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The Commoner.
MAY 9, 1913
he did not stand in with the sheriff's office ho
was in. the position In which we all ought to
b0 responsible for everything that ho did
against the law of the land. "
"I was present at a conference- today at
which one of the gentlemen in the assembly
from the county of Essex asked me if I had
said that the greater part of the delegation from
that county exercised no choice of Its own, but
took orders. He did not ask mo in those words,
but the words do not make any difference. That
Is what I said and I said it not because I sus
pected it but because I have lived in the state
a good many years. I was an observer and a
very close observer of the course of politics be
fore I ventured upon that uneasy sea. I was not
tho land lubber I looked. I knew the gentlemen
who controlled the politics of Essex county.
Knew them? Why, the whole United States
knew them!"
The president indicated that ho was not dis
turbed by the opposition he had encountered
among members of the legislature.
Personal persuasion was President Wilson's
instrument of action today as he conferred upon
New Jersey reforms with the democratic mem
bers of the legislature. It was the alleged
abandonment by some of the legislators of the
party pledged to this reform and a revision of
the constitution which brought Mr. Wilson to
his home state to appeal to tho electorate.
The president had invited the legislators to
meet him hero today, to arrive, if possible, at
a common agreement on the particular form
of a measure which would take the power of
drawing jurors out of the hands of the sheriffs.
When, in his speeches at Elizabeth and Newark
last summer Mr. Wilson denounced some of
the assemblym'en who failed to support tho
party promise as affiliated with James Nugent,
jr., and his political organ, the president ad
mitted that some of the members of the legis
lature honestly opposed the juror reform bills
In tho last session of tho legislature because of
the objection to the form of proposals. It was
these whom the president sought to convince.
It was 11:30 o'clock when President Wilson
reached the club and went into conference with
the party leaders and later with the legisla
tors. t
The conference came to an end about 2 o'clock
and it was agreed that tho democratic members
would get together on Monday next in tho hopo
of drafting some sort of a jury reform bill.
They will be urged to do so by opponents of
the bill. Tho president declined to make any
definite recommendation as to the form the bill
should take. That, he said, was up to the legislature.
"DOLLAR DIPLOMACY"
New York World: "Now that dollar diplo
macy is dead," says Secretary Bryan, in a
notable interview appearing in The World, "tho
wounds of tho past will soon bo healed." His
reference to the death of dollar diplomacy fol
lows a statement to the effect that President
Wilson's action with reference to the Chinese
loan ''marked an era." It is no new diplomacy
which is to be introduced. "It is simply a re
turn to the diplomacy of earlier years. It is the
application of common sense, common honesty
and plain, everyday morality to our national
affairs."
Mr. Bryan has a perfect understanding of tho
dollar diplomacy that is dead. Ho has not been
deceived by the bookkeepers and statisticians.
He is quite clear in his distinction between
legitimate business and speculative business
that is promoted by favor and trickery and
power. He sees many reasons why our repre
sentatives in Central and South America should
be disinterested. Like millions of his country
men, he can find no reason for their employ
ment as agents at friendly capitals of greedy
private Interests.
As the first Important public utterance of the
new secretary of state, this Interview must bo
highly reassuring both at home and abroad,
ft Is & declaration In precise words that the
government of the United States in its foreign
delations is no longer to he enlisted in tho de
grading service of big business exclusively, it
Is a guarantee to Latin-America, that the prac
tices which for some years past have caused so
much Injury to normal Intercourse are to be
abandoned
There Is nothing visionary In fir. Bryan's"
theory that conscience and character may go
hand In hand with profitable commerce. It
may sound new to some people, but It Is as old
tts American Independence. It Is bottomed on
American equality. It if one of the funda
mentals of American justice, , '
Some Comments on Grape Juice
Mr. Bryan was greatly surprised at tho
widespread comment concerning his substitution
of grape juice for alcoholic liquors at his dinner
to tho diplomats. Some of the commonts will
be Interesting. Hero are tho samples:
Washington dispatch to tho Denver News:
William Jennings Bryan, socretary of state, re
ceived praise, as well as criticism for his an
nounced policy of serving only "unfermented
grape juice" at his official, as well as private
dinner. Mrs. Belva Lockwood, who is the only
woman who ever ran for president, when asked
what she thought of tho innovation replied
smilingly:
"I should worry."
Congressman Bartholdt of Missouri said that
Bryan's action was "hospitality with a string
tied to it."
The London papers ridicule Bryan for in
flicting his prejudices on representatives of
i foreign countries and the Pall Mall Gazotto
says that tho new regime at the capltol of the
United States will become known as "Wishy
Washington." Congressman Bartholdt, who for years has
led congress to restore the canteen In tho army
said that no host, particularly a secretary of
state, had any right telling his guests whether
they could take a drink or not.
"I deeply regret that the question whether
a man shall take a' drink of wine at his dinner
should have becorao a state question," he said.
"It Is a matter all gentlemen should decide for
themselves.
"Dollar diplomacy of the republican regime
was tho target of criticism, but grape juice
diplomacy, I fear, will bo much less effectlvo
so far as our national prestige is concerned."
"What Mr. Bryan serves at his own dinners
is Mr. Bryan's own business," said Mrs. Thomas
R. Marshall. "I have never served anything to
drink at any dinner I've ever given and I do
not intend to do so, whether it is a state dinner
or ono for personal friends."
EVEN BERNARD SHAW
A London cablegram to tho Now York World:
Georgo BernaTd Shaw says tho only mistake
Secretary of State Bryan made was in offering
his diplomatic, guests unfermented grapejulce or
anything else except plain water. Shaw would
approve if tho American secretary of state
should go a Btep further and give a vegetarian
dinner.
All the criticism of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan's
wineless banquet Shaw condemns as a gross
abuse of hospitality and an affront to the social
decencies. He can not see why any host should
be under obligation to supply his guests with
wine any more than any other particular eat
able or drinkable. He argues that if Secretary
and Mrs. Bryan had given their dinner with
out fish or sweets it would not have excited re
mark, but because they paid their guests tho
compliment of assuming that they are not slaves
to intoxicants they are held up to tho charge
of inhospitality, and it Is Insinuated that they
obtained tho presence of their guests by false
pretenses.
Shaw caustically remarks that it only shows
the brutalizing effect of the drink habit when
all this pother is made by its votaries because
a company of both sexes, composed presumably
of intellectual and sober persons, is deprived
for one meal of the opportunity to consumo
alcoholic beverages.
Shaw expresses characteristically his an
tipathy for flesh diet by adding that if Mr.
Bryan would also start the fashion of not
supplying diplomats with meat It might perhaps
do something toward making them take a civi
lized and lucid view of international politics.
Commenting that the serving of even un
fermented grapejulce was a concession to the
alcohol habit, Shaw casts the insinuation that
it also holds hidden possibilities of menace to
tho digestive system of the diplomatic body that
pure water does not contain.
"WISBYWASHINGTON"
Editorial in the Philadelphia Public Ledger
'(rep.): The Pall Mall Gazette Is somewhat
anxious because Secretary Bryan served grape
juice Instead of wine at a recent dinner given
by him to foreign diplomats. "We fear," says
the London journal, "that the capital of the
great republic Is destined to be known as 'Wishy
JVashington "
U there Is anything wishy-washy about Mr.
Bryan's attitude It Is not apparent Uo does not
urge his own action as a precedent for tho rest
of ofllclal Washington to follow. Ho does not
ovon ombroider his decision with spectacular
publicity designed to encouro&o his political
popularity. lie merely announces, in a very
quiet way, that for two generations it has boen
tho custom in his family not to servo alcoholic
liquors, and ho does not desire to chango the
recognized rule simply becauao ho is now enter
taining diplomats instead of ordinary guests.
He docs not mako a point of the question so far
as othors are, concomed. Ambassadors who
entertain him may servo all tho champagne
they wish, and so can anybody elso, but tho
refreshments at dinners given by himself will
not Include wlno. Thoro Is nothing wishy-washy
'about that It shows, quite to tho contrary, an
Independence of opinion that is wholly com
mendable Thero Is no moro reason why Mr.
Bryan should bo forced to put before hie guests
what they like than that they should be forced
to bo content with what Mr. Bryan likes to put
beforo him.
Tho established customs of procedure at
Washington have nothing to do with tho caso.
Perish the thought that a good American must
bo bound In tho furnishing of his table by
fashions sot a century or moro ago. Tho ac
cepted rules of otlquetto have their basis in
tho experience of mankind, extending ovor cen
turies, and they ought to bo carefully observod
In principle, but amendment of thorn heretofore
has made them as perfect as they are, and thoy
have never been so unalterable as to require
an exact menu. Mr. Bryan has acted very
sanely in a dollcato matter, and condemnation
or ridicule of him therefore is not likely to do
either him or tho nation any harm.
THAT WINELESS DINNER
Editorial In St. Louis Republic (dem.): We
do not believe that tho gayoty of nations has
been Crimped by Mr. Bryan's failure to sorve
wine at a dinner to distinguished diplomats. Of
course it was a departure from custom. And
as such it has occasioned comment. Mr. Bryan's
statement, howover, makes it clear that ho was
fully aware of tho momentous stop ho was tak
ing, or not taking. Mr. Wilson left tho mattor
of tho secretary of state's good cheer to tho sec
retary of state's personal discretion.
Now it seems that all the guests had a pretty
good time at that dinner. Anyhow, they Bay
thoy did. And we propose to take them at their
word. This acknowledgement of an enjoyablo
evening was not ono of those social lies so elo
quently cursed by Mr. Tennyson. Diplomats, we
would have you know, sometimes tell tho truth.
Further reflection might hero bo dismissed
were It not for the distress that has gloomed
the Pall Mall Gazotto as a re 't of tho substi
tution of grape juice for buL..jg vintages at
our premier's board. It may be true that grape
juice possesses no Inherent exhilaration. With
out debating that point, wo do express surprise
at tho "dark brown taste" which tho Pall Mall
Gazette woke up the morning after that dinner.
Hero is tho Gazette's complaint: "Tho long
accumulated experience of man demands wine
to make glad tho heart on festive occasions."
This Is an admission of the Inherent sadness
of all festivity which Is worthy of Omar him
self. Our trans-oceanic contemporary knows no
joy except such as is artificially superinduced.
What may bo counted upon to relievo the hope
less melancholy of state dinners except the cup
that brings oblivion in its train?
This wo recognize as the voice of an exotic
and outworn civilization. Wo take heart as we
reflect that in this country there aro still mea
and women who have attained the top round of
ofllclal life who have what is known vernacu
larly as "an appetite for their vlttles." To them
good eating in good society is In Itself a delight
The old-worldly cynicism that takes its pleas
ures sadly except as It receives artificial stimu
lus and braces itself with liquors vinous and
spirituous to endure the ordeal of a festive oc
casion Is not comprehended In the philosophy
of 'Nebraska and of Nebraska's best know
citizen.
THE "BRYAN RICKEY"
Special dispatch to the Now York American:
Washington, April 28. A white-ribbon drink
Is now on sale in Washington barrooms. It is
called the "Bryan rickey," and came into the
city on tho very heels of tho "grape juice diplo
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