New-York tribune., 1896-11-20
ONE R.i BBIT.

The campaign of 1000 is now in full blast In
n hunting park known as Game Preserve Ill
the southwestern part of Missouri. Thther early
in the week the Hon. William Jennings Bryan
betook himself. after addressing several gather
ngs of female politicians and signing con-
tract to deliver fifty lectures at $1,000 whacK.
He needed rest and recreation after his ardnous
labors. But he had no idea Of withdrawing
from public sight relaxing his grip Oh the
campaign of 1900. He took Jones with hlin--
Jones of Arkansas-and he has not yet strayed
beyond the reach of the telegraph. The society
of Jones is constant reminder of the cam
pairn. and telegraphic facilities keep him In
touch with the newspapers and the great heart
of the people knowing the anxiety of the
masses to keep track Of their champion. he sees
70 il that they are kept Informed by daily bull
letins of his whereabouts and movements and
the progress of the campaign Thus. on Thurs
day the country was Informed by wire that he
was nj Game Preserve with Jones and other
kindred spirits. and that on the previous after
noon the whole party had doomed their hunt
ing suits and started out"
Sincularly enough. even after donning a hunt
ing suit-which ought to have made hunter OF
him. inasmuch as one speech made him states
man and an authority on finance-the diSpatch
saws Mr.. Bryan missed several shots and
that he is mot much Of a hunter" but that he
FINALLY succeeded in killing a rabbit" Having
accomplished which. the party dropped down
upon the town Of FOrsythe. where the usual
large crowd gathered calling for Bryan.
Thcreupon the hero. without visible reluctance.
being introduced by Governor Stone-whO had
also dOnned hunting suit-"spoke briefly re-
viewing the campaign and the effect of silver.
He predicted--he is still predicting-that the
Republican party would fail to keep It's prom
Uses of prosperity and the gold standard will
go down to defeat four years hence" Thus
the campaign of 1900 was opened by Mr. Bryan
in hunting suit at FOrsythe. Mo. He missed
several Shots finally succeeded in killing
rabbit and spoke briefly. a most auspicous
beginning We say ausplcious advisedy. not
withstanding he missed several shots" For he
did succeed in killing rabbit" And though
no description of the rabbit Is given. we have
not the slightest doubt that il was Il genuine
graveyard rabbit Mr.. Bryan hunts other
kind 1t is an open secret that in the late cam
paign he based his confidence of success almost
entirely upon the left hind feet Of graveyard
rabbits OF which he constantly carried n large
number in his pockets The truth was that
there were not quite enough of them. Now that
he has begun collecting them himself. there need
be no fear for the result of the campaign of 1900.
1t would be interesting to know more of the
details Of this hunting expedition. II is quite
possible that Mr.. Bryan not being much of a
hunter. may have occasoned his friends Jones
and Governor Stone and the rest. as much anx-
cty for their personal safety when he was miss
ing several shots as he did when during the
/ co,nroion ho was firing off his month with the
same result. 1t mus; ever be considered a great
loss to sound literature. as well as TO political
history that Mr. Julian Hawthorne was not
taken along to describe in his own chaste and
beautiful language the appearance of his hero
! in hunting suit. the impressive manner in
which he closed one eye and looked with the
other along the barrel of his gun, the absorbing
interest manifested by the rabbits as they sat
up and looked at Bryan. the intense solictude
Of Jones and the rest as they lodged behind
convenient trees. their joyful expression when
they found that he had missed everything and
everybody was safe, and the majestic calmness
Of demeanor with which he reloaded his gun
These details narrated in Mr.. HawthOrne's vivid
manner, would have enriched our literature and
been read with thrill of deligh, by the masses
Then, too. the tragic end of the rabbit. What
a theme that would have been for Mr.. Haw
thOrnes gifted pen! AS II Is, we know nothing
definite as to how the rabbit was killed. There
is nothing but the meagre and inadequate state
ment that Mr.. Bryan finally succeeded in kill
ing rabbit" But how: He may have hit him
while aiming at something else, or he may have
knocked him over with the butt Of his gun, or
what Is more likely. Jones may have caught the
rabbit and held him by the ears while Bryan
talked him to death. At any rate. the campaign
of 1900 is fairly opened and William Jennings
| Bryan Is one rabbit to the good.