The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-03

From the Louisville Courier-Journa
X NR. AND MRS. BRYAN owed the
nj public no explanation touching
! ' L the internal affairs of their do
mestic fabric. Whether they had, or had
not, wine at dinner, was nobody's busi-
ness but their own. 1t had been wise,
perhaps. to say nothing to the diplomat
| lists actually present. Be sure the most
of them would have been almost as chary
of drinking wine-had it been offered
as the unfermented grape juice, which
was Mr. Bryce, to whom the dinner was
Immediately given, is quite as much OF
a teetotaler as Mr.. Bryan.
In what is called polite society, explan-
ations are deemed superfluous whilst apol-
ogies are outlawed. They are in point OF
fact never heard-being considered mark
of unassured position if not>of inferiority.
Yet in Mr. and Mrs. Bryans statement
in its truthfulness, genuineness, simple
mindedness, there Is something poth
touching and inspiring. 1t will bear repe-
tition Here 1t is:
1--WE did not intend to magnify by men
tioning it, the importance of the nom
use of wine at the dinner given 10 Am
, bassador Bryce Monday night, but as the
papers have made some inaccurate refer-
ences to the matter the facts might as
well be known.
"This was the first dinner which We
have given to members of the diplomatic
corps. and therefore the first time when
| we came into conflict with the social Gus
| tom of serving wine at dinner. The
seven other ambassadors then in the city
and their ladies were invited TO meet Aiii-
bassador and Mrs Bryce, and assall the
gentlemen guests present were from for-
| eign countries | thought it proper to ex-
I, plain to them the reason for our failure
| to conform to what seems to have been
customary in this matter.
| N"Believing that the issue should be met
| frankly in the beginning, | told them,
| when we sat down to the table, that Mrs.
Bryan and / had been teerotalers from
our youth, as We're our parents before us,
ana had never served liquor at our table,
! that when the President was kind enough
| to tender me the portfolio OF state l
asked him whether OUT failure to serve
wine would be any embarrassment to the
administration; and that be, generously
| left the matter to our discretion. | sug-
gested that thought it unfair to assume
! that those coming to us from abroad
would judge Us harsnly or be unwilling
| to tolerate the maintenance of a tradi-
tional custom, and expressed the hope
that our friendship would be made SO
apparent to them and our hospitality so
cordial that they would overlook this
weakness in us, If they regarded it as a
weakness. My remarks were applauded
| by the company, and we never spent a
more enjoyable evening"
"rhat is all there is to the matter and
we can consider the incident closed and
concerned"
| No thoughtful world wise man, or
woman, can read this without respect
tinged with feeling. 1t is easy to under
stand how this couple got on in life and
have been prosperous and happy. London
and Paris, Vienna and Rome and Berlin
may still set the fashion; but when we
reflect what fashions we may also
| take long look ahead and forecast the
igroble end of many of them. Some fash
ions, long in vogue, have already come
to grief and gone out
Wine at table is one of these. Within
the familiar knowledge and ready mem
ory of men still living wine yas not
only seen plenteously at table. but states.
men, scholars. diplomatists, social and po-
llitical leaders, might occasionally be seer
coward the wee sma' hours visibly affect