The Washington herald., 1908-05-03
DEPEW TELLS OF DAYS GONE BY


was not the exact date Of his birth. The
natal day fell two days earlier, for Mr..
Depew was born on April q. 1884. but the
Montauk Club dinners always fall on
Saturday. Either the club or Mr., Depew
had to give way. and as the junior Sena-
tor from New York is a firm believer in
the greatest good for the greatest num-
Der, he made his birthday 1T the dinner
date.
Il was the sixteenth annual dinner al
which the Montauk Club has celebrated
Senator Depev's birthday. and the other
day the Senator explained this close cor
poretion dining stunt OF his. Said he:
''The Montauk Club is a purely social
club. not political AT all. II is made up
of men from all professions. and 1 first
was the clubs guest In 1852 when the in
vitation came for me 10 dine on the Sat
urday nearest 10 my birthday. II was a
dinner TO which several hundred profess
sional and business men sat down. There
was special menu and elaborate decora-
tions, and, as a compliment to myself,
was the only speaker. though there were
complimentary poems about myself and
cheerful songs. Next year the dinner was
repeated, and 1t has gone on now for six
teen years, 1t Is a most pleasant mile
stone along the years. though the task Of
being the only speaker and having to talk
about your own health and the weight OF
your years IS not easy. They tell me that
the club has my speeches on file. and
some among the more curious Of the
members have kept tab on me I am
happy to say that there has been no repe-
tition so far.
AT the time Of my second birthday
dinner, in 1888. IL chanced that Brooklyn
was in the hands Of a ring Of politicians
and there wav much talk Of corruption in
politics. In my speech / touched on these
matters, not as a stern moralist, but In a
semi-humorous way I rather blew the
municipal administration up My speech
created quite Il little excitement, and the
mayor, who was a guest left the table.
The Sunday papers OF Brooklyn attacked
me a little bitterly next day for my al
legged violation Of the ethics OF the club
and Of propriety, but on the following
Sunday every minister in Brooklyn where
the pulpit is a free platform, discussed
sfAF A4fthAANi fAAiA - eh+AlSAA W nsANW WY tltF
mayor had left the table They pointed
out that either in Jest or in earnest. I
had cast reflections on the administra-
tion of the city. and that II what 1 had
said was not true it was the duty OF the
mayor 10 refute the calumny. The whole
rumpus led to the formation of a com
mittee OF 100 which finally ran an inde-
pendent candidate. upset the corrupt ring.
disOrganized the machine, and put in q
reform mayor. II was this episode that
started a reform in municipal matters,
for Brooklyn's example was followed by
New York, and thence il spread 20 mu-
inequalities all over the United States
may add that nothing so startling has
occurred at one Of my birthday dinners
since"
Seventy-four years old. Senator Depew
is still. so far as mind and heart go.
young man. His enthusiasms for life are
as unbounded as they ever were: his in
terests as keen. And his seventy-four
years have been busy ones, and some
day when his biography comes TO be writ
tent ought 20 be an autobiography to
get its full flavor and interest-there is
likely TO be some astOnishment at the
sum Of his activities.
He is an IL. D. OF Yale, his alma
mater, from which he graduated in 1856.
At once or his graduation he began to
take part in public affairs Speaking to
The Washington Herald, he went back
over the early years OF his political life.
He said:
Soon after my graduation in 1856 at
tended my first political convention II
was coineident with the birth Of the Re-
publican party. for which that fail
stumped the country. You see, all my
people were pro-slavery Democrats.
learned anti-slavery Republicanism at
Yale, and when the discussion between
myself and the members OF my family
grew too hot just took to the stump 10
voice my views. For two generations my
family had been prominent Democrats In
Westchester County, n. Y, and my dear
old father used 10 say: IF you have
son who IS a promising young man and
you want to make a d. fool Of him, Just
send him to Yankee college.
In a sense, in the sense that learned
politics different from his own, he was
right, for at Yale Il was my privilege to
hear Henry Ward Beecher, William Lloyd
Garrison, and Wendell Phillips, the anti
slavery giants OF those days. During my
college days, indeed, I heard the greatest
on both sides OF the question,
and to the young mind-aIways more or
less inclined 10 revolt against the estab-
nshed order OF things-the anti-slavery
talk was very =ppealing
Il remember Wendell Phillips oratIon
on the famous case of Anthony Burns.
negro slave who had escaped to New
York, was captured. and was sent back
under guard IF United States troops on
a government vessel-back into slavery
The orator represented the case so strong
ly that /, for one, went from that hall re-
solved .hat, so far as lay in my power,
such !. disgrace should never be repeated.
My first official connection with poll
ties was when I went as delegate to
the Republican State convention in 1855,
the convention that nominated E. D. Nor
gan for governor. Ny last convention
was the Republican State convention in
New York this year. 1908. That is my
span Of fifty years Of active political life,
] think an unequaied record in the coun-
try In those fifty years I have known
personally all OF our Presidents. begin
ming with Abraham Lincoln: and besides
that. 1t has been my privilege to know
every man in American lie
who has displayed abilities enabling him
TO rise above the surface-lawyers, poll
ieians. journalists. labor leaders, and so
on, both at home and abroad.
II attended my first national conven-
tion while I was secretary OF state for
New York. The convention was held In
Baltimore. and II nominated Lincoln for
his second term. Acting at that eonyen-