New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-25
Union League
Honors Memory
OF Jos. H. Choate
He Died for Liberty and
Democracy, Chauncey De-
pew Tells Audience

The men who knew Joseph Hodges
Choasc best--his fellow members OF
the Union League Club-held n meet
ing in their clubhouse last night 10
honor his memory. All but one of the
speakers were youngsters as compared
with the venerable patriot whose death
I had brought them together-men like
Charles Evans Hughes, who presided;
William d. Guthrie and Charles l.,
Rushmore. As young lawyers they had
come under MIR. Choate's protecting
wing. The one exception was Chsuncey
/ NJ. Depew.
Mr.. Choatc was in his eighty-sixth
year when he died. Mr.. Depew is in
his oighty-fourth. Both made their
first political speeches for John c.
Fremont-in the Presidential campaign
Of 1856. and both had spoken for eX-
Governor Hughes in the campaign Of
| 1916 For sixty years, in other words,
these two men had been associated as
fellow citizens. friends and Republi-
cans. II seemed entirely fitting to the
company. therefore. that Mr.. Depew
should have the last,word last night.
Mr.. Depew paid many tribute 10
the great ability and character of his
distinguished contemporary but ne
seemed most disposed to dwell upon
his human side. lie described him as
neither a reforming crank nor cram
ky reformer." In alluding TO the days
| of their young manhood. he SAID:
"There was no golf then, no baseball
so each of us took to after-dlnner
speaking as a recreation And as an
after-dnner speaker, Mr.. Choate, IN
the opinion of his colleague, had
marvellous capacity for inclosing sar,
casm in sugar coated pill which tasted
good at the time but Afterwards had Its
effect"
az Superb Democrat
Mr.. Depew referred to the qualities
! Of mind and character which had dis
tinguishcd the American ambassadors
TO England who had preceded Choate.
But" he said, "Choate differed from
them all. because he was human, and
few of them we're. He was so superb
democrat that he became royal and
| kingly in his attitude and manner
All of the speakers dwelt upon the
patriotic sacrifice involved in Mr..
Choate's death. FASTENED by the duties
and exertions of lis last days in the
/ entertainment Of tie French and Brit
| ish War Commissioners. ale died upon
the firing line" was Mr. Rushmore's
expression. an his death he performed
a great service for the country, for
liberty and. for democracy" were Mr..
Depews closing words.
All recalled his specific services to
the community and his country, as a
! lawyer, as an opponent of political cor
ruption, rs an ambassador. In the lat
ter capacity Mr.. Hughes said of him:
81 don't suppose We ever had any
one abroad who so endeared America
to those to whom he was accredited as
our Ambassador to England. They
recognized his intellectual power, they
admired his wit and they also knew
that he sought no effects abroad at the
expense of his patriotic duty to his
country. He was just as much of an
American in London as he was in New
York"
And little further on the former
| Justice described Mr.. Choate as "a great
| lawyer, but far greater man, great
representative of his country, but great
in these distinguished spheres of his
usefulness because he always brought
TO the service that dignity and poise
and fearlessness and candor, and that
capacity for straight seeing, which
made everybody feel that he was in the
presence of a master among men,"
The gathering adopted set of reso-
lutions, introduced by William d. Muir
ply and seconded by General Thomas
L. Watson, expressing its veneration Of
Mr.. Choate, who had been member Of
the Union League Club since 1867, and
its president from 1873 to 1876. and
vocing its sense of loss in his passing.