The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-14

Ihe oinn ma Hoe, or August ~, pub
lished the following editorial under tho
caption WAS bryan RctaIncd2"
"The American people believe In fair
play. They do not believe that ali Is
fair In politics, as II Is said to DO In love
and war, Every American citizen
who nspircs to public office must, how
ever. be prepared TO have HIS career
and record examined from beginning
TO end aud subjected to the most rigid
test Of Integrity and capacity. II this
applies TO mcn who present themselves
for elective positions Of ordinary honor
and trust how much more must II be
applied to men who seek elevation to
the highest office within the giCt Of the
nation? William Jennings Bryan IL
now before the American people az the
standard bearer OF the united silver
%fdrCNs. lio has publicly declared that
the nomination came to him not on nC-
ConM; Of any individual merit. but by
reason Of a peculiar combination OF
circumstances. What was this Combl-
nation Of circumstances, Was Il made
for him ur was he made for II? Was he
exalted for his unsclISh devotion to
the people or because h. had proved
his loyalty to the cause Of silver rs rep
resented by the associated silver mine
OwncrS9
The Rocky Mountain News, PUBLISH
I'd at Denver as the recognized organ
Of the silver bulllonaircs, has taken
tpNtfhlA II. mint OF fn a,ntts Tr,H, - 80
Of mining kings and promoters OF min
Ing schemes. denying that they had
paid anything to Mr.. Bryan for his
services rs silver ngltatOr. This, In IT.
self, must impress Intelligent men with
the suspicion that Mr.. Bryan needs u
vinlication. Nobody ever charged
Bryan with being in the pay OF these
particular men, \ thousand men
might swear that they never heard.
Mr.. Bryan make q prohibition speech,
but THAT would be no proof that hn
never mlie one.
The inevitable Logic Of the partlcu-
lar combination of circumstances I'M
der which Mr.. Bryan has for tSvo years
been employed exclusively as an ad-
vance agent Tor the silver kings Is that
he has been retained and enumerated
for his services. Everybody here
abouts knows TINT Mr.. Bryan has had
no income except from his own earn
lnSs. Els law practice has always been
Insignificant, His editorshIp OF an
omaha paper was nominal. He per-
formed no work for the paper beyond
a Few caSua! contributions, and the
paper was not in n position to pay a
salary to any one whl did not earn II.
Without visible means OF support and
with no capital to draw from, how was
1t possible for Mr.. Bryan to travel tens
OF thousands OF miles from one end
OF the country to the other In bis
spcech-making tours and to spend
weeks at Washington lobbying for the
silver interests without a retainer?
With wha; did he buy several thou
sands OF dollars worth of stock in the
Omaha Worid-Ilerald IL not with the
proceeds OF his free silver agitation?
Nobody prctends that AIR. bryan.
would have been committing a crime
II he did accept Il retainer from the
bonanza syndicate or BImctallic
League. which has nOtoridusly retain
ed other gifted orators and statesmen.
AS n lawyer Mr.. Bryan has Il right to
take al the retainers he can persuade
people to pay him. The only point Of
public concern Is whether or not the
silver candidate for the presidency OF
the United States has always been nm
unselish and unbought champion OF
leSalized reputation"