The Holland Society of New York - Yearbook (New York, NY)

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188' see the panting efforts of the eastern Democratic editors to keep up with the procession of rapidly succeeding developments. Yesterday was a par- ticularlv active day, ending with a great stroke of luck for him in the evening, when a careless speaker at the Holland Society banquet gave him an opening for precisely the sort of exhibition that is dearest to him-that is, of passionate devotion to the cause of labor. His outburst was eminently characteristic, in the tone and form of his famous cross of gold speech. . . . That his peculiar style of oratory has power over the minds of his hearers was shown last evening, when an audience of more or less stolid Dutch descendants, hard-headed citizens of the city of New York, went off their heads in a Whirl- wind of cheers over the following utterance: A man who is fit to die for his country ought to be permitted to live for it! Why should anybody in full possession of normal mental faculties rise and yell over that sentiment? Who ' 'deniges of it? as Sairey Gamp would say. Mr. Bryan said it in connection with the oppression of labor, but it would have had far more pertinency had he said it of the conduct of his party toward the nine millions of negro citizens of the republic. They are the only men in this country to whom it applies. The Brooklyn Eagle's editorial contains this : Ex-Assistant Attomey-General Beck made an address before the Holland Society in New York last night, in which he said not one word against the right of men to organize their labor interests,

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187 ' Society of New York, T' Astoria last night. given at the Waldorf- William J 91'111i1'1gS Bryan talked of universal love and harmony, the Chinese Minister eulogized the Tsar of Russia for inaugurating the great move- ment for international peace, and the other O1-atm-S proclaimed against further slaughter by warring nations. President Roosevelt, a member of the Society sent a letter expressive of his regret that he could not be with his fellow Dutchmen g and in nearly every speech Mr. Roosevelt was referred to as a magnificent specimen of the sturdy Holland fibre that made New York and had not weakened with the coming of wealth and prosperity. A ' MRS. BRYAN THERE. The large banquet room was crowded, 'with a good attendance of women in the boxes. Mr. Bryan was the chief figure at the principal table, and Mrs. Bryan, with a group of friends, occupied the large box directly opposite her husband. With her were Mrs. Augustus Van Wyck, Mrs. Charles A. Towne, Mrs. James W.. Usborne and Miss Os- borne, Mrs. John W. Cox, Mrs. O. jf. Smith, and Mrs. john H. Girdner .... , r The I insurance Press calls special attention to the .new Dutch historian OD mentioned in the address of President Banta. The Commercial Advertiser says' in an editorial: The present is clearly Mr. Bryan's 'K hour Of glorious life. He has the centre of the Demo- cratic political stage, and the public must concen- trate its attention upon him whether it wishes to or not. Something happens daily to 11016 111m 11 - the centre of interest, and it is quite amusing to

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189' but insisted that the recognition of their rights need not and does not justify them in resisting or resenting the equal rights of other men who may prefer independently to contract for their Own labor on their own terms. Nothing which My, Beck said made against the legal rights of union- ism, but something which he said did favor the legal rights of workingmen who prefer to be inde- pendent of organizations. Mr. Bryan was there, and he added to his pre- pared speech an impromptu outbreak against things which Mr. Beck did not say, but which Mr. Bryan misunderstood. ' , , We have no criticism-though others may have -to make of Mr. Theodore M, Banta for inviting Mr. Bryan to speak at the dinner .... 'T Mr, Banta has done a public service which he possibly did not intend .... A f The Boston H emld also quotes the latter part of the Eagle's opinion as valuable. The Philadelphia Press gives nearly' two col- umns to the report and comments of its regular correspondent, with head-lines and extracts as follow : Bryan's Reception Not Enthusiastic-New Yorkers Studied Him Closely at the Banquet- of the Holland Society, but were Disappointed- First Appearance before Representative Men -Society Represents Best and Most Iniiu- ential Class in' New York, but They do NO'U Find Bryan a Deeply Intellectual Man--M12 Beck's Masterly Address in Startling Contrast