Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-20
GORDON REVIEWS
THE LATE ELECTION
Famous Democrat Piles Sarcasm
on Sarcasm in Referring to
the Democratic Rout
USING MILITARY TERMS
Clover Club Is Treated to One of
the Most Brilliant of Po-
litical Speeches
USING MILITARY TERMS

Ex-Judge James Gay Gordon. one
of the big Democrats of the State and
the most relentless foe the Republican
organization has had to face. last
night entertained the famous Glover
Club of Philadelphia with his views
on the late election. The dinner was
an after-election, before re-Thanksgiving
affair and the diners were men of
every party. Senator Penrose made a
speech and there were remarks by
other men in politics. but the surprise
of the evening was the way in which
Judge Gordon summed up the rout.
1t was speech delivered in the
Icalm, masterful, literary style char
Iacteristic of Judge Gordon's public ut
lterances, and from its beginning to
end there was not an interruption
from any part of the big banquet room
hlled with men known for the witt
lclsms with which they are wont to
ldisconcert some speakers.
Every Democrat" said the for
mer jurist takes a respectful delight
In extending salutations to the selec-
ton of the people, and l personally
am glad that the reelected Senator
has received his commission direct
from the people in such an unmis-
taxable voice.
ut is both a privilege and temp
tation to speak here to-night-a temp
ltation because, as a Democrat belong
ing to the party of defeat, 1 feel in
clined to digress for a time upon
the causes and the meaning of that
ldefeat.
THE war in Europe has affected
both the speech and literature OF the
time, and the jargon of the war dis
patches has become the vernacular
Iof all men. L shall avail myself,
therefore, of the terms of the war to
express the reasons why l think the
new Senator had the tremendous ma
ijority he received.
Was Non-Combatant
"I was dismantled and in a neutral
port, and to a certain degree 1 looked
on with the composure of non-com-
batant. But in that position L was
able, l think, clearly to see some of
the things which had such vital effect
in building the Republican majority.
First, they mobilized their forces
better than their opponents did, and
they were ready for the combat ear
lier and with greater strength than
their opponents were.
And, secondly, they invaded neutral
| territory without remorse, and COM
lpelled their prisoners of war to fight
within their ranks. In that, 1 suppose,
! IneN pursued the HeInOOS OF leSlll-
mate present-day warfare.
Thirdly, the Grand Old Party-the
grand old party of old-showed what
had been promised for it-a most
marvellous recrudescence of activity
after its defeat of two years ago. And
you will find that recrudescence is a
term in the present warfare.
'As fourth consideration, they had
a general staff which was always near
the battle line, while the opposition
had no general staff at all, but had
four or five divided staffs. One of
these was in Washington, while an
lother was in Harrisburg, and a third
was in Philadelphia, while a fourth
was in Pike county, or somewhere
near the border. With this multiple
ity of divided staffs and a want of
all united direction, il is not to be
iwondered that many, many grave mis-
takes were made-and they were.
Fifth, like the war in Europe, the
recent campaign was an artillery duel,
and whereas the victorious Republi
cans had giant siege guns, the others
had only little machine guns; and the
victors had those of the longest range,
and they were also better directed.
Then, too, while there has been
some semblance of concentration
upon the Governorship, the Republ-
cans succeeded in driving a wedge be-
tween the allied opposition on the
United States Senatorship-and due
TO the cleverneSs of the reelected
Senator or to the stupidity of his OPP
ponents, that wedge permitted a sue
cessful attack upon both flank and
rear. They resorted to some expedi-
ents on the other side, so they tell
me.
Bombs Were Useless
"In the war on the other side, we
have heard of the use of bombs filled
with gas so powerful and so poison
Gus that when they burst they strike
men dead right where they stand.
Certain airy forces OF those op-
posed to the Senator thought that
they had such bombs; but the gas was
not deadly-it was only offensive. No
harm was done. Only certain illusions
were shattered.
"I felt that / wanted to do some
thing in that campaign. Maybe it was
as well that 1 didn't have the oppor-