Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-23
W. J. BRYAN'S CHICK STORY
OYSTER BAY DENIZENS ARE
WRESTLING WITH THE POSER.
Recalled by Letter to the President
From New York Lawyer on
Post Road Matter.


Special Dispatch to The Star
OYSTER BAY. n. Y. July 23.-The ques-
ton recently prOpounded by William Jen-
nings Bryan of whether the hen when
laid the egg or the hen which Matched 1t
was the mother of the chick has struck the
village and for a silly season diversion 1t
promises to become as interesting the
immortal proposition regarding the age of
Ann.
Mr.. Bryan. it will be remembered. launch
ed the question in the form of story at a
recent speech at the Chicago Press Club
dinner. in which he charged President
Roosevelt with having taken up his sug-
gestions and put them into effect The ques-
ton first came to the attention of the den-
zens of the summer capital the other day
through a letter which the President re-
ceived from Mr.. John Leary. New York
lawyer.
Inclosed with the letter was a pamphlet
written by Mr.. Leary about year ago call
ing attention to the pOSt-rOad clause OF the
Constitution. which has since obtained such
prominence by reason of the President $
Decoration day speech upon the relation OF
that clause to government control of the
railroads.
A month before his speech the President
had received a letter from Judge Farrar OF
New orleans. calling his attention to the
Importance of the post-road clause. and
some of the papers now refer to the PreSl-
dents as the Farrar doctrine. 1t Is this
circumstance to which Mr.. Leary refers
at the beginning of his letter to the Presi-
dent, which is as follows:
The Letter.
NEW YORK. July II. 1907.
Mr.. President Ever since Judge Farrar
appropriated the discovery of the post
road clause of the Constitution as some
thing of his own. l certainly. of all men,
have had cause to be in humor with MIR.
Bryan IN his irritation at those who steal
other peoples thunder. and was in humor
with him in that respect until I read his
inclosed speech at the Chicago Press CLUB
dinner.
at then occurred to me-and won't you
pass it on to Mr.. Bryan and the boys OF
the club, for they will listen to you-that
after all. the question of which hen was
the mother of the chick. the hen which
laid the egg or the hen viii Matched 1t,
is immaterial. and as some would say, pure
ly academlcal. while the great fact is re-
called by the story that the hen winch
laid the egg did SO because 1t could not
help it: that is. as l understand the egg
laying process. never having enjoyed that
experience though Mr.. Bryan may have
the advantage of me in that particular
Nevertheless. l take my chances upon
being right in that the hen which laid the
egg did so because she could not help IT,
while the hen which Matched the egg did SO
OF It's own cnOlCe, NoiuHtdilS vi its o"i'
free will. a self-imposed. tiresome task, I'M
dertaken, too for no apparent reason that
one can comprehend, unless (as it now oc-
ours to mel unless prompted by one of those
high patriotic impulses we all experience
at some time or other after reading Mr..
President. one of our Teddy's' speeches.
Which one in this particular instance you
must be left to surmise. Come to think! l
am afraid Mr.. President, that Mr.. Bryan
was not entirely candid with the boys at
the Press Club. III that he withheld from
them the real cause of his Irritation. which
lay in the fact that the hen that thus
voluntarily rescued to her country the egg
so unnaturaily abandoned and gave forth
to us a full-fiedged. live, active. forceful
picking, kicking little chick. must have
been a Roosevelt hen a Teddy hen. Very
respectfully, JOHN LEARY
The President has not as yet replied to
the letter.