New-York tribune., 1896-08-26
RR)iN AND DEHETRIf :.

Mr. Rryans reference in his speech the other
day TO Demctrius the silvcrsmlth OF Eph'sus
was peculiarly unfortunate. ASIDE from his mis-
take in crcditlng the cry. Great is Diana OF the
Enhesiansr to Dcmeirus For the most cursory
reference to the story as told in the Book of the
Acts will show that Dcmctrius would Dc
rohid BRYAN man If he were living to-day; ana
# is therefore, most unkind of Mr.. Bryan To
pound him as if he were gold hug. He was
silycrsmith. and so. like many of Mr.. Bryans
followers in the silver States. he was IN favor
of anything TINT would make a market for the
white metal. 1t so happened that mt that tlihe
the demand for silver was much stimulated by
the practice of making little silver shrincs OF
the goddess Diana And as the preaching OF
Paul was directed against the worship OF idois
Demcrius began to be- alarmed. He called
meeting OF the silver craftsmen and wofklD'h
of kindred trades. and addressed them in true
Populistc style appealing first to their selfish
ness and Cupidity, and then to their preJudiccS
"Sirs" he said. "ye know that by this craft we
have our wealth" In the same spirit the great
silver-mine owners have been appealing 10 the
ignorant these many years. They have no con
Germ for what will benefit the whole country
East West North and South. but only for what
will increase the gains of one class in the com
munty.
Naturally Dcnetrius nfamed the craftsmen
He submitted no proof that PaulS preaching
was going TO throw him out of work. because
there was no such proof. But with the skill OF
a denagogue he played on their ignorance ana
prciudices and the inevitable result followed
They were full of wrath and began to cry
ont Great is Diana of the Ephesians' This
soon created commotion throughout the city
4 big mass meeting gathered in the amphithca-
tre which soon became bowling mob some
therefore cried one thing and some another: for
"the assembly was confused; and the more part
knew not wherefore they were come together.
But finally they settled down to crying with one
voice. Great is Diana of the Ephesians. ana
kept il up for two hours. until the town clerk
brought them to their senses by telling them that
Demctrus had no case against Paul. and, if he
had the courts were fully able TO settle it,
ANY one will mt once see that the frcc-sver
movement is in many respects modern ana
locuc Of the silver movement so skilfully engi-
ncered by Dcmetrus in Ephesus. 1t has gained
Il following. not by arguments founded on rca-
son or facts. but by appeals to prejudice and
self interest. At times different men have played
the role of Demctrus: but just now William j..
Bryan is doing ii in way that would make the
old silversmlth feel his inferiority as catch
penny orator If he were now living. Then too,
like the mob in the amphithcairc most Of those
supporting Bryan know not wherefore they are
come together: they are in state OF chronlc
confusion. and are only united in the parrot-like
cry sixteen to one" which most Of them re-
peat wthou: any more idea of its relation to
their welfare than the ancient mob had of It's
ejaculation. Great is Diana of thu Ephcsans'
On the whole. we think that if Mr.. Bryan
should find time between speeches 10 read the
xixth chapter of the Book OF the Acts which
he does not seem TO have done rrccntly-he
would see that il was mistake for him to crit
icisc Demctrus and his silver uprising.