Evening journal., 1912-09-14
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How Greeley Prepared Some
Of His Famous Campaign
Speeches
By Holland.

James Kelly was at one time very
prominent in public school and edu-
cational work in New York city. He
was school inspector for many years.
His reputation extended beyond the
borders of New York State. He was
a personal and political friend of viii
liam o. Havemeyer, who was elected
Mayor of New York by a citizens
ticket Immediately after the downfall
of the Tweed ring.
Mr.. Kelly was one of many Demo-
Gratis in New York who was a per-
sonal friend of Horace Greeley, al
though almost always in opposition to
him politically. Mr.. Kelly, for some
weeks after Greeley's nomination for
the Presidency, in 1872, was in SER
ious doubt about the wisdom of sup
porting Greeley, who had been nomi-
mated by both the Liberal Republican
party and the Democracy. How he
was finally persuaded to vote in sup
port of Greeley, he once explained as
follows:
Il was chatting one day with my
lifelong friend, Nelson ] Waterbury"
(at the time to which Mr.. Kelly re-
ferred, Mr.. Waterbury was one of the
leading lawyers of the American BARI
and said to him that I was greatly
perplexed about the course l should
take in reference to the nomination
of Horace Greeley"
81 am going to have Greeley at
my house at dinner In the course of
few days Mr.. Waterbury said to me.
There will be several prominent
Democrats at my table. Greeley has
just decided to go upon the stump
himself. He is going to make pro-
longed campaign tour, beginning in
Maine in a few days, and then he will
60 through many States of the West
/ am certain that II you see Greeley
and talk with him,as you will have op-
portunity TO do at my house, all your
doubt about the wisdom of supporting
him will disappear
Il gladly accepted Mr.. Waterbury's
invitation. / was a little curious TO
see how the Presidential nomination
had affected Greeley. I had known
him so long as a man who gave him
self no airs, and of perfect simplicity
Of life, although he had real dignity,
that / wondered whether he had be-
come self conscious or had been in
any way unpleasantly affected by the
nomination.
Il found Greeley, when I met him
at Mr.. Waterburys dinner, somewhat
reserved. He said very little. II
seemed to me as though he had be-
come a little self-conscious. noticed,
too, in the course OF the dinner that
he was so absent-minded at times
that he did not notice when any one
spoke to him. Occasionally he got
up from the table and went into an
other room, and occasionally he rose
from his place and paced back and
forth behind the other guests.
Il wondered If Greeley were show
ing off, pretending to be greatly i'm
pressed by the dignity and responei-
bility which the nomination conferred
upon him During the dinner-I made
up my mind that II Greeley we're
weak enough to permit himself to be
affected in this manner, l would be
justified in refusing to support him,
for he would be sure to be a weak
President.
"A few days later Greeley began
his campaign tour with a speech in
Maine. II was fully reported in all
the papers. / saw Mr.. Waterbury on
the day the report of the speech was
published and l said to him that my
opinion was that the speech was .
very able one.
Did you notice. said Mr. Water
burg, when you met Greeley at din
ner at my house, that he seemed TO
be distracted, frequently not paying
any heed to questions that were put
to him."
Il certainly did notice it,and totell
you the truth I thought he was putting
on airs
Well, he wasn't Mr.. Waterbury
replied. He was mentally writing his
first speech, which he was to deliver
in Maine. He was not only preparing
the Maine speech in that way, that
evening, but he outlined several OF
the speeches that he intends 70 de-
liver in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
When you read those speeches I am
certain that you will be as favorably
impressed as you have been with the
speech he delivered in Maine
What then learned decided the
question for me" concluded Mr.. Kelly.
Il gave my full and hearty support
to Horace Greeley as candidate for
President
Copyright, 1912, by E. j. Edwards.