New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-12
Two Orators
Mr.. BRYAN As HE WALDORF HOTEL oecem.
Copyright, 1913 by G. W. smaroyJ
Cunard S. S. Lusitania,
Christmas, 1912.

MIR. Bryans contemporaries because
| the circumstances in which he spoke
were not favorable. For this Demo-
cratic love-feast at the Waldorf last
| Saturday as a feast from which a
good deal Of the love had been left out.
There were half a dozen important
seats of which ghosts were the only
| tenants; and ghosts are not inspiriting.
| The President-elect was expected and
( came not. The Governor Of New York
was too much occupied in turning
criminals loose upon the community to
be present. The Speaker and chief
Jester of the House of Representatives
at Washington found the climate Of
Washington more congenial than the
heated atmosphere of New York. The
head Sachem of Tammany sent a semi
Scriptural excuse; he had guests and
could not leave them. Mr.. Hearst. the
millionaire Journalist who has done so
much to cleanse journalism of person
alities and scandal, appeared by proxy.
Even the chairman of the Nationai
Democratic Committee was otherwise
occupied. Your report summed II all
up in the remark that there was
feeling of aloofness among the guests.
| l read with amazement, or perhaps
amusement, that Mr.. Lewis Chanler
found himself at a table where ne
knew nobody-he. party chief and ex-
Lieutenant Governor of New York
Was it then necessary TO import dunn
mics to fill this banqueting hall? Is
there a Whitely's in New York, as IN
London, who will contract to fill empty
places at dinner tables. public or pri-
vate? Is there a fixed price at which
harmony and enthusiasm can be sup
piled? Mr.. Chanler, at any rate, de-
parted.
But Senator O'Gorman was there,
and presided. and made the wittlest re-
mark of the evening, which regret 10
see imperfectly reported. The true
version | therefore give. Proposing, as
custom requires, the health of the
President. Senator OGorman said:
Il am certain l express the senu-
ments Of the Democrats of New YORK
State when | say that President lalt
will carry with him into retirement the
hest wishes for his future happiness OF
all the American people, whatever their
political faith.
Present also was Mr.. Sulzer. Gov
ernor- elect Of the State, 10 whom thls
| loving tribute was offered. or course
he was there. do you say? But this
was an occasion on which there was no
of course: unless II were Mr.. Bryan
who was never known to miss an oc-
casion of public speech. Mr. Sulzer'
however, was more fortunate than the
other great men mentioned above.
Public duties did not keep him away
as they kept Governor Wilson; nor
did his motor break down as did MIR.
Hearst's; nor did Mr.. Bryan's presence
deter him az it deferred others. he
| was there and spoke; modestly ana
we'll. Such prejudices as l had melted
| In the sunshine Of his simple yet at
times glowing rhetoric. There were
II is true, chilly moments; as when
Mr.. Sulzer reminded this company OF
politicians that the people are now
looking to the Democratic party to re-
deem its prediction pledges. This
was felt to be an indiscretion, till his
hearers remembered that post-election
pledges were really no more binding
than those of the platform appeal for
votes. The votes they have got. The
pledges by which they were obtained
will be fulfilled at a convenient sea-
son. From the distant box In which
sat It was not easy to follow the ex-
pressions on Mr.. Suffers boyish face,
| but his speech and manner had alike
an air of sincerity. This he retained
even when he declared that the people
are familiar with the truths Of history
and have no fears for-he did not say
| of-Democracy; and that Democracy
will never die TIL the pillars Of the
Republic totter and crumble, and lib
| erty is no more. / listened for a
eulogy of Tammany as a champion Of
liberty and pure Democracy, but lis
! tened in vain. Nor was Mr.. Murphy
there to note the omission.
But ] am keeping Mr.. Bryan wait
ing. / apologize to him. He has al
ready been postponed to DR.. Jowett,
! the first of my two orators" but in
this Waldorf meeting he was the star
speaker, and shall be treated as such.
| Church and state have no connection
and can have none under the Consti-
! tuition, but the precedence of the
| Church in the minds of men remains
and ! am sure Mr.. Bryan, If he hap
pened to think Of it, would affirm 1t
and would recognize the prior claim Of
the pulpit. What l wish to assure him
| Is that he shall lose nothing by the de-
lay. / mean to do him full justice.
Ny real regret is that | had not
heard Mr.. Bryan before, when he was
in his prime, or in his oratorical prime.
Such a renown as his could not he con-
structed out Of nothing. In the days
when he swept convention off its feet
with his immortal sentence about the
crown Of thorns and that cross Of gold
on which you cannot cruelty mankind
he must have had an emotional force
of which there was no sign at this din
ner. Intellectually, he is presumably
still in his prime at fifty-two; and