Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-08-25

people to-day the representative
rather Of the agricultural inter-
est than of any party. It was
not unnatural that from advo-
cacy of low tariff he should have
turned to championship of the
Anti Option bill, which sought TO
stop gambling in grain. Com
ing from community sorely
burdened by the exactions of
railroad companies, from a state
the government of which has
been for decades dominated by
railroad influence, he quickly ar
rayed himself in antagonism to
these great corporations. He
strove to have the powers of the
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion en]arged-a step, by the
way: which is demanded by the
platform upon which he is now
a candidate, for the presidency
and he insisted that in fixing
reasonable rates" the commits
sion should allow interest only on
the cost of reproducing the roads
at the present time. And it is
proper here to note that in
private action he has kept him.
self as wholly free from the in
fluence of railroad corporations
as his record in the House argues
he should. Like mostpublic men
OF strong personality and talent,
he has had his opportunities to
join with the great army of cor
porations. In his Lincoln law
practice he has Systematically
refused retainers from railway
companies, and at the close of
his second term in Congress,
though practically penniless, he
declined a salary Of $4,000
year to act as general counsel for
a railroad associated with the
Standard Oil Company. In all
probability the offer was not
even a tenn ptation to him, for
content with the simple life of an
interior town, abstemious in
habits, and almost an ascetic
in tastes, he has little need for
large income
ut is curious to one who has
known William J. Bryan, to find
him widely described as "cadi-
cal' If not indeed by other terms
more invidious. There are thou
sands of men in the United
States, holding prominent places
as educators, journalists or bust
ness men, who would go far be-
You'd him in the direction of
socialism. To describe him as
either socialist or anarchist is to
confess utter ignorance of his
character. Every great cause
he has championed can be shown
to spring from his one cardinal
rule, expressed in the Populist
slogan. Equal rights to all;
special privileges to none. - He
believed that protection was in
effect the taxing of one man for
the benefit of another and he
fought for free trade. He be-
came convinced that gold mono
metallism effected the spoliation
Of the great mass Of the people of
the country for the profit Of a
few men in a position to control
the gold and he fought for free
silver. He discerned in the nat
ional bank system what be be-
lieved to be a special privilege
and he attacked it. The income
tax he held step toward equal
ling to burden of taxation
among all classes and it had his
most hearty support. An en-
umeration of his public utter
ances in Congress would show
that to every subject under dis
cussion he; applied this touch
stone of equal rights and formed
his Judgment accordingly. He
is exactly the sort of men to
establish thus fundamental
principle from which he will
work out fol- himself every pub
lie DrOblom.'' X :;
1.-The pastor of the neighbour
ing Presbyterian church will tell
the curious inquirer that the
organs are among the most re-
gular attendants at the sanctuary
and will hold up the young states
man as a type of the devout and
Godfearing American. And, in
deed, without ostentation, with
out other purpose than the full
tillment of what he holds a sacred
duty, Mr.. Bryan has often lent
his voice to the service of the
church, speaking from more
then one pulpit. The homelier
virtues of men he has in perfect
ion.> Neither slim ulants nor to-
baeco ever were used by him.
He is an inveterate home keeper,
and when unable to stay at Lin
coin with his wife usually takes
her with him upon his political
expeditions. For the rest he is
a man of magnificent physique,
the fruit of early farm work and
constant practice of athletic
sports. His face shows in it's