New-York tribune., 1906-06-12
BRYAN MEETING FROSIf.
Proposal Turned Dozen to RecelOe
HIM Not as a Politician.

Chilliness of atmosphere. due principally to an
attempt of Hearst men TO exclude all political
significance from the movement, characterized
a meeting of the Commercial Travellers Anti
Trust League at the Victoria Hotel yesterday
to arrange details for a reception for William
Jennings Bryan on his return from Europe,
proposal 70 receive Mr.. Bryan, not a poll
tician. but simply as distinguished American
citizen, met no welcome. and when most of those
present had advocated a get-together gathering
OF Democrats with the glad hand" for Mr..
Bryan. a resolution was passed for the appoint
ment of a committee plan and scope to per-
feet arrangements for a reception which might
infuse life into the moribund Democracy.
While one or two of the committee yesterday
expressed considerable resentment at the pre-
eminence Of the Ryan Belmont element of the
Democracy. others. notably Alexander TroUp
tional committeeman from Connecticut urged a
general amnesty Of all Democrats and a union
of the party Mr.. Bryan did not get all the nice
words Mr.. Hearst, President Roosevelt and Mr.
LaFollette were classed with him as "distin-
guished radicals" and some consolation was ex-
tended 10 Mr.. Hearst in the remark by Mr.
Troup that Mr.. Bryan had no copyright on the
Presidential nomination"
William Hoge. president of the league pre-
sided at the meeting. He told Of the decision of
the league to hold reception for Mr. Bryan
A H. Eastmond, vice-president moved that all
preliminary work be ratified, but O. II. 2. Bel
mont declared that it would be better 10 move
SLOWLY than TO make all arrangements and then
invite distinguished Democrats TO cooperate
who probably would feel offended because they
were not in at the beginning. He thought there
should be no one-class reception but general
welcome from all the Democracy Mr.. Troup
held that If the Democrats who opposed Bryan
In 1896 and 1900 wanted TO get aboard now
they were welcome, and IL they would help pay
the freight II would be taken as greater evil
dence of the sincerity of their repentance
Allusions TO the Ryan Belmont element stirred
Mr.. Eastmond to announce that in the last
Presidential campaign he and others for the
league had sought earnestly to distribute anti
trust literature. Every attempt made" >"
said he was frustrated by Mr. Belmont and
Mr.. Nicon." He thought such action hardly Il
qualification for admission to the Bryan DelnOc-
racy. o. II. z. Belmont and Mr.. TrOup again
pleaded for harmony, whereupon III. b. Maurer
originally Bryan mar and now known among
political workers Hearst follower, ardently
suggested the elimination of all political sig
nifcance from the Bryan reception. HIS sug-
gestion carried a chill with It, ami after the
confusion subsidized the harmony talk again pre-
vailed. The impression exists that the Hearst
people are preparing TO hold Bryan reception
OF their own Among those at the meeting yes
terday were Judge Edward L. O'Dwyer. Colonel
Giles s. Allison Richard Croker, tr.. Thomas L.
Feitner. and Edward Fields GOltre, of ST. Louis.
a warm personal friend of Mr.. Bryan's