Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-10-14
Dirge Carl Schurz Played

: he convention, with the result that
the latter got control Of the conven-
ton, sidetracked Mr.. Adams and
brought about Mr. Greeley's nomina.
ton.
The fall following the defeat of Mr..
/ Greeley. ! visited Mr.. Bowles, at his
invitation, in his Office in the Spring
field (Mass) Republican building. 1t
was the first time / had met him, and
was amazed to note the facility with
which he carried on all kinds of bush
| ness, both editorial and that of the
publication Office, at the same time
that he talked over earnestly the par
, ticuIar matter that had brought about
my visit.
For more than an hour Mr.. BowIes
conversed with me and carried on the.
routine of his newspaper in most
matter of fact manner. Then, as it
grew near the time for me to leave, l
ventured to remark that the year be-
fore, as young man who was to cast
his first presidential vote, had been
greatly interested in the proceedings
of the Liberal Republican convention.
All" exclaimed Mr.. Bowles Il am
glad you were interested in our party
| nope all the young men of the coun
try were interested in it. 1t was real
ly young mans protest against some
of the excuses into which the Repub
lican party was in danger of falling
We were defeated, but the Liberal Re,
publican movement accomplished its
purpose"
Mr. Bowles," | said, may | ask you
one question? / have heard that i'm
mediately after the defeat of Charles
Francis Adams by. Mr.. Greeley. Sena
tor Carl SchurZ, yourself and some
other leaders went to hotel and that
Mr.. Schurz. to express his regret over
Mr.. Adams defeat played"
YES, yes" broke in Mr.. Bowles,
while an amused smile swept across
his features, that is true, and here
and there, believe, some report of
the incident did creep into print But
| will tell you the Incident fully.
with the conventions work over,
we went back to our hotel In very
Respondent mood. We foresaw that
the nomination of Mr.. Greeley made
defeat in November inevitable, and we
realized that the defeat would prob
ably be a very sorrowful one. We
went into the parlor Of the suite occu.
pied by Mr. Schurz and sat down,
with the gloom about us thicker than
| ever saw 1t before. Mr.. Schurz was
especially respondent; his is very
mercurial temperament, anyway. MI
rat Halstead was the most cheerful
member OF the party, and he looked
good deal as though he had Just
come from a dear friends funeral
And each of us sat there communing
with his own GUM thoughts; we did
not need to speak to let one another
know our feelings.
I'VE had been sitting thus for a
quarter of an hour, maybe. when. sud
denly, Mr. Schurz sprang from his
chair, hurried over to the piano, lifted
the lid sat upon the stool and began
to play, as the brief report had 1t, the
familiar air Of The Heart Bowed
Down With Grief from the Bohemian
Girl. Then, after a little, he began to
hum and then to sing the accompani
ment, and think, some of us Joined
in the humming.
Il don't believe anyone could have
found a better piece Of music to ex
press our feelings at that moment
Our hearts were certainly bowed down
with grief, for we had failed to noml
nate our man. and we saw certain de-
feat ahead. Oh, how funereal that ma
sic sounded that day! Yet now. az
/ recall the incident, cannot help
smiling over the fact that Carl Schur7
should have selected a comic opera
tune as the one most fitting to serve
az the dirge of the Liberal Republican
movement"
Copyright. 1910, by E. J. Edwards. a.
Rights ResaryedA