Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-08-27
THEIR HEARTS WITH HIM.
Julian Hawthorn Graphically Describes
William ]. Bryan's Recent Trip
To the East.


kSQsfR::A awakens deepest
GNG2S.s:: feeling. Julian
ZL1A3rA Hawthorn, b e
eminent writer,
.S is one of them.
~ He accompa-
MED the Bryan train from Chicago to
New York, and wrote of what he saw
to the New York Journal.
Pittsburg, August 10. AT Crestline,
where we stopped half an hour, had
my first opportunity of estimating Mr..
Bryan's oratory. He had, indeed, ever
since leaving Chicago, appeared at
each stop on the steps of his car, and
had often spoken a few words of
greeting and acknowledgment.
But at Crestline the people were to
be numbered by thousands instead of
hundreds, and there was brass band,
flags and a decorated stand for Bryan
to speak from. He left his car and as
he assembled the platform was greeted
with roars and applause. Half a dozen
cannon had been fired as the train roll
ed into the station. In his short sack
coat, his head barred, and standing SOL
idly on both feet, he began to speak.
His is an ideal figure for an orator.
His stalwart, broad shouldered pres
ence fills and satisfies the eye; his face
with his black eyebrows and strong
features shows the expression afar off;
indeed. Bryan reminds one at times
both of Edward Booth and of John Nc
Cullough. 1t is an expression at once
Of poignancy and breadth such as must
needs belong to great actor, but only
occasionally falls to the lot of states.
man.
Standing square. with an easy swing
of the shoulders and a graceful action
of both arms alternately Or in unison,
Bryan made short but powerful adj
dress, every sentence of which was
punctuated with applause. His voice
is of admirable quality, deep, clear,
resonant and of great carrying power.
He brought out word after word with
deliberate emphasis, and the more i'm
portant phrases were delivered with
immense energy, involving not merely
the arms, but the head and the whole
body. He seemed in these imprisoned
to be actuated by force
greater than his own, yet which found
in him perfect instrument.
In point of action Bryan recalls the
greatest of living orators. Gladstone.
There is the same ease. harmony and
vanity. But Gladstone had also gen.
tie, half playful, colloquail vein which
he often employed in the house with
speech. had no time for playfulness.
He hammered his truths into his audi
ence with strokes as of Thor's hammer,
and they responded with roars and
shrieks Of appreciation.
His greatest triumph of all was per
haps in Canton, the home of Nc Kiniey.
The latter gentleman himself did not
show at the depot, but most of his fell
low townsmen did, and no crowd along
the route has been more enthusiastic or
more intelligent A great many of
them were well looking and well to do,
and there were a great number of pref
ty girls who wore Bryan favors. and
risked suffocation in their effort to see
him. An enterprising photographer
with his machine to the roof
of the depot and took snap shots at
Bryan addressing the crowd from the
platform Of fat car. The band play
ed and the cheering was almost contin-
uous. The republican nominee must
have heard it, and it may have set him
confess was not myself prepared
for the unmistakable sincerity and al
most passionate enthusiasm which
have met Mr.. Bryan at every town and
village along the route. The demon
stration began at the Chicago railway
station. A crowd of the employees of
the road were gathered there, begging
for .'just one kind word, Mr.. Bryan, -
and when one of them called out: ST
was republican till this day, but I'll
vote for you. Mr.. Bryan, A." the announce
ment was approved with shouts. At
a name associated in my
mind with Spanish gold rather than
American silver, there was a tumultu-
Gus crowd at 1880 in the morning, who
welcomed the candidate with music,
fireworks and cheers.
Throughout the small hours as the
train swept along, the noise of shouting
rose and died away in the distance.
From unseen threats the greeting was
passed on continuously from station to
station like the fiery cross of the an
cient Scottish Highlanders, and the
flame of welcome and godspeed was