New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-14
OMENS AND PORTENTS.

II Is not impossible Of course. that Mr.. Will
lam Jennings Bryan may be elected President
OF the United States. Perhaps he is the Child
Of Destiny we'll as the Boy Orator or the
Platte. He said he was going TO be nominated
at Chicago when nothing seemed more unlike
w. and. sure enough he was. But II he should
be elected there IS this to be said that nothing
under Heaven brought 1t about except the ielt
hind feet Of graveyard rabbits with which ne
has kept his pockets loaded ever since the fniill-
ment OF his prophecy Of his own nomination.
And it may also be said that his election would
be a reversal and Justification Of all the ordinary
signs and indications by which experienced poll
ticians forecast results, In favor or the over
shadOwing import Of the supernatural EGG
laid In Kentucky by Dock Cobbs inspired hen
For there Is nothing in the general survey OF the
situation at the present moment that furnishes
Mr. Bryan reasonable hope Of success, except
the graveyard rabbits and the inspired hen
Still. he is confident Of carrying every State In
the Union.
Certainly no political campaign was ever con
Quoted with such utter disregard not only or
the ordinary methods and processes OF campaign
ing, but with such purpOseless demonstrations
and reckless waste Of opportunities as the Bry-
ans Joneses and ST. Johns have mismanaged
this one From beginning TO end they have done
| nothing to help. bur everything 10 hurt. them
selves Not Il 90 into the neasurelesS details
| of their laundering. what could have been more
impractical and visionary than the tour which
| the candidate laid out for himself through what
he called the encmy's cOuntry-New-England ana
the Eastern Statcs-in which the mercs: tyro
| in politics could have told him he had no earthly
show for picking up an electoral vote: what
more empty and futile demonstration could be
| conceived than The performance before the nom
| voters of the District Of Coumba-a pewter
imitation OF COXcy. the pinchbeck original! Or
what more useless and silly manifestation OF
oyerweeniDg vanity than his appearance the
! other night AT Minneapolis before an audience
| exclusively Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES: Indeed II
IL not too much to say that neither Mr.. Bryan
himself nor any of his managers has taken a
single step since the campaign opened that has
not been, in the judgment Of any experienced
politician or even ordinary political observer. q
| most cgrcgious blunder.
| And vet. as we have said, ii Is not absolutely
i impossible that he may he elected. Well. II nc
should be: Why. then. we may as well settle
down 10 n belief in omcns and pOrtents and
1 supernatural interference with the operation OF
ordinary causes. and agree that human judg
nents, ordinary intelligence and plain common
sense are imperative and untr,lstwOrthy wher
set up against the graveyard rabbit and the In
spIred hen Then let President Bryan follow thu
loCc of HIS own election, and establish col
lege Of augurs TO observe the flights OF birds the
habits of graveyard rabbits and the nests OF
Kentucky hens. and thereon shape the policy OF
the Republic. And. Of course. Bryan himself
should be the chief augur. He ought to he BY
virtue MS we'll Of his unquestionlng belief In por
tents and omens as Of his being by all odds tho