Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-21
WORKING COMPARISONS
Free Silver Leaders Seeking similarities
With MI. Lincoln's Career.
Tried Them with Bland and Now Re-
casting Them to Fit Bryan-Where
the Companions End.

The free silver leaders, who are insisting
that this Is to be another emancipation
campaign-emancipatio from what they
characterize as the money thraldom of
Great Br'tain-are full Of references to Mr..
Lincoln. They know the great power of
his name. and are trying to trade on 1t.
When 1t seemed likely that Mr.. Bland
would be their candidate they employed
themselves running parallels between him
and Mr.. Lincoln. The performance was by
no means happy. but they persuaded them
selves that in the Missourians unconven-
tional dress and manner Of living and in
his village leanings, there was much that
would remind the people of Mr.. Lincoln.
Making Them Fit Bryan.
to make it apply to Mr.. Bryan. He is to
be the second Lincoln. A plain man Of the
people. a product of the farm. a lawyer, an
orator. personally popular. trusted by his
neighbors. he is to come nearest to the
Lincoln. He Is to supervise the work which
is to supplement Mr.. IIncoln's work
Some OF the points made In support OF
this idea are ingenious II not convincing.
Mr.. Bryan was born at Salem, in Illinois.
Now Salem figures largely in Mr.. Lincoln's
early life. He kept country store there.
and nourished his first ambition to be q
lawyer while so employed. Mr.. Bryan starts
thus with Whit of Lincolnian air.
After studying law, with Mr.. Lincoln 8
old friend. Lyman Trumbull he locates for
practice in the town of Lincoln, Nebraska,
He made rapid progress at the bar there,
as Mr.. Lincoln did at Springfield.
As to Nomination
He won at Chicago over all the veterans,
as Mr.. Lincoln did In the same town in the
convention OF 1850. Bland, and Boies, and
Teller were snufed out by the one as Sc
ward. Cameron, and Chase were by the
other - '''T .+-.
Then, in this matter Of a running mate
the same difficulty was encountered in
both cases and solved in the same way.
After Mr.. Lincoln had been nominated
there was some maneuyering to secure the
right man for second Place. The men who
had stood for first place refused the use Of
their names. Finally, Hannibal Hamlln Of
Maine, not a national character at that
time. was chosen. The west and the east
Joined hands. After Mr.. Bryan was nom-
mated there was a hunt for second man.
and Mr.. Sewal Of Maine. not a national
character, was chosen. The west and the
east have Joined hands. and the free sill
yer claim is that thfs disposes Of the charge
that the money issue is beng made by them
a sectional issue.
Where the Comparison Ends.
The comparison-the- suggestion Of like
ness and coincdence-stops here, and prob
ably very wisely Mr.. Bryan is not thought
to be Of the Lincolnian temperament, or to
resemble Mr.. Lincoln in his intellectual
equipment. Mr.. Lincoln had kindly and
an abouading humor, and such a fund of
stories applicable to all sorts Of political
conditions as never was known before. Mr..
Bryan has no humor at all. He s too In
tense for that quality. He has told but one
story since he was nominated, and that
was chestnut" Mr.. Lincoln as an ora
tor was not of the impassioned school. The
great Gettysburg Grafton fell fiat as deliv
cred. Its incompatible beauty was only
revealed when 1t got into print Mr.. Bryan
as an orator is all fire and passion. His
best effects are produced by his fine deiv-
cry.
But campaign comparisons are, as rule,
loosely drawn. and the silver men think
they have enough ma terial to fit Mr.. Bryan
out in pretty fair Lincolnian form.