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

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I the art more perfectly possessed by Colonel Bryan than by any other in public life now of begging the question Mr Beck had made no assertion +hat there was no over capitalization of securities that there was no use of money in election that there was no legislation for the classes His own record was sufficient to show where he stood for it was Mr Beck s argument in the lottery cases and in the trust cases a year ago at St Louis which enabled to suppress injustice of this kind Colonel Bryan however became the Colonel Bryan of the political arena He answered a ques tion or an accusation that had not been put and did it with one of those plausible and persuading generalizations of which he is the master Then the members of the Holland Society saw Colonel Bryan as the great body of voters to wnorn he appealed have seen him but these Holland Society members, clear-headed, possessing much of the Dutch imperturbability, saw farther than many of those who have supported 'Bryan were able to see. r C Colonel Bryan undoubtedly was pleased -at the invitation to appear before the Holland Society, for, as he said, he had never before had any. oppor- tunity to speak to a representative body in New York of that kind. He could not have been rea- sonably disappointed at his reception. It was all courteous, all kindly, but it was also thoroughly discriminating. y 93 the courts to define rigidly the power of legislation H The N ewayk N ewg gave up a column of space to what is described in its head-lines as: Bryan in Tilt with J, M. Beck-f-Nebraskan Stirs 'Holland 'Society Diners by III1P1'0mPt11 Dei fence of Labor-T he Hague Peace Movement. It also reported that Mn Bryan furnished gil? Surprise of the dinner when he took up the c a - 13

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192 their descendants were always lovers of the spoken word when well Spoken. Furthermore, Mr. Beck seemed to be Wholly at home in that company, to be so sure for hirnself that it was not necessary to assume any attitudes or anv self-conscious mannerisms that he might persuade others that he was properly in that place. llfhether he deliberately purposed tempting Colonel Bryan. or whether the challenge that he gave was a sudden inspiration, the effect of it and the manner in which it was done were very im- pressive and led to most interesting results. If it were a challenge to Colonel Bryan the challenge was accepted. Colonel Bryan had prepared, evi- dently with some care, a wholly non-partisan address, based chiefly upon some thoughts that seemed to have been inspired by his visit to Europe .... Mr. Beck had said no more than this, that if there is to be peace it must be no divided or par- tial peace, but must include all elements of so- ciety, and that at present the chief disturbing factor, since it imperils the very liberty which is synonymous, or should be, with the American form of govemment, is the dogma of many of the labor unions, that no man has a right to work at any trade unless he is a member of the union. The sentiment was applauded. Many of those who heard it are citizens of New York who have done more for those who work for wages in this city than all who have theorized or made public addresses agitating the wrongs of the workingman. It was with his conventional and much reputed manner that Colonel Bryan interpolated a reply to this comment of Mr. Beck. He seemed to take Issue with him. There was the same intellectual T-TICRBTY. so apparent in much that Mr. Bryan SWS- when he is controversial. It can be sum- marized mto two words-- you 're another. It is

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T94 lenge of james M. BCCR. the Yolmg Wan Sffeet lavfrer, and treated the guests to a sensational sg:-cet-li on the labor question. . Mr. Bryan had prepared an academic speech on the effect of The Hague's Peace Tribunal, but Mr. Beck, who immediately preceded hun, by a, sharp attack on the methods of labor organizations, aroused him, and, digressing from the line of his speech, he made an impassioned defence of the laboring man, coupled with an attack on the trusts. . . . The Providence Bulletin gave a column to its account of the affair, emphasizing the ' ' Mirth and Good Cheer and the jovial Time, and par- ticularly noting the presence of Colonel Bryan and the Chinese Minister among the speakers. The St. Paul Dispatch gives half a column, and sees greatest importance in the presence and the eloquent address of the Chinese Minister. The Augusta fMe.J Yournal devotes nearly a column to the account, and makes the cordial re- ception of the Chinese Minister its leading feature, saying that W. J. Bryan, Dr. G. C. Lorimer, and others speak. The Scranton Times and the Altoona Times, each in a half column, and the Nashville Banner in a quarter or less, give the most prominence to Mr. Bryan 's address. The Batavian News takes its account from the New York Sun, as follows: Extract from Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad, Vrijdag, 4 Maart, I904. Batavia, Nederlandsch Indie: HOLLANQ IN AMBRIKA.-Een vriendelijke hand zond ons uit New-York The Sun van 22 januari,