The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-10-07
THE QUESTION OF INTEGRITY,

THE QUESTION OF INTEGRITY.
Although standing upon a platform and
representing principles which a large
majority of the intelligent and patriotic
people Of the country felt compelled
20 condemn a the most revolutionary
and dangerous perhaps ever openly pro-
mulgated by a political convention, Mr..
Bryan a nevertheless, in his first as
pect. almost universally given credit for
great sincerity Of opinion and honesty
to him leading newspapers Of both par
ties were fastidiously respectful and
carefully considerate Of what was I'M
derstood to be his high character and
standing both as a private and public
citizen. The first revelations as to the
candidates real nature and disposition
came from his own home people and
newspapers. Unaffected by the heroic
glamour which distance invariably casts
about a new and suddenly prominent
public character. these critics represent
ed Mr.. Bryan as nothing else than a
vain, shallow, INSCRIPTIONS demagogue,
and crafty politician. For some time
these reports made little impression on
the pre~-conceived opinions and esti-
mates which others had placed upon Mr.
Byan-being set down, doubtless, TO
the narrow spirit Of envy and petty NAL
ice which extraordinary success in any
Individual is apt 10 excite in the minds
Of those by whom he is best known
and Immediately surrounded. 1t was
not long, however. until it became ap-
parent to the whole country that Mr..
Bryan was all that his bitterest detract-
or had said about him. That he was a
which the want OF moral and intellect
ual attachments utterly disqualified him
from supporting with any degree Of dig
nifty or credit. The crowds and rif-raff
which nave attended him in his tours
about the country. have so inflated his
vanity and gratified his craving for
notoriety as to throw him entirely of
his balance, and he is now rapidly de-
generating into a position where he is
destined to become an object of disgust
and derislon to those even who are re-
sponsible for his elevation.
The following comment from the New
York Tribune on an article which lately
appeared in Harper's Weekly, shows the
depths to which Mr.. Bryan has already
fallen. Considering the sources from
which these estimates emanate-the
W. leading and most dignifed news
paper publications in America-they
constitute by long odds the most ter
rife arraignment Of Mr.. Bryan that has
yet been published:
Mistakes Of opinion can be pardoned.
But rooted dishonesty of character is
not pardonable. and is the one offense
for which upright men can find no ex-
cuse or forgiveness. In Harper's Week
y there appears a single sentence which
deserves the serious attention of every
honest man in the country. Its leading
editorial article says: I'VE were inclin-
led TO believe Mr.. Bryan himself a mis-
but sincere enthusiast until he
came into the East, and by his efforts
to excite hostility between the idle and
industrious, and between those who
hope to gain a competence and those
have already acquired one, show
led himself to be the most reckless and
the wickedest ~demagogue who ever
ran for the presidency" This is not
the statement Of a political journal, but
Of a paper which strives at all times
to present without fear or favor or
.partisanship the view Of things which
a high sense Of moral obligation die
If the indictment Of Harper's
Weekly is justified, it ought to condemn
Bryan to ~disgraceful defeat, no
what his monetary opinions may
be.
The Tribune has reached precisely the
judgment which Harpcr's Weekly ez-
It began with the belief that
Bryan was an upright and church
going man, If unhlemished private char
whose errors Of belief, however
and dangerous, were errors Of the
head and not Of the heart. But he has
made it impossible TO believe in his
moral integrity. Mere -looseness Of
tongue does not explain his continued
Of statement. He was justifably
Indignant at interruptions while he was
speaking in New Haven, but that was
the spirit which prompted his as
that students at Yale were
spending the il-gotten gains Of their
parents. The deliberate lie, as 10 nearly
all Of them, had another motive. He
meant to kindle the envy and jealousy
IF the unlettered by the suggestion that
,nly the sons Of swindlers could in
days get a liberal education. But
his presence at that moment, as in
Every other gathering Of Yale students
or half a century, there were young
men who were supporting themselves
~ the most painful struggle in order
o obtain an education, and others in
treat numbers whose parents were
themselves the comforts Of
ife in order to secure that browning ad-
'antage for their sons.
This piece Of fragrant dishonesty IS