reporting Speeches.
Until few years ago certain New
York newspaper used to print all the De
pew after dinner speeches, and a reporter
on its staff named Bailey used to take
them down in shorthand. As IL might be
too late to get the matter set and proof
read for the morning paper were the re
porting not done until the speech was de-
livered, Bailey used to appear at the De
pew residence some time between q and :
in the evening armed with stenographcr s
notebook and pencil.
As soon as Dcpcw was ready he would
begin composing the speech aloud. Be
fore it was half done, as rule, II would
be time to start for the banquet hall. To
Rcthcr the two would go into the street,
Dcpcw talking and Bailey making pot
hooks in his book as they walked. II they
were n little late. they would take the first
horse car that came along-thcrc were mel
ther cables nor trollcys in those days-and
the dictation and reporting were continued
To the accompaniment Of the juggling bells
on the horse collars. Sometimes the
speech would be 50 long that it would not
be finished when they reached Dclmonico'
or wherever the banquet was held, and
then Dcpcw would wind up in some cor
ner near the desk
But although reports of Mr. Dcpcw s
ways been substantially the same as de
lNcrcd. it must he admitted that they have
rarely been Of the exact form. Mr. Dcpcw
himself says that he has no verbal mem
DRY. Debating a speech fixes the >cuti
mcnts thereof in his mind and the sequence
in which he decides to utter them But
by the time he Is ready to give the second
uttcrancc new words and phrases and sup
Elementary ideas crowd fast uIun him
and over and over again hearers who hav,
looked for the report the next day hav,
been astGniShod 10y the fact, incxplicabl,
to them, that although the substance OF
the printed speech was the same as IN,
spoken one, yet the form was not at al
similar.
Only his lighter speeches are prepared
as above described. He writes his NOR,
serious addresses and delivers them from
the manuscript. Oddly enough the writ
ing of n speech does not fix its ideas anC
their sequence in his mind.
when COnkIinR and PIntt Resigned
When he becomes n full Pledged senator
of the United States on March next, Mr.
Dcpow will have satisfied the dearest am
bition of his life. He first ran for senator
in 1881, in circumstances which every
student of political history will remember
Here is a brief statement Of the facts n.
Depew himself understands them, given
by him at the writer's request:
1.-THE friends of President Garfield anC
Mr. Blaine insisted that should be can
didate because / could control % votes
whereas no one else acceptable to then
could control more than four Richard
Crowley of Niagara and Thomas c. Plat
were among the candidates. Vice Presi
dent Arthur favored Crowley and tool
charge of his canvass. Outwardly MIR
Conkling favored neither Crowley MOI
Platt, but secretly was for Crowley. Ont
day Mr. Platt saw me and asked why
didn't withdraw.
"'You can't possibly win, he said, 'bu
II you'll withdraw can be elected
81 told him 1 knew that, but haG
promised not to allow any one unfriendly
to Mr.. Garfield to be chosen II 1 ooulC
help IT, adding:
"'If you'll assure me that you will b,
friendly to the administration, will cal
my friends together and ask them to voti
for you
"Mr. Platt gave his word, kept mine
and he was elected. After that came tn,
complication about Judge Robertsons ap
pointment as collector of the port of New
York. Mr.. Conkling said the appoint
ment must not be confirmed. Mr.. Plat
explained his promise not to antagoniz,
the administration and said there wa
only one way for him to oppose Robert
sons confirmation, and that was to resign
and be reelected on the Robertson issue
The resignation of Conkling and Plat
followed. When the contest for reelection
came on, felt in honor bound to be
candidate again, and for SO days receives