The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-22
BRYAN'S BRILLIANCE.


peals to Human Cupidity.
Lincoln, Neb.. July 13,-It has taken
the people of Lincoln. Bryan's home, a
full week to calm down, For two or
three days after the nomination, the
Free-Silverites and Populists and half
the republicans We're in a state OF fran
~. The novelty of having one of their
neishbors chosen as a presidential con-
didate of q great party was most too
much for them. The people are more
rational now, but the feeling of local
pride, always strong In western COM
munity, Is aroused as it has never been
aroused before, and 1t is safe to say
that Of the votes that will be cast for
Bryan electors In the state outside ct
what has been his legitimate following
for six years, three-fourths will go to
him, not because of q sudden CONVEX
sion to the cause of free silver. but BE-
cause Bryan is a Nebraskan. 1t is diff
ficult to make eastern people under
stand the depth OF this feeling of !ooal
pride.
The people of the country have not
yet ceased wondering at Bryan's hyp-
motto feat at Chicago. 1t Is not at all
surprising to the people here who
know the man and are familiar with
his remarkable dramatic gifts and cra-
torical graces Bryan had already won
all the distinction it was possible for
him to win in this state before the Chi
cago convention, and he has hundreds
Of friends and admirers who for the
past year have looked forward to the
time when he would be given place on
the presidential ticket of the populist
or democratic party. That Bryan has
for years imagined himself man CT
destiny there is no doubt, and there is
plenty of evidence in this city that ever
since the first of the year he expected
to receive the nomination in Chicag ,.
Two or three months ago he commits
stoned a local photographer to take
photograph of his modest house at
once, and at the same time he sat for a
new photograph of himself and had one
taken of his family in group. All OF
these pictures were on sale here the
morning after the nomination. Two
months ago he told a friend that he cx-
pected to be the next President of the
United States and that he would be
nominated at Chicago as a dark horse.
He disclosed his plans at that time, al d
they were followed to the letter. He
said: II shall not go to Chicago as a
candidate. I shall go as a DELEGATE. II
is my intention to remain in the back
ground until there is suitable oppor-
tunity for me to appear before the con
vention in the manner in which l am
best fitted to make an impression.
will have the advantage of Bland am
Boies in that 1 will be on the groun5. y
1t is conceded now that Bryan is some
thing of prophet.
The sober, intelligent, conservative
people of Nebraska have long since
taken an adequate measure of the char
acter and mental capacity of Bryan
and while they give him the grea' EST
credit for the possession of admirable
personal qualities, they have him irm-
ly fixed in the category of demagogues
Socialists and cranks.
Bryan has taken the crude demag ~
of Altgeld and Tillman and worked II
over in the crucible of sophistry, and
refined it and polished it until the pro-
duct as he turns it out Is so softaned
and disguised that many people arc
fooled by it, The most radical utter
ance of the pitchfork senator or the
anarchist governor find in Bryan ready
and emphatic Endorsement, but his in
dorsenlent is in the seductive guise q
sentimental sympathy. Altgeld and
Tillman assail the cause of sound GOV
eminent with hammer and tongs, With
bone and battering-ram. Bryan's en-
&1,ae, n i,s,a
ton, but he avoids the tactics of bull
dog belligerency and seeks to win his
way by beguiling first the outposts ano
then the garrison itself. He is diplo-
matte facile, agile, oily tongued He
is finished actor-a brilliant low CO.
| median He represents everything
that Altgeld and Tillman represent :
| many things that are distasteful t.
most thinking, reasoning people--bl'
he represents his views in such a man.
ner as to delude and deceive. Radica
| to the last degree, he somehow sue
ceeds in passing himself off on the av
erage audience as reasonable. Danger
Gus as the demagogue is always Ian
gerous. he yet convinces people that Ii,
| is as innocent as a lamb. Acting in the
role of an ingenue he is full of guile
He appears to be pouring oil on The
troubled waters while he is in reality
adding to the turbulence. Bryan !:
singularly fortunate in his physical
presence He is handsome man. Hi:
features are classic, clear cut, fine
! lined. When he appears before an an
dience he awakens interest and sympa
thy. When he begins to speak he takes
| on an air of the most perfect sincerity
| the greatest candor. His manner Is sc
| simple so plain, so earnest, so frank
| that his hearers are irresstably draw
| to him. Then good humor is depicted
| in his countenance. AS he speaks -
smiles, and his smile grows and ex
4 pands 1t is infectious. 1t catches tn
| audience. He is SO pathetically hon
| est! 1t is doubtful if there is another
man in the country so gifted in the SD
| perficial. snowy qualities of oratory
He has wonderful surface brilliance.
| To what extent is he a hypocrite
Bryan is not a hypocrite in the sense II
which the term is ordinarily used
| There is no affectation in the simpli i
| ty of his manner of living. He is hon
| est in his comparative poverty. II,
| does not seek to hoodwink the public
| for the benefit of some financial inter
| est He cannot be accused of lack o
| integrity. But he does use question:
| BILE means to accomplish the end he il
| seeking. Bryan has talked so lone
about the common people" and tn,
bondage in which they are held, an.