my memories of eighty years-第70节

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　better　satisfied　with　five。〃

Justice　Miller；　one　of　the　ablest　of　the　judges　of　the　Supreme　Court　at　that　time；　was　the　principal　speaker　on　another　occasion。　　He　was　ponderous　to　a　degree；　and　almost　equalled　in　the　emphasis　of　his　utterances；　what　was　once　said　of　Daniel　Webster；　that　every　word　weighed　twelve　pounds。　　I　followed　him。　　The　Attorney…　General　of　the　United　States；　who　went　back　to　Washington　the　next　day　with　Justice　Miller；　told　me　that　as　soon　as　they　had　got　on　the　train　the　justice　commenced　to　complain　that　I　had　wholly　misunderstood　his　speech；　and　that　no　exaggeration　of　interpretation　would　warrant　what　I　said。　　The　judge　saw　no　humor　in　my　little　effort　to　relieve　the　situation；　and　took　it　as　a　reply　of　opposing　counsel。　　He　said　that　the　justice　took　it　up　from　another　phase　after　leaving　Philadelphia；　and　resumed　his　explanation　from　another　angle　as　to　what　he　meant　after　they　reached　Baltimore。　When　the　train　arrived　at　its　destination　and　they　separated　in　the　Washington　station；　the　justice　turned　to　the　attorney…general　and　said：　　〃Damn　Depew！　　Good…night。〃

Such　are　the　perils　of　one　who　good…naturedly　yields　to　the　importunities　of　a　committee　of　management　who　fear　the　failure　with　their　audience　of　their　entertainment。

The　great　dinners　of　New　York　are　the　Chamber　of　Commerce；　which　is　a　national　function；　as　were　also　for　a　long　time；　during　the　presidency　of　Mr。　Choate；　those　of　the　New　England　Society。　　The　annual　banquets　of　the　Irish；　Scotch；　English；　Welsh；　Holland；　St。　Nicholas；　and　the　French；　are　also　most　interesting；　and　sometimes　by　reason　of　the　presence　of　a　national　or　international　figure；　assume　great　importance。　　The　dinner　which　the　Pilgrims　Society　tenders　to　the　British　ambassador　gives　him　an　opportunity；　without　the　formalities　and　conventions　of　his　office；　of　speaking　his　mind　both　to　the　United　States　and　to　his　own　people。

The　annual　banquets　of　the　State　societies　are　now　assuming　greater　importance。　　Each　State　has　thousands　of　men　who　have　been　or　still　are　citizens；　but　who　live　in　New　York。　　Those　dinners　attract　the　leading　politicians　of　their　several　States。　　It　is　a　platform　for　the　ambitious　to　be　president　and　sometimes　succeeds。

Garfield　made　a　great　impression　at　one　of　these　State　dinners；　so　did　Foraker；　and　at　the　last　dinner　of　the　Ohio　Society　the　star　was　Senator　Warren　G。　Harding。　　On　one　occasion；　when　McKinley　and　Garfield　were　present；　in　the　course　of　my　speech　I　made　a　remark　which　has　since　been　adopted　as　a　sort　of　motto　by　the　Buckeye　State。　　Ohio；　I　think；　has　passed　Virginia　as　a　mother　of　presidents。　　It　is　remarkable　that　the　candidates　of　both　great　parties　are　now　of　that　State。　　I　said　in　the　closing　of　my　speech；　alluding　to　the　distinguished　guests　and　their　prospects：　　〃Some　men　have　greatness　thrust　upon　them；　some　are　born　great；　and　some　are　born　in　Ohio。〃

One　of　the　greatest　effects　produced　by　a　speech　was　by　Henry　Ward　Beecher　at　an　annual　dinner　of　the　Friendly　Sons　of　St。　Patrick。　　At　the　time；　the　Home　Rule　question　was　more　than　ordinarily　acute　and　Fenianism　was　rabid。　　While　Mr。　Beecher　had　great　influence　upon　his　audience；　his　audience　had　equal　influence　upon　him。　　As　he　enlarged　upon　the　wrongs　of　Ireland　the　responses　became　more　enthusiastic　and　finally　positively　savage。　　This　stirred　the　orator　up　till　he　gave　the　wildest　approval　to　direct　action　and　revolution；　with　corresponding　cheers　from　the　diners；　standing　and　cheering。　　Mr。　Beecher　was　explaining　that　speech　for　about　a　year　afterwards。　　I　was　a　speaker　on　the　same　platform。

Mr。　Beecher　always　arrived　late；　and　everybody　thought　it　was　to　get　the　applause　as　he　came　in　but　he　explained　to　me　that　it　was　due　to　his　method　of　preparation。　　He　said　his　mind　would　not　work　freely　until　three　hours　after　he　had　eaten。　　Many　speakers　have　told　me　the　same　thing。　　He　said　when　he　had　a　speech　to　make　at　night；　whether　it　was　at　a　dinner　or　elsewhere；　that　he　took　his　dinner　in　the　middle　of　the　day；　and　then　a　glass　of　milk　and　crackers　at　five　o'clock；　with　nothing　afterwards。　　Then　in　the　evening　his　mind　was　perfectly　clear　and　under　absolute　control。

The　Lotos　Club　has　been　for　fifty　years　to　New　York　what　the　Savage　Club　is　to　London。　　It　attracts　as　its　guests　the　most　eminent　men　of　letters　who　visit　this　country。　　Its　entertainments　are　always　successful。　　For　twenty…nine　years　it　had　for　its　president　Mr。　Frank　R。　Lawrence；　a　gentleman　with　a　genius　for　introducing　distinguished　strangers　with　most　felicitous　speeches；　and　a　committee　who　selected　with　wonderful　judgment　the　other　speakers　of　the　evening。　　A　successor　to　Mr。　Lawrence；　and　of　equal　merit；　has　been　found　in　Chester　S。　Lord；　now　president　of　the　Lotos　Club。　　Mr。　Lord　was　for　more　than　a　third　of　a　century　managing　editor　of　the　New　York　Sun；　and　is　now　chancellor　of　the　University　of　the　State　of　New　York。

I　remember　one　occasion　where　the　most　tactful　man　who　ever　appeared　before　his　audience　slipped　his　trolley；　and　that　was　Bishop　Potter。　The　bishop　was　a　remarkably　fine　preacher　and　an　unusually　attractive　public　speaker　and　past　master　of　all　the　social　amenities　of　life。　The　guest　of　the　evening　was　the　famous　Canon　Kingsley；　author　of　〃Hypatia〃　and　other　works　at　that　time　universally　popular。　The　canon　had　the　largest　and　reddest　nose　one　ever　saw。　　The　bishop；　among　the　pleasantries　of　his　introduction；　alluded　to　this　headlight　of　religion　and　literature。　　The　canon　fell　from　grace　and　never　forgave　the　bishop。

On　Lotos　nights　I　have　heard　at　their　best　Lord　Houghton；　statesman　and　poet；　Mark　Twain；　Stanley　the　explorer；　and　I　consider　it　one　of　the　distinctions　as　well　as　pleasures　of　my　life　to　have　been　a　speaker　at　the　Lotos　on　more　occasions　than　any　one　else　during　the　last　half　century。

In　Mr。　Joseph　Pulitzer's　early　struggles　with　his　paper；　the　New　York　World；　the　editorial　columns　frequently　had　very　severe　attacks　on　Mr。　William　H。　Vanderbilt　and　the　New　York　Central　Railroad。　　They　were　part；　of　course；　of　attacks　upon　monopoly。　I　was　frequently　included　in　these　criticisms。

The　Lotos　Club　gave　a　famous　dinner　to　George　Augustus　Sala；　the　English　writer　and　journalist。　　I　found　myself　seated　beside　Mr。　Pulitzer；　whom　I　had　never　met。　　When　I　was　called　upon　to　speak　I　introduced；　in　what　I　had　to　say　about　the　distinguished　guest；　this　bit　of　audacity。　　I　said　substantially；　in　addition　to　Mr。　Sala：　　〃We　have　with　us　to…night　a　great　journalist　who　comes　to　the　metropolis　from　the　wild　and　woolly　West。　　After　he　had　purchased　the　World　he　came　to　me　and　said；　'Chauncey　Depew；　I　have　a　scheme；　which　I　am　sure　will　benefit　both　of　us。　　Everybody　is　envious　of　the　prestige　of　the　New　York　Central　and　the　wealth　of　Mr。　Vanderbilt。　　You　are　known　as　his　principal　adviser。　　Now；　if　in　my　general　hostility　to　monopoly　I　include　Mr。　Vanderbilt　and　the　New　York　Central　as　principal　offenders；　I　must　include　you；　because　you　are　the　champion　in　your　official　relationship　of　the　corporation　and　of　its　policies　and　activities。　　I　do　not　want　you　to　have　any　feeling　against　me　because　of　this。　　The　policy　will　secure　for　the　World　everybody　who　is　not　a　stockholder　in　the　New　York　Central；　or　does　not　possess　millions　of　money。　　When　Mr。　Vanderbilt　finds　that　you　are　attacked；　he　is　a　gentleman　and　broad…minded　enough　to　compensate　you　and　will　grant　to　you　both　significant　promotion　and　a　large　increase　in　salary。'〃　　Then　I　added：　　〃Well；　gentlemen；　I　have　only　to　say　that　Mr。　Pulitzer's　experiment　has　been　eminently　successful。　　He　has　made　his　newspaper　a　recognized　power　and　a　notable　organ　of　public　opinion；　its　fortunes　are　made　and　so　are　his；　and；　in　regard　to　myself；　all　he　predicted　has　come　true；　both　in　promotion　and　in　enlargement　of　income。〃　　When　I　sat　down　Mr。　Pulitzer　grasped　me　by　the　hand　and　said：　　〃Chauncey　Depew；　you　are　a　mighty　good　fellow。　　I　have　been　misinformed　about　you。　　You　will　have　friendly　treatment　hereafter　in　any　newspaper　which　I　control。〃

The　Gridiron　Club　of　Washington；　because　of　both　its　ability　and　genius　and　especially　its　national　position；　furnishes　a　wonderful　platform　for　statesmen。　　Its　genius　in　creating　caricatures　and　fake　pageants　of　current　political　situations　at　the　capital　and　its　public　men　is　most　remarkable。　　The　president　always　attends；　and　most　of　the　Cabinet　and　justices　of　the　Supreme　Court。　　The　ambassadors　and　representatives　of　the　leading　governments　represented　in　Washington　are　guests；　and　so　are　the　best…known　senators　and　representatives　of　the　time。　　The　motto　of　the　club　is　〃Reporters　are　never　present。　　Ladies　always　present。〃　　Though　the　association　is　made　up　entirely　of　reporters；　the　secrecy　is　so　well　kept　that　the　speakers　are　unusually　frank。

There　was　a　famous　contest　one　night　there；　however；　between　President　Roosevelt　and　Senator　Foraker；　who　at　the　time　were　intensely　antagonistic；　which　can　never　be　forgotten　by　those　present。　　There　was　a　delightful　interplay　between　William　J。　Bryan　and　President　Roosevelt；　when　Bryan　charged　the　president　with　stealing　all　his　policies　and　ideas。

If　the　speaker　grasped　the　peculiarities　of　his　audience　and　its　temper