The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-26
A LETTER FROM MEMBERS OF DEMO
CRATIC CLUB OF NEW YORK.
THE KELLER DINNER To BRYAN
Calls Forth "a Request from These
Members That the President OF the
Club That Mr.. Bryan Is
His Own Guest and Not That OF the
Club-Mr. Bryan's Refusal Heretofore
to Dine With the Club Called to His
Attention.

New YORK January 2--Ine foiIow-
ing letter signed by John Fox, a form
err president of the democratic club and
now a member OF the board of govern
ors: Robert B. Roosevelt and John F.
Doyle was sent tonight to John w.
Keller. president OF the democratic
club:
1T is with the most kindly feeling.
and certainly with no desire TO criti-
else your acts that we take the liberty
as members of the democratic club,
to address you. We are credibly in
formed that you have invited William
j. Bryan to become our guest at the
democratic club ard take dinner with
you and a party of friends
In other words, Mr.. Bryan is TO be
entertained by you, and the place Of
such entertainment is at the demo-
cratic club. While it is your unqes-
toned right, OIL the right of any other
member to invite any gentleman whom
he nay choose to become his guest at
the club, yet, under existing conditions,
we greatly fear that you act will be-
come construed by the public as the
act of the club should you give such
dinner to this distinguished guest with
out affirmatively disclaiming such in
tention on the part of the club.
I'VE, ourselves, can fully distin-
guish between an official act and in
dividual opinions We want it under
stood, too, that we have no personal
objections to Mr.. Bryan, nor do We
object in the slightest degree to your
giving him a dinner at the club in your
individual capacity as one of its men,
bers. We should much regret, howev-
or Who rnnO TO do ri
be construed throughout the country
as a political endorsement by the dem
| Ocratic club of the presidential candi-
dacy, at this time, of Mr.. Bryan.
THE democratic club is essentially
| a democratic political organization and
| of it's 5000 members none but demo-
I Gratis belong to it. You are now its
president, and, in the absence of a dis
! claimer on your part to the contrary,
! your course in anything pertains TO
/ the club or its affairs might be con-
/ Strued, and not un~reasonably so, as
| the act of the club. 1t will not do to
I say that such a construction would be
| placed upon your acts by the ignorant
! and misinformed. Mr.. Bryan himself
! has established a precedent which is
| applicable to the case now in point.
| We desire to call your attention to a
| portion of the correspondence which
/ took place w your immediate
| predecessor as president of the club
| and the distinguished gentleman whom
you have invited to be your guest at
the club. You will remember that Mr..
Bryan now stands before the nation as
/, an avowed aspirant seeking the DEM
ocratic presidential nomination"
Here the letter cites the acrimonious
correspondence between Mr.. Bryan
and Perry Belmont, growing out of Mr..
Organs declination of the democratic
clinic Invitation fn the Jefferson daY
banquet last April, in which he con-
demned political communion between
Jefferson democrats who stand upon
the Chicago platform n the republic
can allies who masquerade as demo-
Gratis between campaigns in order to
give more potency to their betrayal OF
democratic principles on election day."
The letter continues: 1T may be
fairly inferred from all of the forego-
ing that if o were not considered
by Mr.. Bryan as an avoWed believer
in his doctrine Of free and unlimited
silver coinage at the ratio Of 16 to 1
he would also have declined you in
vitation on the ground that nc party
advantage is to be derived from po-
litical communication with you at the
democratic club. We do know, how
ever, thai we are democrats and are
interested in the success of the demo-
cratic party in the city, in the state
anu III liz IdliOh.
'sThis being true, we sincerely, but
respectfully. urge upon you, occupy
ing as you do the position of president
of the club, not to do anything which
would tend to forestall the action OF
the next democratic national
ton.
"As individuals, We insist upon the
right to express our opinions in regard
to the future policy of u party and
the selection Of it's nominees. We be-
| lieve it unwise 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 convention,
| are ~irrevocably committed to the en-
| dorsement of the principles Of the last
| national platform, or Of the views OF
| the last presidetial nominee
eve are painfully aware of the fact
that in 1896 we lost the state of New
| York by 26S, 1859 and the city by more
, than q, 1000. 1t is our desire, il possible,
to prevent a repetition Of another such
democratic political disappointment
! "In conclusion, let us again repeat
| that we take this course in good feel
! ing and to prevent, IL possible, a mis-
construction Of your individual act as
; being the act Of the democratic club"