The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-08-13

I and able to clearly and Convincingiy
express their views before an audience
BRYAN AS A "PLAIN CITIZEN.
He is an inveterate homekeeper
and when unable to stay at Lincoln
with his wife usually takes her with
him upon his political expeditions.
For the rest he is man ot magniti
cent physique, the fruit OF early farm
work and constant practice of athletic
| sports. His face shows in its high tore
head intellect; in its eyes kindness;
in the closely set mouth and promi-
nent chin determination. 10 dress lie
IS unassuming; in manner genial with
out lack Of dignity. Believing in him
| self, he respects himself without more
| egOtism than is natural to man who
has succeeded in great things. But
even more than in himself he believes
in the common people, in the farmers
| whom he thinks victims OF cruel
wrong and who, he expects beyond
| shadow Of doubt, will Join him il
rishtng it. His campaign will be in
| the main an agraran one and his adj
ministration, should he be elected, will
be one Of more simplicity than the
capital has seen since Jefferson rode
into town and tied his horse to the
fence paillngs.
BKYAN'S OPPOSITION TO CORPORATIONS.
the part Of the farmer in the eco
nomic structure ofs0ciety is that which
has most appealed to Bryan. He
stands before the people to-day The
/ representative rather Of the agrICul;u
raj interest than Of any party. 1t was
not unnatural that from advocacy Of
low tariff he should have turned to
championship Of the Anti-Option bill,
which sought to stop gambling in
grain. Coming from a community
soreiy burdened by the exactions ol
r2jIroadscompanies, from a State the
,,ovefnment Of which has been for de
cades dominated by railroad influence,
. Ii quickly arrayed himself in antaS0-
nlsin % these great corporations. He
s,r)ve y have the powers Of the lnter
state Commerce Commission enlarged
y sep, by the way, which IS deman-
de-! 3y the platfor III upon which he Is
now 4 candidate for the presidency
and lie insisted that in fixing ''reason-
able rates. the commission should
/ allow interest only On the cost Of re-
producing the roads at the present
time. And it IS proper here TO note
that in private action he has kept HIM
self as wholly free from the influence
of railroad corporations as his record
| in the Honse argues he should. Like
most public men of strong personality
and talent, he has had his opportuni
ties TO join with the great army Of cor
porations. In his Lincoln law prac-
tce he has Systematically refused re-
tainers from railway companies, and
at tie close of his second term in Con-
gress, though practically penniless, lie
declined salary Of $40, 900 a year to
act as general council for railroad
associated with the Standard Oil Com
pany. InalI probability the Offer was
not even a temptation to him, for con
tent With the simple lie Of an interior
town, abstemious in habits, and almost
an ascetic in tastes, he has little need
for large income.
BRYAN IN CONGRESS-.
Perhaps no better idea Of the habits
Of thought and the animating political
convictions of William ]. Bryan could
bc obtained than by merely noting the
measures with which he was identified
daring his four years service in the
House Of Representatives. There
seems to be a logical connection be-
tween all of them--.the list IS clearly
such one as might be drawn by 4
public man inheritin5 the democracy
oi Thomas Jefferson, educated under
the tutelage Of the early apostle OF per
g2nal liberty. Lyman Trunbul!, and
growing to ripe manhood IN the agrl-
cultural regions Of the West. HIS
nrmest convictions and his sturdiest
work were for radical tariff reform
Protection he denounced d. fraud
and robbery. His Nebraska home
far from the busy manufacturing cen
5 tiers, gave him no outlook upon smok
ing chimneys and whirrng wheels
and to him could come no dlsqulet
r ing thought that ercat industries nigh
suffer If TIE fostering hand Ct the gov
: eminent by which they had been a.deC
- reach maturity were suddenly win
. drawn. He saw before him the farm
f Of his nc!sh5ors in Nebraska. He sa"
! the corn, the wheat, the cattle and lIv
. stock growing without the aid Of II
+, nations taxing power and selling a
! prices fixed without reference - a pro
-. ,eCtiye tariff. He saw, on the o;he
y hand, his neighbors taxed on thei
5 w!Ee fencing for its makers profit, o
a their farm implements, on the lumbe
n Of which they built their little homes
: on ,heic clothing, and on everything
- they had to buy. Looking upon
5. from Nebraska outlook he could st
l. nothing III the tariff but device Il
J. the sp0lia.iJn Of his Constituents th;
r the East might profit. He was fon
l. of quoting tha: famous 0bifer dIf'n
II OF the S1pvcme Conrt OF the Unite
/ STATES: To lay w,th one hand i
4 power Of the 6 ,v-rnment on the no
rs erty Of th. CITIZEN. and with the 1.h