New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26
BRYAN'S ORATORY.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS ARE AN1AioO'
KNOW IF HE CAN KEEP UP
HIS RECORD.


washington, July % (SpeciaD.-Some OF the Sill
yer leaders here are trying to make OF Mr. nrys"
y. "man Of destiny" The masses are to DC
thrilled by stories OF how. months before the C",
caro Convention was held, the boy orator
knew that he was to be it's central inquire ihis "o
surance came to him in mysterious put con-
x.;rc;ry vav II fired him anew with zeal TOT sii-
>.or,s cause He took nobody fully into his conn.,
aance hut he did not hesitate to declare TO sew
ora, of his friends at different times that great
things awaited him. His aim was tnat OF heep
your eye on me"
An old newspaper crony recalls that as long ago
ne las, winter Mr.. Bryan predicted that ne wouio
be his partys next nominee for President An
other friend who met him at the Republican Con-
vention at st. Louis represents Mr. Bryan us
talking in a confidential tone In the same stra'h
there: and when Chicago itself Is reached the
Testimony is voluminous all going to show that
Mr. Rryar presented himself there with the con-
fdencc of a man who had communed with the
Unseen and. in obedience to orders, had come
for what had been promised him. This goes as
the silver boomers believe, to make man OF
destiny" And then they ask, How can you peat
him? What prevail against a champion mus
Kicked out? The Chicago Convention only rati-
fad 4 selection that had already been made. Be
had been forecast The man Is heaven-sent."
Mr. Bryan is not quoted as confirming the lat
ter Of these yarns but neither is he likely to re-
pudiate them. He wants to win. and Is In the
hands OF his friends 1t is theirs to Judge Of how
the people may most effectively be reached and
Il fairy stories find a ready acceptance and profit
able market, why not put them out?
But this particular fairy story will not bear the
light Of day 1t Is utterly antagonistic to GER
tain well-established facts and these facts are
supplied-though not. Of course. for the purpose
of disposlng Of this story-by the man who gave
10 Mr. Bryan his opportunity in the Convention.
Senator Jones' CT Arkansas who has recently
been here does not accept Mr. Bryan as
heavcn-sent champion, but one who improved
in very human way human opportunity. sup
piled TO him by human agencies In other words,
Mr.. Jones understands that Mr. Bryans speech
captured the Convention, and that while under
the influence Of the deliverance, the Convention
made the nomination. No speech. nomina-
ton; the thing resolves itself into that. Mr..
Bryan had no standing IN the Convention when
that body met. He contestant, and had
what even some Of the silver men regarded as a
weak case. If the Bryan people had stood alone
they would probably have lost. But they bene-
fted by the feeling aroused over the Michigan
contest The silver men resented the capture of
the Michigan delegation by the gold men with so
much bitterness that when they undid that work
they decided to humiiate the gold men In Ne
braska also, and to bring them all down to-
gethcr.
This admitted Mr.. Bryan as delegate to the
Convention. But II did not Of itself mako him
particularly prominent He had yet to reach the
platform. The silver leaders were opposed to
much speechmaking They were in possession Of
the Convention. and anxious for the dispatch OF
business. But Senator Tillman's overweening
vanity could not be controlled. AS member Of
the Committee on Resolutions. he was entitled to
be heard. and ne insisted on fifty minutes of time.
His colleagues shuddered, but were helpless. The
TRADE they were dreading was delivered, and
then 1t considered necessary to try to
break the force of it. Mr.. Jones himself under
took part of the task, and after regulating the
talk about sectionalism, gave way to Mr. Bryan,
who was eager to be heard. Enter now the Man
OF Destiny, who had got into the Convention by
scratch" and on the platform to speak only be-
cause Of the vanity Of Senator Tillman. and the
bitterness of the Southerner's speech. This seems
effectually to dispose of the heaven-sent cham
picn business. and to reduce Mr.. Bryan to the
earthly luck OF ready young man who pro1ted
both by accident and aggressiveness. and, get
ting a chance to talk, talked himself into the
Conventions favor.
Senator Jones is a cautious man. and said lit
Tia while he here, but an impression has
gained ground that he Is not over-enthusiastc
oscut the partys action. He is thought to be
eyinS the young leader with feeling Of uneasi-
ncsS. What If he should prove to be too eager
and too eloquent? Mr. Jones, although South
ern man. does not run to oratory himself. or
bow down before the gift in others. He is
good speaker, but he has been in office here long
enough to note how seldom popular oratory
is allied to executive grasp Agitation and exc
WI 1Onpq
was not among those who were swept off their
feet by Mr.. Bryan's outburst. He sustained It
with great composure. and. seeing the danger
the Convention was in, moved an adjournment
until the next day This objected to by the
Bryan people, but az Mr. Jones was the recog-
nzed leader OF the silver forces on the floor his
motion prevailed. He opposed to making
any nomination in frenzy. and he probably
had hopes that by next day the Convention
would have recovered its head. But what head
1t had Mr.. Bryan had captured. and adjourn
nent unavailing.
Mr. Jones's choice for standard bearer IL be-
heved to have been Mr. Teller. 1t is known that
he did not think favorably Of Mr. Bland. and
he could not have given thought 10 Mr. Bryan.
for until the latter made his speech in the time
M Jones surrendered 10 him. he was not. as a
matter Of fact. despite all fairy stories to the
contrary seriously In anybody's mind for the
nomination.
But however that may have been. Mr.. Bryan
IS the candidate. and Mr.. Jones is to conduct
the campaign Presumably they will get to-
gether. Mr. Jones must study his man. who Is
young enough TO be his They are very un-
Ike. The older man is patient, tactful. earnest
enough. and hard worker. Eloquence, So
LED. is CT small moment 10 him. The younger
ran is only eloquent. but 1t remains 10 be seen
whether he possesses sustained eloquence II
ne does not. he is going to prove heavy load Tor
IT. party TO carry. IL he cannot frequently
:.rike some of the fire he struck at Chicago. the
disappointment Of his supporters will battle aoe-
crate expression.
The true quality Of Mr. Bryan es an orator has
become burning question with the Democratic
lsrfrr3 here II is conceded that he must go on
the stump. The curiosity Is great to hear him,
I'D he must indulge a feeling complimentary