The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-22
WANTS TO BE A LINCOLN
This Is the Chief of all Bryan's Wanting
Ambitious.

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, Aug. 21.-In a letter
To the Record, Henry MacFarland, writ
ing from Washington, says:
Washington, D. c., Aug. 10.
Candidate Bryan has always thought
That he was a second Lincoln He mas
always believed. and he still believes
that he was predestined to be president
end to "emancipate white slaves as
Lincoln emancipated black slaves. L
DO not know that he shares Senator TIL
mans privately expressed opinion that
R1.van. if elected, will follow Lincoln's
Fate and be assassinated by some craZed
representative of the people VINO nave
be enhording the white slaves in indus
trial letters, but l would not be sur
prised to learn that he has some such.
fear. or rather some such apprehen-
sion, for l do not think that Mr.. Bryan
has many fears about himself.
Born in that portion of Illinois where
Lincoln was raised and spent much of
his life. though in better circumstances
than Lincoln knew, Bryan lived mi In
ooln associations and memories, and
naturally, with his usual powers. and
his good opinion of them, formed the
idea that he might have such a career
as that Of the martyred Lincoln. When
he came to so west think he went to
Lincoln. Nebraska, rather than to any
other place partly, at least, because of
IT'S name, and in what he has said and
done since ne begun his public career he
has from time to time shown that he
was trying; to initiate Lincoln.
There Is no doubt, for example, that it
was LncnSn's Cooper Union speech of
1860 which introduced him to the east
that Bryan was thinking of quite as
much as the fact that Cleveland and
Stevenson had been notified of their
nomination in 1892 at Madison Square
Garden which prompted him to upset
the plan which Chairman Jones had
made for having the nominees notified
at their homes, and to insist upon max
Ing his first important campaign speech
In New York.
Bryals organ in New York city has
doubtless spoken for Bryan in pointing
out resemblance between the reception
given Lincoln and his speech in 1860 and
the reception given Bryan and his
speech in 1896 by the people and the
press of New York. even to its intima-
lions that Bryan made a greater impress
zion than Lincoln did; while the other
New York papers, always as partisan
as they are Provincial. have gone just
as far In the other direction.
The resem blances between Lincoln
and Bryan are, of course, all superb
cial, for Lincoln was a genius and Bry-
an is not. But Bryan cannot be expect
ed perhaps, to appreciate this. He has
been nominated for the presidency by
one speech and at an age which in Lin
coins life, found him unknown to the
country at large. If you take Mr.. Bry-
ans point of view you will be able 10
see better what he sees of a resemblance
between his career and Dincoln's.
1t VIII not do for us Of the east to take
the New York newspaper view Of Bry-
an. any more than 1t would have done
no have taken the New York newspaper
view of Lincoln, great as the distance
is between the two men. Bryan is not
simply an actor or "a mimetic declaim-
er," as one of the New York newspapers
say. for if that had been all there was
to him he would not have been nomin-
eted forthepresidencyat Sc. The man
believes what he says, or at least as
much of il as the best man in politics
believe Of what they say, and wrong as
his ideas ma ybe. they DO not necessarily
1mpeaoh his sincerity. He really believes
that he has a special mission in the
world. and that 1t is 10 improve by leg
tslation the condition of the great mass
es of thepeople. He may be entirely mis-
taken about this~or his methods and
plans may BEN istaken, but there can
be no doubt about his own belief and
purpose. and these are what make a
man determined and persistent. if not
successful
1t is true that Mr.. Bryan Is only q
great orator. not a great thinker: bat a
great orator can do some things with
other mems ideas. Mr.. Bryan was not a
constructive statesman in the house.
and. indeed. was not even a good bust
4. ness member, but there Is no doubt that
he was a first class DICTATOR and the most
eGCquent man in the body.
The New Workers are wofully nistak-
en- in saying he is not eloquent be-
cause. against his own judgment. ne
yielded to the advice Of Senator Jones
and Senator German and read his speech
instead ofe delivering Il from memory. as
his custom has been. ! have heard all
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