New-York tribune., 1900-01-24
THE DINNER At" THE GLIB. "
MR.. KELLER'S FEAST PASSES OFF WITH
OUT A SPEECH FROM THE
GUEST OF HONOR.

GUEST OF HONOR.
William j. Bryan was the guest Of the Demo-
cratic Club last night There are members of the
club who will deny that Mr.. Bryan was a guest
of the club and will insist that he was simply the
personal guest of John w. Keller. president Of the
club. There are other members who will insist
that Mr.. Bryan was the guest of the club as well
OF Mr.. Keller and that his presence there was
a demonstration Of the clubs allegiance TO his
political fortunes and Tammany's acknowledge
nlent Of his leadership in the Nation Mr.. Bryan's
present visit to the city and his reception at the
Democratic Club threatened for a time to disrupt
that organization.
In 1896 when the late Roswell P. Flower
alive. the Democratic Club repudiated Mr..
Bryan and his political doctrines Last night
the minutes Of the club were hidden deep and
the members focked to grasp the Nebraskan's
hand and TO welcome him to New-York When
it announced that John W. Keller would
give u dinner for Nr. Bryan at the club John
Fox Robert z. Roosevelt and John +. Doyle,
prominent members of the club, wrote a letter
70 Mr. Keller protesting against this action.
They harked back to 1896 and showed the atti-
tude of the club then. They referred to the last
big dinner given by the club when Perry Bel
mont. then president of the club. invited Nr
Bryan to attend and quoted extracts from Mr.
Bryan's letter in which he curtly declined 10
dine with a club Of which Mr. Belmont was
president so l0ng he held MS we'll known
views in opposition to the Chicago platform.
Despite this protest Mr. BRYAN was the guest Of
Mr.. Keller and the Democratic Club last night
and he cordially received
When Mr Keller was seen yesterday previous
to Mr. Bryans visit to the club he said
have answered the letter of Messrs Doyle Fox
and Roosevelt. I said in my reply just about what
I have SAID in interviews and that is that my re,
in no way commits myself or the club to his poIiti-
T SUITS Of IF 6eV care 70 % % 50 not ba k * a a
own affair. That ends the matter
The club was ablaze last night. The news that
Mr.. Bryan would visit the club caused an in
flux that reminded one OF the palmy days when
Richard Croker was here and many offices were
to be doled out. Perry Belmont Controller Coer
and a few others not present but their alb
sence was hardly noticed. Nearly all the district
leaders, the prominent members Of the organiza-
tion and many Democrats Of the CITY were on
hand. Mr. Bryan left the Hoffman House soon
after o'clock in a carriage with Ex-Governor
Hogg Of Texas and James w. Oliver. the ser
geant-at-arms Of the Democratic National Com
mittee. When he arrived at the club It looked
as II he would be the victim Of severe political
frost There were only few members present
aside from those who had been especially in
W r
the club, received him and escorted him upstairs
TO the dining room. There was no pretencA At q
formal dinner
Mr. Bryan. before he went upstairs took Mr.
Keller aside and told him that he had a head
ache and didn't feel quite himself He said that
ne oldnt feel like speaking. and whatever hap
pened ne asked 10 be excused from making an
address, Mr. Keller with a fervor thai hor-
dered dangerously upon a sigh of relief assured
MIN that he wouldn't be called upon Then the
al Al
entered the dining room there were probably a
nuhdfed members sitting around the room at
over me room and Mr.. Bryan bowed to the right
and left The party took their seats at the
table and the meal was started
The dinner not an unusual ono Tho cI,h
serves every night regular table d'h6te dinner
for 81 This was the dinner served. When the
neal was half through Mavor Van Wvck on
tered and spoke to Mr.. Keller. A seat had been
reserved for him at the table He was intro
duced to Mr. Bryan and then sat down. 1t was
the first time that he had ever met Mr. BRYAN
AS the dinner advanced the room filled up. For
the first time in the history Of the club yester-
day the rule about reserving tables was abro-
gated Tor the day No one able to reserve a
table, and as result it a case Of first come
first served. BY the time the dinner was nearly
ended the room was crowded The seats ar tho
tables were all taken and ring of curious mem
bers hung around the door
Mr.. Keller had a special table for the evening
ana Mr.. Bryan sat at his right. Others al the
table were Colonel William l.. Brown DIT John
=. Cosby, Andrew Freedman, Bernard ]. York
senator lhOinaS +. Grady. John +. Carroll
Mayor Van Wyck John Whalen Norman +;
Mack Of Buffalo Q. H. p. Belmont Judge
O'Gorman. Maurice F. Holahan ex-C;oyernor
Hogg. Of Texas. and Commissioner Boyle The
dinner was a quiet one. Every one had his eve
on Mr. Bryan's table, but there was no noise
or enthusiasm.
after the dinner was over Mr.. Keller escorted
Mr Bryan downstairs. The club is Just prepar-
ing to give a reception. at which great many
pictures will be exhibited. IT is hard to tell lust
what the managers feared might happen to these
more or less valuable pictures, which are already
hung, but the pictures We're all covered with
boarding. which in turn was covered with red
cloth Richard CToker's picture. which hangs in
a prominent spot in the club, in this way
eclipsed. When Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Keller came
downstairs Mr.. Bryan worked his wav 10 the
'front.' parlor and took his stand at the big bow
window. John w. Keller stood on one side and
John F. Carroll the other
There a steady stream of visitors to meet
Mr., Bryan until about 10 o'clock 1t was quiet
and subdued audience The Nebraskan looked
mournful and tired. Mr.. Keller and Mr. Carroll
looked apprehensive. They introduced each one
as he came up, and then passed him along One
OF the Tammany In charge of the cere-