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The Commoner.
FEBRUARY 3, 1911
The Baltimore Banquet
Some Opinions of the "Conference"
The Baltimore banquet seems to have fallen
pretty far short of the billboard nnnounnemnntK.
;,Its eclipsing feature appears to have been the
immensity or the menu and the varieties of the
Vintages Set hfifnro tho -fiihllnnf nrirl rn-fiivonnforl
democrats assembled. Its attendants made a less
notable array than its absentees. Given osten
sibly to celebrate the election of six p.r eight
democratic governors of states for a long time
(republican, only one of the victors was present,
fend since, patently, he had been cast as the hero
i tne piay, nis presence was Indispensable. Sen
try Tn(1ri. ,,li. rt tt...
Www$-r tIie Presidency, and of Champ Clark as an
ifwpnderstudy, appears to have brought about the
vuuuvmv,! CV11VA UlWl 3 UUUUOIV9I bUUU JJ.U.U.
en mtenaea by tne authors or the play, but
tie climax, for that reason. was nono the leas
logical culmination of -the banquet's plot. It
vm probably be counted, by the authors of the
ivent, as a misadventure that their purpose was
aus orougnt rortn more obtrusively than was
ither expedient or comnatible with tho artistic
icheme of the affair. As a consequence the Har
non candidacy is apt to suffer for tho want of
ipontaneous appearance.
' Neither as a projection of democratic policies
oes the Baltimore banauet seem to havo hoGn
lonspicuously a success. If one may judge from
ae rainer aoriagea report or the newspaper
lispatches, the democrats assembled concerned
m m -
temseives almost wholly with the tariff prob
m; but the- addresses, instead of disclosing
my or purpose, revealed rather an ominous'
ntrariety of opinion as to how that vexatious
lestion should ba handlfiri. Mr P.lnrlr ia-fnr-
le enactment of seDarate hills, trflatincr rpTi Art
ies and even items, while Senator Bailey would
msiaer notnmg less than an entire bill. Here
t a discordance of views that elves no verv
heerful presage for the democracy. Sinn thn
epubllcans, a much more discinlined bodv failed
amentabjy to agree among themselves as to
n enure tariff bin, such an attempt on the part
if the democrats would seem to doom them to
peiess dissensions. But even if we assume.
indeed we should like to assume, that tho
mocrats are capable of aereeincr to an enM
.'riff bill that conforms substantially to their
oiessions, tne ract that the senate will continue
be in control of tho republicans duriner the
text session of congress renders it so utterly
ipossmie to pass any genuine tariff reform bill
at to resolve on that attempt would he to
ight the hope which the countrv has of helner
elieved at an early day of some of the wprst
aiquities of the Payne-Aldrich act. Dallas
Texas) Morning News.
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RICH- DEMOCRATS TO THE FRONT
A political banquet is not alwavs a fair test
fof party tendencies or conditions. It does not
necessarily present an accurate picture of party
jientiment and party purposes. On the other
hand, a bie: nartv bannunt mav h pvtromoiv
significant. It depends on circumstances.
r At Baltimore, Tuesday night, the circum
itances were very revealing. Thev unnovered
tle general purpose of the democratic leaders
feo make the tariff their main issue next year and
the fear the same leaders feel that their chosen
ijhtlng ground may prove difficult and danger-
jus. And at Baltimore the circumstances and
Conditions of the big democratic banquet also
nowea tnat ricn men are coming to the front
Mn the democratic organization as they have
lot, in like manner, since Bryan became . the
presidential candidate in 1896.
- The very nature of the feast nrnved fhnf Tho
(caterers who served the dinner had to provide
tOOO of the costliest oysters And '750 gallons
lof diamond back terrapin souo. Other items
Ewere 1,650 pounds of Jersey capons always
Ithe most expensive rood or its kind, the reader
twill note and 550 canvasback ducks; also, 45
PSmlthneld hams. For liquor there were 1,000
cocktails, 550 quarts of champagne and 400
quarts of sauterne. The fancy Ices cost $325
and the guests were provided with 3,000 choice
cigars.
This could not have happened in Bryan's dav.
iThen dollar dinners were the limit of demo
cratic indulgence when party leaders assembled
to plan their campaigns and console one another
in their disappointments. Then anything more
costly was deemed improper in tho party which
laid claim to tho special guardianship of tho
poor and humble.
But now, with the first party success won on a
national scale in eighteen years, comes a ban
quet for only those who have well filled purses,
and tho democratic leaders of tho country flock
there to eat and talk and listen. It is a change
which has much significance, as tho rank and
file of the democratic party will understand hot
ter when events reveal tho forces in control of
the national democracy. Cleveland (Ohio)
Leader.
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MR. BELIS SPEECH
Editor The Commoner: I see by tho Balti
more conference, that Mr. Theodore M. Bell of
California, is reported as saying "fate had do
creed that Mr. Bryan would never be president
of the United States, and the democratic party
would not bo called upon to nominate him."
The mythology of the Greeks is a lost art in
this enlightened century. If Mr, Bell said this'
it were a grievious fault. "The battle is to tho
vigilant, the active, tho brave.' Whatever your
desires thisward, Mr. Bell overshot the mark,
so think your friends. See how tho names of
Bryan and Foss got together in that convention.
I, for one, do not hold to Mr. Boll's idea of Mr.
Bryan's destiny. And there aro others.
M. B. CHASE.
Marion, Ohio, January 19.
"DEMOCRACY" VIA BALTIMORE
The Baltimore Sun of January 18 (tho news
paper that called the Baltimore conference)
printed the following fine description of
"democracy." '
. DID DEMOCRACY FEAST LAST NIGHT?"
WELL, JUST READ THIS ' '
The Edibles Consumed
18 barrels of salt water oysters.
725 pounds of diamond back 'terrapin.
566 canvasback ducks. '
229 Jersey capons, averaging 8 pounds each.
20 Smithfleld hams, totaling 300- pounds.-
$100 worth of -celery. :" -.- - :, ..
. '16 -gallons of hominy. .. r'. .
5 barrels of white potatoes. ,- -
1135 cakes of individual ices.
. 56 cases of champa'gne (one dozen quarts to
a case).
17 cases sauterne (one dozen quarts- to a
. case).
12 cases White Rock (one dozen quarts to, a
case).
3500 cigars.
28 gallons of Holland gin for tho starting
cocktail.
Who Prepared It
To prepare this feast twenty cooks were em
ployed in a temporary kitchen provided In the
basement of tho Fifth Regiment Armory.'
To servo it 200 waiters were constantly in
action, but without confusion, so well had every
thing been arranged.
The banquet was under the direct supervi
sion of Colonel William A. Boykin, chairman of
the committee. To assist him he had Mr. James,
J, A. O'Conor, formerly of the Rennert, who'
supervised the cooking and serving.
GOOD FOR THE TRIBUNE
The Chicago Tribune shows a commendable,
zeal in 'its effort, to prevent the whitewashing
of Senator Lorimor. Would that all of the
metropolitan papers were as outspoken against
this threatened disgrace to the senate.
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REMEMBER 1004
Parties, like Individ aals, must seize'
the opportunity when fortune offers.
The door of opportunity is now open for
democracy to save this country from
plutocracy In 1912. That opportunity
must not be frittered away through Wall
Street connections as in 904. As
Shakespeare made Brutus say before the
battle of Phjllipi: "There is a tide in
the affairs of man, which, taken at Its
flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all
the voyage of their life is bound In,
shallows and In misery." On such a full
sea are we now afloat and we must take
the current when It serves or lose our
victories. Kansas Commoner.
"The Passing of Bryan"
ARejected Manuscript
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To the Editor of tho Toronto Globe: Recent
ly in an editorial you gave ono side of tho ques
tion concerning tho allogod "Passing of Mr.
Bryan.". Will you now have tho fairness to give
a hearing to tho othor side?
The writer has for somo time past enjoyed
and profited tho while by his weekly perusal of
tho Globe since it enmo under Its present able
editorial management regarding it as ono of .
the limited Instances which conspicuously adorn
tho great profession of Journalism on tho Amer
ican continent; and ho hopes that his suspicion
Is uufounded that Its able editor has by. force
of habit become effusive in his encomiums upon
those whoso fortune it is to bask for a season
in the sunshino of political and official power '
and derogatory in comment of oven conspicuous
worth which does not happen to bo enjoying the
aforesaid salubrious atmosphere.
Regarding the "passing of Mr. Bryan" it may
be observed that this eminent man has boon
alleged to bo "a dead ono" many times beforo, '
and the occasion of tho editor of tho Globo de
voting something llko a column of his valuable
space to one who has "passed" when it might
have been used to the more timely and profit
able advantage, .namely, of continuing to hold
down tight tho wicked conservatives, constitutes
presumptive evidence that, like some others, he
is experiencing somo difficulty in getting away
from the, fact that there Is considerable life left
in the corpse yet.
To many your exclamation that "Roosevelt
may again become president," and its really
dramatic ending, "but never Bryan!" will only
serve to provoke a smile. It soundu very like
one of those over excited chieftains of plutocracy
. some of whom, by the way, aro now sojourning
in 'jail.
But with reference to Roosovelt and the presi- ' '
doncy it may bo said that when the time comes
it is just possible tha$ there will be those in
sufficient numbers by their action If not by their
declamations as doubtless there would be at
tho Guild House in London should occasion ever
again offer who will say: "Never again!"
But your wjiolo misguided notion so far as
Mr. Bryan is concerned, Is exposed in your pos
session of the idea that tho sole aim of Mr.
Bryan has been to obtain tho presidency, as
when you say: "Even yet if he. gets the presi
dential bee out of hlo bonnet ho may yet do a
man's work," and, "tho trouble with men like
Bryan Is that they desire position rather than
power. They think that to be president or prime
minister would be great, not knowing that great
er far is ho who moulds tho people's will."
Now sir, Mr. Bryan's own words furnish tho
most telling answer to that, &nd the writer re
spectfully asks you to lend to them your ears:
"I am not seeking leadership; neither am I
concerned about my political position in future
years. No man is in position to do his duty who
Ib controlled by tho ambition to be a leader or
who is always looking out for his own political
future. Leadership In thought and In political
action Is entirely independent of caucuses and
conventions. He leads who proposes the wisest
measures and defends, them with the strongest
argument. No one can see the truth who con
stantly gazes at himself. Those find truth who
seek for it earnestly and constantly. The best
evidence that one can give of his faith in a ,
truth Is to be willing to suffer for it. Christ
gave utterance to a principle of wide applica
tion when He said, 'He that flndeth his life shall
lose It, and he that loses his life for My sake
shall And It.' So it may be said of truth. He
whoso only objeQt is to save his own political
life will, lose it, and will deserve to lose it, but
he who is willing to lose his life for the sake
of a cause or a principle triumphs with that
cause or principle."
Now, sir, may I ask, how do your words of
disparagement appear In the light of a fearless
outspoken declaration like that? Does it sound
like a man with but a "presidential bee in his
bonnet?"
Mr. Bryan's relations to the presidency have
been but incidents In a remarkable career
brought about simply and solely by the Impelling
and compelling force of a great character ac
companied by equally great gifts.
When you speak of Mr. Bryan's "monetary
vagaries," and. say: "If he had but mastered
Cobden's problem (as you are pleased to ex
preps it) with Cobden's thoroughness, ho would
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