Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-11-13
WILLIAM J. bRYAh.
DAUNTLESS:IN LEADERSHIP,
MAGNIFICENT IN DEFEAT.
AN OBJECT LESSON.
To the Youth of our Land to Store
their Energy Against the day
they may Need it.

The recent Presidential cam
paigl developed the fact tha
Mr.. Bryan, the Democratic can
dldate, was a man of many re
markable qualities. On ever,
hand it was conceded early il
the campaign that his forensic
ability was unprecedented, ant
his brilliancy commanded tn,
admiration of the world. The1
at the close Of the contest, whel
his banner went down in defea
and his opponents ensign float
ed proudly to the breeze, the
American people were charmed
with the graciousness Of his ma
ture, as expressed in the tele,
gram Of congratulation which
sped over the wires from Lincoln
to Canton--the popular excla>
nation being, "What a manly
act!' Mr.. BRYAN is no ordinary
man, as all will admit. How
seldom it is that a public and
private life is found SO consistent
as was his when put to the test
all attempts to tarnisll his es-
cutcheon proving ignoble fail
ures-the purity of his character
shining forth all the more beau>
tiful because of the efforts to fiud
somewhere in his life something
that would operate adversely to
his candidacy.
Not only is the young Nebras-
kan pure, b',t he has evidenced
an appreciation of his being
his life-that is an object lesson
to the youth of the land and has
made possible an achievement
that will be all enduring mont
ment to his faithfulness to God
given trust. 1t will be recalled
that his wonderful endurance
with but few signs of fatigue
during his masterful canvass for
Democratic success, was made
possible, as lie explained, by his
ability to drink deep Of "tired
natures sweet restorer' when
ever he laid down to rest; that is
to say, he not only slept. but re-
cuperated his powers the result
Of never having been profiigate
of the manhood which had been
committed to his keeping. Evi-
dence was not wanting, either,to
show that the preservation of
his powers was not the result of
a negative sort of virtue, but the
outcome of an early and most
admirable recognition of his
duty to that Creative Power
which had made his existence
possible. And there was a SEEM
ing presclence about his appre-
citation of the obligation On his
part to measure up to anything
in the future that might await
him, which is worth while paus-
ing to think about, and which
would seem to mark him as a
man Of destiny. 1t was charm
ingly told by a correspondent
during the campaign of how
at college, when his classmates
wanted him to go out and "1nake
a night of it," he said them nay
and told them lie felt that he
should store his energy against
the day when lie might need it
How prophetic this of the day
that later Oh arrived, when, Will
AL eloquence that electrified the
great gatherings which heard i
and quickened the heart beats O
a nation, he seized the banner O
Democracy out Of the dust into
which it had fallen and with {
matcllless leadership marched
against All enemy the like o
which listory's heroes ne'er be
fore had encountered-tlle money
bags of the country and stipend
Gus corporate power. That h
did not succeed in the tremend
Gus undertaking is not the won
der, but rather that he shoult
have accomplished SO much il
revitalizing his party and giving
it sturdy manhood, by the sid,
of which achievement the lead
ership of many others woule
have been puerile and the re
suits disastrous for the future o
Democracy.
Mr.. Bryan was daa tless ii
leadership, magnificent i. defeat
but no act of his was Worthie
of the sterling fibre Of his char
acter than his message of greet
ing to his courageous follower
in the East, who stood up to b.
counted On his side, although
we'll knowing that they toult
not lend him material aid. 4
man of these remarkable am
magnetic qualities cannot but b.
| a leader of men, and must need