New-York tribune., 1896-10-31
GTLT-EDGED GIBBERIGOSR.

lust as II Is impossible for any one man 10 be
so wise as some men look. it is no less impos
sible for any man born of woman to he 50 great.
SO wise, so transccndently beautiful. so fascinat-
ing in his manner. so captivating in his address,
so profound in his know ledge. so widc-rcaching
and all-emhracing in his accomplishments 50
altogether toora aooral and magniiccntly tra-la-
la as the powerful prose writers who are ac-
comp:nying tha; political skyrocket in his flight
represent Mr.. William Jennings Bryan 10 be.
They Gid him all over in the abstract with re-
fined gold. notwithstanding his haired for that
accurscd metal in the concrete. They rradate
him with a halo that falls little short Of the
supcrnatural. They make him so angelic that
one can almost hear the tapping of his wings.
Not only that but it makes one wonder what
on earth being with such wings and such
feathers and such gorgeous plumagc and such
soaring capacity is stopping on The ground for
so long. Already transfgured before the rapt
gaze of these dovout wOrshippers. he Spens 10
be only awaiting translation.
And yet it only few months ago that
William Jennings Bryan was rather ordinary
citizen Of Nebraska indeed, rather unsuccess-
fu citizen Of Nebraska. Judging from his career
as lawyer. newspaper man and theatrical press
agent-and little known outside his own State.
No man ever up suddenly and became at
once so famous Eugene V. Dcbs, who at one
time held the whole country by the throat until
Sheriff tapped him on the shoulder. is the only
historic character approaching him in magnifi-
cenco magniloquence and self-asscri0n. And
Debs is mot in it, with him. Even now he
fringcs Rryans glory, with most Of his glitter
gone No render of the letters of the ycracious
correspondents Of two Of our city contcmpo-
rarics who bask in the Bryan presence every
day and communicate the elevating and insplr-
ing effect of 1t TO their respective newspapers
can have any doubt that William Jennings By
an is, by all odds the greatest man of this or
any other period. He holds over the greatest
OF the Greeks: no sage or statesman or hero in
Plutarch's procession can hold the candle 10 him.
And yet it was only q little while ago that the
obscure Platte River emptied him out upon the
world with no endowment except its own wide
mouth and shallowness and turbid flow! Oh.
he must be great: very great; truly great There
was never anything like him. Nor In the Ordi-
nary process OF Nature ever Will be.
Listen a moment TO that uncOmmonly fine
writer and expensive correspondent, Mr.. Julian
Hawthorne, who accompanies Mr. Bryan and
communicates TO '~rhe New-York Journal" the
throes and throbbings Of his manly bosom as he
bobs I'D and down on railroad trains to listen TO
the strains of elOquence which the great man
pours out at all hours from the tail end Of the
train into the face and eyes and ears OF the
oppressed masses who flock TO him from ada
cent resorts where they have been vanly strug-
Cling TO drown their sorrows In the bowl. In
his last letter Julian was lied TO reflect" upon
the difference between Mckinley and Bryan.
"On the one hand" he SAYS II saw the little
'gllded pinchbeck Major peeking and piping his
"complaccnt plattudes In his Canton cottage
Isn't that striking. though? One almost forgets
that the "little gllded pinchbeck Major was
real soldier. who enlisted as private and won
his spurs in the field. where there was actual
6ghtinR and real danger. And fOrretS. too. that