Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-10-22
Dirge Carl Schurz Played

they could not match In political skill
some of the professional politicians In
he convention. with the result that
the latter got control of the conVen-
tion, sidetracked Mr.. Adams and
brought about Mr.. Greeleys nomina-
tion.
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 busi-
ness, both editorial and that OF the
publication office, at the same time
that he talked over earnestly the par
ticular matter that had brought about
my visit.
"Ah," 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. II was real
ly young mans protest against some
of the eXcesses into which the Repub-
lican party was in danger Of falling.
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 a very
despondent 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 siIite occu-
pied by Mr.. Schurz and sat down,
with the gloom about us thicker than
ever saw II before. Mr.. SchurZ was
especially despondent; his is a very
mercurial temperament, anyway. Mu-
rat Halstead was the most cheerful
member of the party, and he looked a
good deal as though he had just
come from a dear friends funeral.
And each Of us sat there communlng
with his own glum thoughts; we did
not need to speak to let one another
know our feelings.
I'VE had been sitting thus for
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 little, he began to
hum and then to- sing the accompani-
ment. and, think, some Of us Joined
in the humming.
81 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 nomi-
nate our man, and we saw certain de-
feat ahead Oh, how funereal that mu.
sic sounded that day! Yet now, as
I recall the incident, cannot help
smiling over the fact that Carl Schurz
should have selected a comic opera
tune as the one most fitting to serve
as the dirge of the Liberal Republican
movement"
Copyright 1910, by f. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)