The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-23
BRYAN NOT A CLUB GUEST.


e' tion Of One Man. 2;-s- =
NEW YORK, Jan. 22-The following
letter, signed by John Fox, former presi-
dent of the Democratic Club. and now
member of the board of governors. Robert
b. Roosevelt and John f. Doyle. was sent
tonight to John w. Kellar. president OF
the Democratic Club.
ut is with the most kindly greeting and
certainly with no desire to criticfse your
acts, that we take the liberty, as mem
bers of the Democratic Club, to address
you We are credibly informed that you
have invited Mr. w. j. Bryan TO become
your guest at the Democratic Club and
take dinner with you and party OF
friends In other words, Mr.. Bryan Is 10
be entertained by you, and the place OK
such entertainment is at the Democratic
Club. While 1t is your unquestfoned right,
or the right of any other member, to In
vite any gentleman whom he may choose
to become his guest at the club, yet under
existing conditions we greatly fear that
your act will become construed by the pub
lie as the act of the club, should you give
such dinner to this distinguished guest
without affrmatlvely disclaiming such In
tention on the part Of the club.
1--WE ourselves can fully distinguish be-
tween an official act and individual opin-
ion We want It understood. too, that we
have no personal objections to Mr.. Bryan,
nor do we object in the slightest degree
to your giving him dinner at the club,
in your Individual capacity as one Of its
members. We should much regret. how
ever. IL what you propose to do should be
construed throughout the country as "a
political Endorsement by the Democratic
Club Of the presidential candidacy. at this
time, Of Mr.. Bryan.
1.-The Democratic Club Is essentially
Democratic political organization, and in
its 5000 members there are none but Demo-
Gratis. You are now it's president, and in
the absence of disclaimer on your part
to the contrary, your course In anything
that pertains to the club or its affairs
might be construed, and not unreasonably
so. as the act of the club. 1t will not do
to say that such construction would only
be placed upon your acts by the ignorant
or misinformed, because Mr.. Bryan him.
self has established precedent which is
applicable to the case now in point. We
desire to call your attention to portion
of the correspondence which took place
between your immediate predecessor, as
president OF the club. and the dis
tinguished gentleman whom you have in
vited to be your guest at the club. You
will remember that Mr.. Bryan now stands
before the nation as an avowed aspirant
seeking the Democratic presidential nomi-
nation
Here the letter cites the acrimonious cor
respondence between Mr.. Bryan and Per-
ry Belmont. growing out of Mr.. Bryan's
declination Of the Democratic Clubs invi-
tation to the jefferson day banquet last
April, in which he condemned political
communion between jefferson Democrats
who stood upon the Chicago platform and
the Republican allies who masquerade as
Democrats between campaigns, in order
to give more potency to their betrayal Of
Democratic principles on election day."
The letter continues:
ut may be fairly inferred from all of
the foregoing that If you were not con-
sidered by Mr.. Bryan as an avowed be-
lever in his doctrine of free and unlimit-
ed silver coinage at the ratio of sixteen
to one he would also have declined your
invitation on the ground that mo party
advantage is to be derived from political
communion with you at the Democratic
Club. We do not believe in the wisdom of
free coinage at that ratio. We do know.
however. that we are Democrats and are
interested in the success of the Democrat
lie party in the state and nation.
'This being true, we sincerely, but re-
spectfully, urge upon you, occupying, as
you do, the position of president of the
club, not to do anything which would tend
to forestall the action of the next Demo-
cratic national convention.
las individuals. we insist upon the right
future policy of our party, and the selec-
ton of Its nominees. We believe 1t I'M
wise to permit the opinion to go broadcast
throughout the land that the Democratic
Club of this city, or the Democratic party
of this state, so far in advance of the con-
vention, are irrevocably committed to the
Endorsement of the principles of the last
national platform, or Of the views of the
last presidential nominee.
I'VE are painfully aware of the fact that
in 1896 we lost the state of New York by
269 ,469 and the city by more than 10000.
It is our desire. IL possible. to prevent a
repetition of another such Democratic po-
litical disappointment.
I'm conclusion, let us again repeat that
we take this course i'll good feeling and TO
prevent. IL possible, misconstruction of
your individual act as being the act of the
Democratic Club"
Bryan Simply kellar's Guest.
John w. Kellar had not seen the letter
until reporter gave him a copy OF it,
He read it carefully and then said:
II will say that these gentlemen have
not understood my Intentions, despite all
that has been published, and although
not d single newspaper has misrepre-
scented the case. l have said again and
again that my dinner to Mr.. Bryan is that
OF one private gentleman to another.
There is not the slightest change in my
plans possible because of this letter. No,
l don't think that the West and South
the Democratic Club accepts Mr.. Bryan's
silver views
Mr.. Kellar said he would pay no atten-