Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-08-18
MIR. Bryan's Desk.
[ye,r Yort Times.l

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We cannot say we like the tone OF the
Omaha World Rerai1's comments on Mr..
Bryan's action in carrying OF with him as
q souvenir the desk he used while he was
secretary OF state. 1t appears to be
friendly, respectful and sympathetic, but
there is something about it, we hardly
know what, which jars on our feelings.
1t is hard to see why the World Herald
should commiserate MIR. Bryan on the
financial sacrifice be made to become
secretary OF states sacrifice barely COM
pensated, il at all, by his Chautauqua
earnings and his opportunities to find
places in the federal service for . son, 9
son in-law, and two other relatives. 1t
seems sympathetic, but why should the
World Herald drag in en- irrelevant topic
that seems TO sugges, thst Mr.. Bryan re-
garded the historic desks as part payment!
The desk had been in the state depart
ment for nearly fifty years and had been
used by such secretaries as Seward, Fish,
Evarts, Blaine, Bayard, Olney, Sherman,
Hay and Root.
1t is . valuable desk, certainly. AT that
desk Seward returned Russia's historic
favor to rs and bought Alaskas Fish
conducted the correspondence and I'm
ished the negotiation OF the Alabama
award, and sent the instructions that
caused Spain to surrender on the eve OF
war over the virginius; washburDe
went from II to perform his great services
in the Franco Prussian war; at it Evarts
ours; Blaine began the work OF bringing
the two Americas together and conceived
the first Pan American Congress; Olney
brought England to terms over Venezuela;
Sherman and Hay conducted the pre-
liminaries OF the war with Spain; Hay
opened the door in China and saved the
old empire from the wolves; Root renewed
Blaine's work in the southern hemi-
sphere and went from that desk to his
get-together tour of South America.
1t is a desk heavily laden with great
historic memories, desk that is a part
of the history OF the United States. AT
that desk, too, Byran sat when he
negotiated twenty nine peace treaties
that made war forever impossible, just
before the present skirmish in Europe
broke out, and at that desk he wrote
his letter to Wick asking him to
find some places for deserving demo-
Gratis. A great desk; fifty years of
American history have been written on it,
and Mr.. Byran sat at it, too, and went
from it not to the Franco Prussian war
or to a South American diplomatic tour,
but to the Chautauqua platform. 1t has
memories for him as well as for us.
So be could not part with it, and he
took il away from the the scenes in which
Seward and Fish and Evarts and Hay
thought it more reverent to leave it, and
carried ii of to Fairfield county, Ne
braska, to repose among the souvenirs OF
his visit to Japan, and the sea-sheIls and
snapshots and the original drawing OF
cartoons in the hall and the curious
specimens of Oriental weaving in the sit
ting room. and the copy of "The First
Battle" on the centre-table. Fairview
(that is the name OF his house) is now
thoroughly equipped and quite an inter-
esting place to see.
We do not see why the World Herald
should talk as it does. 1t may not have
meant such thing, but from its style oil
conversation one would imagine that Mr.
Bryan carried on that desk as loot.